Weak braking power
#1
Baby's on the Half Tip!
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Weak braking power
Last year I changed my brakes and rebuilt a caliper and in the process bled all the calipers and the MC. Since then my braking ability has been ok, but not great. I can slam on the brakes and my car will slow down quickly, but it's hard to get the tires to skid and engage the abs. I know my car can stop faster (it did before the brake job). I used to be able to slam on the brakes and have the tires skid and the abs work right away. My pedal doesn't feel spongy or anything. I bled the system a lot (4 or 5 times) with no increase in braking power.
Any suggestions? Could it be crappy brake pads? I bought the lifetime duralast ones from autozone before I learned how much autozone sucked. Any other ideas?
Any suggestions? Could it be crappy brake pads? I bought the lifetime duralast ones from autozone before I learned how much autozone sucked. Any other ideas?
#4
in order:
wagner (Edge or thermoquiet)
bendix (titanumetallic)
raybestos (PGD #s)
not sure which if any of those brands CSK sells
looks like they sell bendix, raybestos, beck/arnley (axxis), performance friction and some other brands I wouldn't bother with.
wagner (Edge or thermoquiet)
bendix (titanumetallic)
raybestos (PGD #s)
not sure which if any of those brands CSK sells
looks like they sell bendix, raybestos, beck/arnley (axxis), performance friction and some other brands I wouldn't bother with.
Last edited by internetautomar; 05-19-2008 at 01:31 PM.
#8
#10
Baby's on the Half Tip!
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Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'm looking at CSK (partsamerica) and it looks like thye have some Raybestos ceramic pads and some Beck/Arnley semi-metallic. Is ceramic or semi-metallic better? From what I've read ceramics wear the rotors faster but also brake harder, is that right? Which last longer? I don't mind wear on my rotors since they're pretty new and it only costs $15 or so to have them resurfaced (and rotors are pretty cheap).
#17
First either disconnect your battery negative cable or unplug your ABS pump harness the bleed your M/C first then your brakes starting @ the right/rear! You can also purchase synthetic brake fluid (Valvoline) from Pep Boys it's got a 500 degree F boiling point! You will get better brake pedal feel if you equip your ride with some Goodridge SS brake hoses also!
#18
First either disconnect your battery negative cable or unplug your ABS pump harness the bleed your M/C first then your brakes starting @ the right/rear! You can also purchase synthetic brake fluid (Valvoline) from Pep Boys it's got a 500 degree F boiling point! You will get better brake pedal feel if you equip your ride with some Goodridge SS brake hoses also!
You can get just as good a brake fluid from your local Ford dealership pretty cheaply. Just ask for a can of their Heavy Duty Truck brake fluid. Comes in a quart can for ~$6.
IIRC, about 6 years ago Grassroots Motorsports did a comparison test on brake fluids and the Ford stuff came in second only to Motul.
Oh, and by the way, a 500 degree boiling point is GREAT for bragging points, but when was the last time ANY of us came even CLOSE to boiling our brakes? I thought so.
#19
15% sits between lubed<--->nonlubed pistons, rails.
In principal confused ABS, poor wheel sensor signal can cause low response. Do the cleanup, use contact grease on ABS computer pins. Theyre the crap tinned -type ...tin escapes and pins loose contact. Also do run ABS diag.
see my ABS computer tinned pins with 'holes'
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/18
ABS control in GM -05:
"If an antilock brake sensor malfunctions, the system can kick into gear at low speeds, taking control away from the driver and leading to longer stopping distances" ...but not to worry, its only in Canada: "...GM notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was recalling 150,000 trucks in Canada..."
.
.
Edit: to troubleshoot mentioned syndrome, tst disconnect ABS fuse... now brakes have all pwr - if ABS is the cause.
In principal confused ABS, poor wheel sensor signal can cause low response. Do the cleanup, use contact grease on ABS computer pins. Theyre the crap tinned -type ...tin escapes and pins loose contact. Also do run ABS diag.
see my ABS computer tinned pins with 'holes'
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/18
ABS control in GM -05:
"If an antilock brake sensor malfunctions, the system can kick into gear at low speeds, taking control away from the driver and leading to longer stopping distances" ...but not to worry, its only in Canada: "...GM notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was recalling 150,000 trucks in Canada..."
.
.
Edit: to troubleshoot mentioned syndrome, tst disconnect ABS fuse... now brakes have all pwr - if ABS is the cause.
Last edited by Wiking; 05-20-2008 at 08:38 AM.
#20
DON"T change to synthetic! It's okay if you clean your system out completely, but if there is any old, regular fluid left in the system when you change to synthetic you'll have problems.
You can get just as good a brake fluid from your local Ford dealership pretty cheaply. Just ask for a can of their Heavy Duty Truck brake fluid. Comes in a quart can for ~$6.
IIRC, about 6 years ago Grassroots Motorsports did a comparison test on brake fluids and the Ford stuff came in second only to Motul.
Oh, and by the way, a 500 degree boiling point is GREAT for bragging points, but when was the last time ANY of us came even CLOSE to boiling our brakes? I thought so.
You can get just as good a brake fluid from your local Ford dealership pretty cheaply. Just ask for a can of their Heavy Duty Truck brake fluid. Comes in a quart can for ~$6.
IIRC, about 6 years ago Grassroots Motorsports did a comparison test on brake fluids and the Ford stuff came in second only to Motul.
