I noticed on the specs for the new Milan/Fusion hybrids that they will come with 4 wheel disc brakes. It appears Ford has solved the skid control/disc brake/hybrid drivetrain issues that they had in '08-'09. Anyone know if the discs will be back on the '10 Escapes/Mariners? I'm assuming the '10s will have the cool new instrument panels as well.

 

I was under the impression that the 09 FEH got hub rear brakes as a cost saving issue and not an integration issue. Ford has lots of other vehicles with AdvanceTrac RSC and rear disc brakes (although you're right none were hybrids). I guess the 10 FEH will shed some light one way or another on this.

 

Yes, the bean counters at Ford prevailed over building a safe, safer, product yet again.

Drums were strickly a cost saving measure.

 

Willard, doesn't your Prius use rear drum breaks?

 

Shhhhh we all know it, but we can't reply to him...

http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/specs.html
last thing on the specs list

 

If all Fusion/Millan come will disk brakes it might cost more to spec drum brakes for 25,000 cars.

 

I agree with you Mark and this is why I think the FEH went back to having drum brakes. All the other Escape models have them. It's simply more cost effective to use a common part when that part will do the job.

If the almighty Prius is built with rear drum brakes it has too be a good enough technology, right?

 

Maybe, quite possibly, I'd have to look.

Probably depends on whether or not it has VSC. I'm not sure On-and-Off electric brake pressure control solenoids were ever developed for drum brakes.

 

IMMHO there is really no real detriment to drum brakes, especially at the rear where very little braking HP is used or ALLOWED due to weight and "weight" shift as braking effort is increased.

On the other hand if you need the RAPID on and off brake cycling of front AND rear ABS then you have little choice but to switch to disc brakes. If you happen to have a vehicle that only has rear ABS, as do many older trucks, then drums are probably used since those early anti-lock systems did not use the "pulsing" tecnique.

 

...if it's on a Toyota...

Willard you know you want a FEH! Especially now with the arctic winters here in the great PNW (global warming?). The 4WD and IRS sure would be nice, eh? Handling just about as nice as that old Subaru in these crummy winters...