Any one run a staging brake for the front calipers only? I saw it before on a couple buggy's but I was wondering how well they work? & how much of a P.I.T.A. they were when you were trying to grab those, the cutter & possibly shift while backing down a hill plus try to keep all for shoes on the ground & your witts about yourself? Seems like things could get a bit tricky. Thanks everyone, James

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Life is 10% of what happens to you & 90% how you deal with it!
It's all about attitude!

A staging brake has no resevoir. Most seperate handle front brakes I've seen are just a handle on a m/c set up to push, not a staging brake. You dont use your front brakes when backing down a hill, they will do little to nothing cuz all the weight is to the rear. I also cant imagine why you'd need to shift when backing down a hill.
All you need to worry about is the clutch, easy on the foot brake and using the cutter handle if you dont make it, so... NO, the front brake handle does not add any confusion to tryin to back off a hill, IMO.

It wont do much for you when backing , but you will be glad you can feather the front brake handle when noseing over into a steep or slippery holler!

A hand brake set up is the only way to do it. Your not going to use it backing off a hill or at the same time as cutting or shifting. There is no PITA using that system at all. Almost everyone I know that has tried it anyother way has converted over to a hand brake set up.

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And if everyone who asked the question :"Four wheel foot brake, or seperate handle for fronts?" would have listened in the first place .....they wouldnt be converting, THEY WOULDVE DONE IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME the way a few people told them to on here.
To those folks: I hate to say "we told y'all so, but.... we did "

I like the foot brake for my front brakes, that is why I have 3 pedals up front

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"Loud pipes saves lives"

I have an adjustable pressure regulator that I can turn off the brake fluid to the front brakes. It is right by the shifter and turning brake. It gets lots of use going down hills whether going forward or backwards down hills.

Chad, I love your setup, cant fit it in a 2 seater though Wish I could

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I run a cnc staging brake from Drews for front only & it has it own reservoir & it works super.

Hand brake is a stand alone self contained system.


Staging brake is plumbed into the existing brake system.

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

I've said it once, and i'll say it again, I have never been in a situation were I my front brakes have screwed me. one pedal, all four brakes, and if you are in the situation where you dont want front brakes, grab the double handle steering brakes. Even when it is muddy, I can stop on a dime on a steep downhill without having to set down my beer.

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

im not saying one way is better than the other, but i have not ever had trouble with my fronts locking up and me going all over hitting stuff... I just put wilwoods on the front after having drums forever, and still, no problems. So, until i have a problem, i'll keep mine how they are... never drove one with a single handle though....

My situation is different. A lot of our hills in AZ are very long and I drive to my off road trails. I also do a lot of street driving and when i get off road on steep loose hills the setting that works best for the quickest street stopping will lock up the front wheels on steep hills and the setting that works best for steep loose hills makes for very slow panic street stopping. My turning brake is a single handle but it also has come in handy for hills.

Soooooo, whats your setup?

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Neal pedals w. the round wilwood mc's, neal single handle, ghia rears, 2 piston wilwood fronts. pretty basic 2 seater pics of it in pics and vids. i ride wellsville with this setup and on the street with different rear tires..... so far it works for me. sry on my girlfriends phone hard to type.Q

ask mickeymouse about all fours plummed together, put him and his daughter on their lid at wilborns!

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lets just ride

It is easy to have them so that you can change from all 4 on the pedal to separating the front from the back, with the back on pedal and front on handle. Then you can switch them for whatever terrain you have. I preferred all four on pedal for street and separated for woods.

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

So why not all 4 on pedal and seperate handle for fronts, and duals for rears?

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In my opinion there are times that you do not want any front brakes with the pedal,,I think driving a buggy is similar to driving a motor cycle off road. Loose gravel and mud slicks will let the fronts lock easy and push.

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

Because a lot of times going down steep or slippery stuff with all 4 on pedal the fronts lock and you cant steer. And if its steep enuff, you dont wanna risk lettin up pressure on the foot brakes long enough to correct the front steering or you will gain excessive speed instantly. I suppose through adjustable bias bars on the dash and all that crap you could come up with a solution for this, but it seems like youd spend most of your time messing with it when going up n down hills thru goatpath trails because every different grade and terrain would make your buggy react different. Why do all that when you could just apply as much pressure as necessary to the handle for whatever situation you are in?

I think Marty has the best of both worlds with the abililty to switch from 4 wheel to rears on pedal and fronts on handle just by opening or closing ball valves. (Bet it was a bi%^h to bleed though ).

Each their own. Set up for what you'd like the brakes to do and how/where you ride. Maybe 4 wheel on the foot is the ticket at certain places or for some people. But on a handle is variable enuff (instant changes by the driver) to work perfect everywhere for most everyone.

K.I.S.S.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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Panic situation I want all 4 locked, or so I think so far.

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Not saying my way is the way to go. Just offering it up as a possible alternative. I'm not constantly adjusting the bias as it only requires a 1/4 to 3/8 turn makes the difference between stopping and sliding. Since my rack is 1/2 turn lock to lock with no power steering keeping two hands on the wheel is safer for me when backing up 200-300 feet. Like you said everyones rail and riding style is unique. Locking up all four wheels braking on a hill only gains speed which can be dangerous. Sometimes it is better to turn off the engine in gear and use its compression as a brake.

I hated my 4 wheel brakes with an adjustable proportioning valve on the front. It would only reduce it by 60% and I had a 1-1/2 turn rack. Going down hills I fought it the entire time trying to keep it on the trail. I also had 3” of bump steer that might have had something to do with it

I had four wheel disc brakes and I could not keep the front end from locking up while backing off hills. When the Front end would lock up, I would have NO STEERING... I also did not have any cutting brakes. Got really challenging trying to back off a hill when you cannot stop and you have no steering..

I think a front staging brake would work the best. However, I went a different route. I changed to four piston rear calipers and added a cutting brakes and installed a proportional valve for the front brakes.

Now it works great on the street and off road. Once I got the proportional valve dialed in, I can stop on a dime no matter where I am.

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