Sorry for the slight thread hijack, but can someone explain to me how hydraulic brake pedals give a more realistic braking feel? I assumed that the travel and 'feel' are determined by the rubber spacers, which is surely the same on the load cell pedals. Happy to be educated!
From where i stand that seems not completely true.
The average loadcell pedal uses a leverage system to "translate" the movement of your foot to compression of the rubbers.
Some high end pedals use hydraulic dampers to smooth out this movement.
Still it´s a direct mechanical connection, even stacks of rubber and and the utilisation of spring/stop systems to simulate pad to disc travel are just that: simulations.
On a hydraulicly actuated pedal you have a "real" hydraulic system that works exactly like in your car:
the brake pedal moves the master cylinder which "produces" hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid.
This pressure moves the slave cylinder which then compresses the rubbers.
Brake force is measured by a pressure sensor in the hydraulic system.
So contrary to the mechanical pedal you have the play between pedal lever and master cylinder piston, the feel of the fluid moving, the "bulging" of the brake line and the compression feel of the rubbers.
When comparing my Heusinkveld Sprints with the (modified) brake in my street cat they feel quite different.
BUT:
I think is only important when " dry humping" the brake pedal.
When in action with my street car or a simulation car the important thing is that the brake works dependable and predictable. So when aproaching a corner you will find the correct brake pressure and release just from (muscle) memory.
And thats what the Heusinkvelds do for me.
Do I sometimes dream of a hydraulic brake pedal?
Yes, just the same as I´d like to look out of the window and see a yellow Cayman GT4 instead of an orange GT86.
Do I need one of them? ( could I afford one of them?)
Hell NO.
MFG Carsten