Brakes and Traction Control: Description and Operation

WARNING: Brake fluid contains polyglycol ethers and polyglycols. Avoid contact with eyes. Wash hands thoroughly after handling. If brake fluid contacts the eyes, flush the eyes for 15 minutes with cold running water. Get medical attention if irritation persists. If taken internally, drink water and induce vomiting. Get medical attention immediately.

The braking system is a diagonally split, dual circuit design featuring front disc brakes and rear drum brakes as standard and disc brakes all around on performance vehicles.
The hydraulic system provides separate circuits for each pair of diagonally opposed wheels (i.e. left front, rear right and right front, left rear). The front calipers, mounted on the wheel spindle, are of single sliding piston design which ensures that equal effort is applied through both brake pads. The rear calipers of vehicles with discs all around are of the opposed piston design. The pads in all cases are asbestos free.
The rear drum brakes are of conventional design. They feature one primary and one secondary shoe with bonded thick/thin asbestos free linings. The thick/thin linings allow shoes to wear at proportional rates. The brakes self adjust during foot brake operation.
The parking brake control is located between the front seats and operates the rear brakes through a cable system. The cable features automatic adjustment through a ratchet and pawl mechanism on the parking brake control.
The master cylinder is of a tandem design and is linked to a brake booster to reduce the brake pedal effort. The tandem design will ensure that in the event of one brake circuit failure the other will remain fully operational.
The master cylinder and brake booster are located on the left-hand side of the engine compartment. The booster operating rod is connected directly to the brake pedal.
Vehicles fitted with the standard braking system have pressure conscious reducing valves (PCRV's) fitted in the master cylinder outlet ports. The PCRV's control the hydraulic pressure applied to the rear brakes thereby reducing the risk of rear wheel lock-up under braking.