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Overview: Rear Brakes and Suspension
Components replaced and restored in this phase of the restoration include the rear control arms, coil springs, shock absorbers, mechanical emergency-brake system and rear disc-brake components.
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The rear axle on the Alfa separate left to right, in contrast to most contemporary rear-wheel drive cars in which the axle separates front to back.
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At the bottom of the axle is an inspection plate that can be removed to allow inspection and maintenance of the contents of the differential housing, and access to the pinion and pinion-bearing.
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Left and right lower control-arms sit directly beneath the coil springs and shock absorbers.
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Higher up, the reaction trunnion is regarded as the heart of the Alfa's performance suspension. This structural support is largely responsible for the dramatic cornering capabilities that are characteristic of this car. The front end of the Alfa tends to over-steer -- meaning that the front-end essentially controls the car as it goes through corners. The reaction trunnion adjusts the rear axle, letting it to follow precisely through the turning radius, thus allowing for remarkably tight and fast cornering.
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A rebound strap serves to limit the downward travel of the rear suspension and helps keep it attached to the rear of the car.
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When Alfa switched from drum brakes to disc brakes, servo-controlled hydraulic calipers ) were added, used with rotors as is typical with disc brakes. However, these rotors were unique in that they incorporated a component similar in appearance and function to a brake drum.
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This "drum" functions as part of the mechanical emergency (or parking) brake system, which could be used to stop the car in the event of a failure in the hydraulic (disc) brakes. This essentially provided the vehicle with three separate braking systems: the front servo-supplied disc brakes, the rear servo-supplied system and a mechanical brake system. In the event of a complete failure in the hydraulic braking system, the mechanical brake could be used to bring the Alfa to a controlled stop.
In restoring the rear brake and suspension, considerable effort is taken to revive the kind of performance handling that was characteristic of the car when it was new. As with many aspects of the Alfa, some attributes of the rear suspension system are essentially unique to this vehicle model.
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