Improve the brakes?

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

My brakes have never felt like they are working as well as I would expect them to. After driving my dad's LS, the truck, and the exploder, my brakes seem like crap compared to them. It seems that i need to push the brake way too hard to get any response from them. It makes for smooth braking when stopping, but I need to push to hard to get the car to stop, and it seems like when I am completely to the floor, the brakes aren't doing what they should.

e.g. if i'm on a hill, slowing down to a stop sign, and someone cuts the corner (like what happened today), I slammed the brakes to the floor, and even going 5-10mph, the car just slowed down quicker, instead of what the other cars would do, and that is stop almost instantly. If there is some kind of way to "adjust" the braking power put to the calipers, maybe an adjustment in the brake booster, or a bad valve maybe?

I thought it was my brakes themselves, so i went ahead and replaced the pads with the premium ones from carquest, and replaced my front rotors too, but they don't perform any better..

Ideas, Suggestions?

[Arctc Wolf]

Re: Improve the brakes?

higher friction pads and stainless steel brake lines. also, check your calipers for leaks. a leaking caliper will do that too.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Improve the brakes?

how exactly do you check it for leaks? when i replaced the rotors, i had the calipers off, and they were dry all around, does that mean they aren't leaking or should does it take more than a quick visual check?

I figure better pads would stop it quicker, but these aren't bottom-of-the-line pads, i mean, they were the best ones carquest had, and not to say that's the best out there, but don't you think they should at least stop the car immediately at about 5mph?

btw, i don't think it would really affect anything, but i have 4-wheel disc, since some people believe i have drums looking at my body style.

[josh98bird]

Re: Improve the brakes?

maybe you should just a get a new brake booster

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Improve the brakes?

maybe you should just a get a new brake booster

that sounds cheap..

[FunkZ]

Re: Improve the brakes?

If you slammed the pedal and the ABS didn't kick in to keep them from locking up then you've got a problem.

I would start by bleeding your brakes. Bleed until all the fluid in the master has been replaced and all 4 lines are flushed with new fluid.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Improve the brakes?

If you slammed the pedal and the ABS didn't kick in to keep them from locking up then you've got a problem.

I would start by bleeding your brakes. Bleed until all the fluid in the master has been replaced and all 4 lines are flushed with new fluid.

I've got no ABS INOP light on, and there isn't really a way to check if my wheels will lock, because the brakes aren't effective enough to get them to the point of locking. I'll try bleeding them, see if that helps. Dot 3 fluid to replace it, correct?

[FunkZ]

Re: Improve the brakes?

DOT3 or better. I use that Valvoline Synpower stuff.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Improve the brakes?

How much should i buy..Whats the total capacity?

what all is involved in bleeding the brakes, I'm searching and reading old threads but getting mixed responses as to whether it's possible to do in the garage with basic tools or not..

[FunkZ]

Re: Improve the brakes?

One of the small 12oz bottles should be enough. Yeah you can do it in your garage. Two people, one to pump the brake pedal, one to turn the screw. Or buy speed bleeders or a brake bleeding gun and do it yourself. You don't need to bleed the ABS unless you would introduce air there, like run the master cylinder dry.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Improve the brakes?

Alright, thank you for the quick responses and help! I'm not completely crystal clear on how to bleed the brakes but not the ABS, but i'm sure my dad can clear things up for me when we complete this task. Sounds easy enough. Thanks again!

[FunkZ]

Re: Improve the brakes?

Haynes says to bleed the ABS controller first, then do the 4 wheels. I've always just bled from the wheels. It's got to go through the controller to get there anyway. Unless you've got air trapped in the controller. But like I said, that would probably only happen if you ran the master dry, or if you put in a line lock or something.

[kest874]

Re: Improve the brakes?

Does your brakeing improve if you pump the brakes when you stop? If so that's a sure sign of air in there somewhere.

[silvachris1]

Re: Improve the brakes?

You said you had your calipers off right? Are you 100% sure that you put them back on the correct side of the car? I know, it sounds like a stupid question but still, the backs can be done wrong. I don't know for sure about the fronts (I don't think so). If you've had them off the car, and somehow got them mixed up and put the calipers on the wrong side, then this *could* be part of the problem. If either the front or rear calipers are on the wrong side, then the bleeder plugs will be on the bottom of the caliper (cause they have to be turned and flipped to fit the other side. IF the bleeder plugs are on the bottom of the calipers then any air that's trapped inside the caliper cannot escape since it's on top of the fluid. Check that out when you go to bleed them. Also, when bleeding your brakes, start with the point with the longest travel distance from the resevoir. For us, it's passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, driver front. This is assuming you don't have air in the ABS controller.

[97burnout]

Re: Improve the brakes?

two words brake booster. That is my problem too but I have had a car a long time ago that had no power brakes to it seems normal to me... The booster is like 60 bucks core exchange at napa.. new rotors or pads might help too