What is a Bias Proportioning Valve?

Bias Proportioning valves are mostly used in a car’s hydraulic braking system and help to manage fluid pressure. Over the years, they have gained a lot of popularity in the automotive industry and are highly demanded performance upgrades.

Situated between the master cylinder and other parts of the braking system, these valves are responsible for efficient working of the braking system regardless of the driving conditions. This ensures safety and reliability of the vehicle. Proportioning valves are crucial to high-performance vehicles as they enhance braking performance.

The main purpose of the valve is to manage the amount of pressure that is applied on the axles and the time it has to be applied. There are three types of valves available today; master cylinder mounted, load sensing and combination valve mounted.

If you brake your car while racing and all wheels lock up, your car can end up skidding to the edge. For stability purposes, a driver would want the rear wheels of a car to have less strength than the front wheels to stay in control while braking. This will allow the driver to take sharp cuts while driving.

Valves help control the bias between the front and rear wheels so that when you brake, the front wheels lock up while the rear wheels offer appropriate amounts of resistance to ease turning or stopping without drifting. The high pressure caused by rapid deceleration of the car can be controlled with these valves as they help reduce the pressure on the rear wheels.

Pickup trucks and other lightweight vehicles opt for bias proportioning valves to prevent rear wheel lockups during braking as the rear of these vehicles is typically lighter. Today the modern electronic brake systems handle the function of valves, improving performance and efficiency drastically.