i shoulda made this post befor my warrenty expired.
my brake pedal feels spondy and i feel like i have to press down really hard to stop quickly. in comparison most the other cars ive driven you barely touch down and they start stoping. you punch it and you STOP! also if im on a slight hill and let of more than half way i roll forward (thus the reason for a dent in my bumper). what would cause this kind of pedal feel? master cylender, booster, pads, rotors. my pads were in decent shape when i bought the car and still are.
this came to my attention the other day while spinning a 360 on the freeway at 80 MPH after my brakes failed to keep me away from a big rig that changed into my lane suddenly.
i really need help to diagnose this problem so i can fix it.
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
you need to bleed your brakes.
they have air in them
I just cant drive 55
Robert Bennett wrote:you need to bleed your brakes.
they have air in them
He could also have a leaking rear wheel cylinder, the rear shoes could be out of adjustment as well.
Check your brake fluid level to start with. If that's good, bleed the system and re-fill as needed. If that doesn't help, pull off the drums and inspect for fluid leakage and adjust your shoes so that they are out far enough to make contact with the drum when pressing the brakes.
1983 Camaro Z28
the fluids good. but IF the drums were leaking do you mean inspect inside the drum?
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
If the fluid is good and you havn't been having to fill it up every couple hundred miles, i highly doubt you have a leaky rear cylinder. I would bet money you need to badly bleed your brakes, while your there flush your fluid out while your bleeding them. Like Sean said, make sure your rear shoes are adjusted out to make contact on the drums since if you have alot of movement on the rear cylinder it will hold pressure off of the system until you have resistance against all fluid outputs. Because of this if the rears need alot of fliud to push the rear shoes up against the drums you will not have adequate pressure in the system (front calipers or rear drums) to stop the car until the rear cylinders have pressed the shoes against the drums.
hes had the car for quite a while If the brakes were mis adjusted these problems would have been apparent when he first drove the car. the drum brakes self compensate for pad ware. a leaking brake cylinder would produce a firm pedal that gradually gets spongy while the pedal is depressed a faulty master cylinder would have the same effect. the problem is air in the brake system.
fluids dont compress. gases do. the air compressing is what causes the spongy pedal.
I just cant drive 55
Robert Bennett wrote:hes had the car for quite a while If the brakes were mis adjusted these problems would have been apparent when he first drove the car. the drum brakes self compensate for pad ware.
not necessarily. star wheels freeze all the time. i readjust mine every time i change my pads up front. although i do agree that he needs to bleed the system desperately.
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ive never worked on brakes before. after searching here are my remaining questions: is it really that much of a pain to bleed abs brakes? would anyone recomend a vauum pump or a pressure bleeder? and how much fluid is in the system, so i know how much to go buy? and how often should i bleed my brakes or is it just an as needed kinda thing?
i also read up on the drum brake adjustment. sounds easier than i thought
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
Its just as needed a 32 0z bottle of DOT 3 should more than cover it. all you need is a soda bottle and come vaccume line size tubing. its gonna take 2 people tho.
you have to start with the brake closest to the master cylinder (drivers side front) and end with the one furthest from the master cylinder (passenger side rear) its pretty easy.
I just cant drive 55
drinkingoctane wrote:ive never worked on brakes before.
that alone says it will be worth it to have someone that knows brakes and has done them before , either do them or be there when you do
i wouldnt mess with them with you only , as you have found out poorly functioning brakes can lead to serious problems , its best to have someone that knows their way around brakes to do them
I would invest into getting a haynes repair manual. It well worth the money.
Good Luck
Robert Bennett wrote:you have to start with the brake closest to the master cylinder (drivers side front) and end with the one furthest from the master cylinder (passenger side rear)
other way round bro... furthest from the master cyl first, ending on the closest.
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Robert Bennett wrote:Its just as needed a 32 0z bottle of DOT 3 should more than cover it. all you need is a soda bottle and come vaccume line size tubing. its gonna take 2 people tho.
you have to start with the brake closest to the master cylinder (drivers side front) and end with the one furthest from the master cylinder (passenger side rear) its pretty easy.
Other way around, start with the furthest one from the master cylinder, and end at the closest.