Oh, and by the way, a 500 degree boiling point is GREAT for bragging points, but when was the last time ANY of us came even CLOSE to boiling our brakes? I thought so.
#21
so as long as the system is totally empty when the synthetic goes in i'm fine? i'm doing that for a clutch actually but it should be the same principle right? I'm using new lines, and a rebuilt SC, and will empty the MC first. my clutch pedal was always super soft in the morning and once the car warmed up it got stiff as a brick (like WAY WAY WAY stiffer than it should ever be... i was worried about rupturing something) and caused slippage of my already-bad clutch.
#22
Baby's on the Half Tip!
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15% sits between lubed<--->nonlubed pistons, rails.
In principal confused ABS, poor wheel sensor signal can cause low response. Do the cleanup, use contact grease on ABS computer pins. Theyre the crap tinned -type ...tin escapes and pins loose contact. Also do run ABS diag.
see my ABS computer tinned pins with 'holes'
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/18
In principal confused ABS, poor wheel sensor signal can cause low response. Do the cleanup, use contact grease on ABS computer pins. Theyre the crap tinned -type ...tin escapes and pins loose contact. Also do run ABS diag.
see my ABS computer tinned pins with 'holes'
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/18
#24
haha, not a worry. NOBODY touches my car(s) (though a helping hand last night would have been super-swell). and if i sell one i'll just tell them to only use synthetic in ______. i really ought to flush my brakes too.. that fluid is naaaasty. just hard finding somebody to pump it. maybe once D gets back next month.
Last edited by CapedCadaver; 05-20-2008 at 10:37 AM.
#27
Yes, typically ABS does that. This doesnt address mentioned every maxima's existing factory born -problem in no way...
a. How do you know there's no problem?
b. Some may have that issue; lots ppl reading... The mentioned issues changed
my brakes from night ---to---> day; with these speed limits never need more.
a. How do you know there's no problem?
b. Some may have that issue; lots ppl reading... The mentioned issues changed
my brakes from night ---to---> day; with these speed limits never need more.
#28
Baby's on the Half Tip!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 407
Yes, typically ABS does that. This doesnt address mentioned every maxima's existing factory born -problem in no way...
a. How do you know there's no problem?
b. Some may have that issue; lots ppl reading... The mentioned issues changed
my brakes from night ---to---> day; with these speed limits never need more.
a. How do you know there's no problem?
b. Some may have that issue; lots ppl reading... The mentioned issues changed
my brakes from night ---to---> day; with these speed limits never need more.
#30
haha, not a worry. NOBODY touches my car(s) (though a helping hand last night would have been super-swell). and if i sell one i'll just tell them to only use synthetic in ______. i really ought to flush my brakes too.. that fluid is naaaasty. just hard finding somebody to pump it. maybe once D gets back next month.
Still, I prefer plain old, cheap, brake fluid over Synthetic. Call me old fashioned but nobody has convinced me that Synthetic has any real value other the bragging rights. Either at the track or on the street. And I can flush the crap out of my cars hydraulics for less then $6/car (one quart can per car!).
#31
Go to Harbor Freight and get a MightyVac kit. Costs under $30 and rids you of the need for a second person (although if a leggy blond appears and wants to help, whose to stop you from letting her?). If can also be used to pull a vacuum on lots of other stuff. Great little tool to have laying around!
Still, I prefer plain old, cheap, brake fluid over Synthetic. Call me old fashioned but nobody has convinced me that Synthetic has any real value other the bragging rights. Either at the track or on the street. And I can flush the crap out of my cars hydraulics for less then $6/car (one quart can per car!).
Still, I prefer plain old, cheap, brake fluid over Synthetic. Call me old fashioned but nobody has convinced me that Synthetic has any real value other the bragging rights. Either at the track or on the street. And I can flush the crap out of my cars hydraulics for less then $6/car (one quart can per car!).
#32
DON"T change to synthetic! It's okay if you clean your system out completely, but if there is any old, regular fluid left in the system when you change to synthetic you'll have problems.
You can get just as good a brake fluid from your local Ford dealership pretty cheaply. Just ask for a can of their Heavy Duty Truck brake fluid. Comes in a quart can for ~$6.
IIRC, about 6 years ago Grassroots Motorsports did a comparison test on brake fluids and the Ford stuff came in second only to Motul.
Oh, and by the way, a 500 degree boiling point is GREAT for bragging points, but when was the last time ANY of us came even CLOSE to boiling our brakes? I thought so.
You can get just as good a brake fluid from your local Ford dealership pretty cheaply. Just ask for a can of their Heavy Duty Truck brake fluid. Comes in a quart can for ~$6.
IIRC, about 6 years ago Grassroots Motorsports did a comparison test on brake fluids and the Ford stuff came in second only to Motul.
Oh, and by the way, a 500 degree boiling point is GREAT for bragging points, but when was the last time ANY of us came even CLOSE to boiling our brakes? I thought so.
And you're right.... why get caught in the chase tryin to get to that Ford Dealership parts counter when you can simply drive up to a local auto parts store and get a quart of Valvoline Synthetic brake fluid for about $4 or $5. Spill it all over your beautiful paint job and not have to worry about it damaging your paint, your wallet, or wrecking your car trying to make it to that Ford dealership cause they close @ 5pm! No I haven't made any brake fluid reach it's boiling point yet and i don't plan too. I think it's easier to use....
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