Just got home from doing some shopping and registering for First Aid/CPR classes at the local Red Cross. While on the off-ramp exit lane from the freeway, I finally got my first, very unplanned chance to do an emergency stop with the Montero since doing the V6 brake upgrade.

I had just got done merging into that lane to exit the freeway, so I found myself a little close for comfort to the rear of the van in front of me and was trying to back off.

Just as I'd completed the merge, for whatever reason (probably a driver a few cars ahead of me wasn't paying attention), the three or four cars in front of me all locked up their brakes (tire smoke everywhere). That van directly in front of me locked up all four tires and started skiddering sideways. As such, I had to lock my tires up as well (and they did lock up).

It was a good thing I locked up my 33x12.5 tires on dry pavement as well, else I'd have probably plowed into that van.

I will say, though, that the lack of having no swaybar installed made the experience more exciting than it needed to be. It was a good thing the entire event occurred on a straight-away, otherwise I'd have probably rolled it. As it was, I found that my truck was body-rolling from side to side through the portions where my tires weren't locked while I was micro-steering through the stop.

As I've mentioned before, When I did the upgrade, I only changed the caliper brackets and got replacement shields, new (bigger) rotors, and new calipers (88s have the same calipers as the Gen I V6s). I did not change the master cylinder/booster.

When the time comes to get new tires, and if I decide to go with 35s, I'll definitely go with the V6 master cylinder/booster and probably the Gen II calipers.

It's worth noting that I am confident that if I'd still had the 88 rotors instead, I am positive I'd have not been able to stop near as effectively, riding on my current tires, and would likely have been in an accident (the Don bumper would have been made short work of that van).