Project Sidewinder
is no lightweight, and with the incredible power of the
modified Cummins diesel, it needs serious braking capability
to match its weight and performance potential. Wilwood,
well known for their NASCAR braking expertise, provided
a Busch Grand National road course setup to handle the
job.
To
meet its multi-purpose agenda of unmatched top speed,
superior road course performance, and excellent streetability,
Project Sidewinder must have brakes that exceed all
of its “go fast” potential. Not only is this
a top performing truck in terms of speed, it has the
added burden of the weight of the Cummins® 5.9L
turbo-diesel and the 6-speed New Venture manual transmission.
Both of these components are heavy duty to withstand
the 1200+ lb.-ft. of torque that is on tap. Stopping
such a monster is well beyond the capability of the
stock Dakota brakes, especially from the 200+ MPH runs
at Bonneville. Such braking requirements are normally
found only in racing stock cars, such as the NASCAR
Winston Cup or Busch Grand National road course cars.
Consequently, Wilwood®, a supplier of brakes to
so many NASCAR teams, provided a complete Busch Grand
National road race setup, including rotors, calipers,
brake lines, proportioning valve and a hanging pedal/master
cylinder assembly with remote fluid reservoirs. The
pedal assembly features dual master cylinders and a
brake balance bar. This balance bar allows adjustment
of the pedal forces between the front and rear master
cylinders to fine-tune the front to rear brake balance.
Major adjustments are done with a lever-type brake
proportioning valve.
The
real heart of the Wilwood setup is the vented, directional
rotors and the multiple-piston calipers. The front
brakes use 12.9-inch rotors with six-piston Grand National
III™ calipers, and the rear brakes use 12.3-inch
rotors with four-piston Superlite III™ calipers.
The brake system is crucial for safety on the highway,
but especially for controlled deceleration from speeds
in excess of 200 MPH on the salt flats.
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