I agree with whoever said that you should take it to someone who does know brakes since you have never worked on them before. Those brakes are your life, and if you don't know what to look for you could hurt yourself and someone else.
Take it to a shop and have them inspected, should not cost much if anything to have that done. Tell them that you want them to talk to you and show you what is wrong before they go replacing parts.
1983 Camaro Z28
well, i have replaced pads and rotors. my dad knows how to bleed brakes but were both new to drums. it all seems vey easy though.
i'm no professional, yet. but evey mechanic has to do something for the first time.
and to clarify this where to start issue. i would go rear passanger, rear driver, front passanger, front driver. and while i'm learning something new, ill ask why in this order?
and you guys think i can get a good bleeding through all those ABS passages? thats the only part the worries me.
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
ok I was wrong it goes - left rear, right rear, right front, left front - per gm specs for j and e platforms......
I just cant drive 55
cool ill do that. Robert you reminded my i dont have a build book yet. im gonna hit up ebay b4 i forget. lol
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
drinkingoctane wrote:cool ill do that. Robert you reminded my i dont have a build book yet. im gonna hit up ebay b4 i forget. lol
Actually the sequence you had it in is right, Robert was wrong again.
It should bleed it just fine. The rear shoes are easy as pie if you have the right tools, just make sure you pay attention to what you are doing.
1983 Camaro Z28
Robert Bennett wrote:hes had the car for quite a while If the brakes were mis adjusted these problems would have been apparent when he first drove the car. the drum brakes self compensate for pad ware.
Not quite, self adjusters are classic for not working
Robert Bennett wrote:a leaking brake cylinder would produce a firm pedal that gradually gets spongy while the pedal is depressed a faulty master cylinder would have the same effect.
Depends on the leak I guess cause that wasn't what it was like when mine went out, it was exactly what he is exsplaining.
Robert Bennett wrote:the problem is air in the brake system. fluids dont compress. gases do. the air compressing is what causes the spongy pedal.
I agree, at least this is the first and easiest solution so try it first.
Air got in somehow. No worries, bleeding the brakes should take care of it.
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yup, its obviously the first step. but the master cylender went out on my moms old car and this is how it felt. so i panicked and competely forget the basics. lol
won a haynes on ebay. i know ill read it like a novel.
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
okay so i got under my car. i found the bleeders. im starting with the back passenger. i tried with the engine off, then on. i unscrewed that 1/4" torx looking bolt. i assumed that was the valve. i tried with the cap on and off but nothing is coming out... help? and yes i am pumping the pedal.
i was kinda hoping to get this done today.
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
never mind i figured it out.........what is that bolt i undid? its not there for nothing
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
You have to have another person there to help you.
Get a person to pump the brakes. Have them pump it three times and hold it, then you open the screw as they push the pedal down. Tighten the screw and then tell them to pump again.
And to you guys saying that "air somehow got in the lines" don't be silly.
Air does not just magically show up in the lines. It is a sealed system, so air doesn't randomly just pop in and say "HELLO!".
You have another problem I am willing to bet. Look at the booster behind your master cylinder, is it wet? Pull off your drums, is it wet in there? If it's not wet, pull the boots off of the wheel cylinders a little bit and see if those are wet.
I work on brakes everyday, have to diagnose problems like this alot.
1983 Camaro Z28
my dad helped me out. hes a carpenter, not much help.
so i should tighten the screw as he's holding the brake all the way down? or else its just gonna let air back in right?
well, i didnt do that but the hose was running upwards before down so bubbles would go up. and it wouldnt suck in air. it improved a little. but not much. i think ill try it again since brake fluids so cheap. and ill do it 100% right next time. but im thinking theres bubbles in the abs still. i want to try one of those pressure bleeders. and while im tightening/loosening the bolt instead of running to check the brakefluid every time i think it might be getting low; will the brake light turn on in the car when it getts low with enough warning to not pump air into the system? i do it with the engine on.
thanks for all your help. if i had realised the thread would go this way i would have put it in maintenance.
Listen F***ers. FASTERTHANAHONDA is a joke because I WORK FOR HONDA. I'll talk @!#$ about Fords to, that doesn't mean I can beat a 12 second mustang.
