Blaine B.
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Northwest Indiana
I know my brakes aren't supposed to be anything special with 32's. But that's not the point.
About a month and a half ago or so I went on a quest to try and restore my braking power to what it probably should be. New calipers, pads, shoes, drum spring set, new self adjusters, wheel cylinders, and new rear axle brakelines that broke in the process of unscrewing them from the old wheel cylinders.
For awhile everything was great. My old wheel cylinders were totally wasted. One piston on each cylinder was seized!
I had great braking power and a pedal that didn't have too much travel. Sure, more travel than my grandmother's 1980 Oldsmobile....but I could live with it. I could lock up the 32's on dry pavement. Woo!
Well over time, especially after a recent wheeling trip, the pedal has more travel. I have to push it down further to get it to stop. Also my ebrake is weaker and you have to pull it all of the way up for it to do anything. Also tonight I had to brake hard. I was pushing with all my might and the pedal to the end of its travel and I couldn't lock the wheels on dry pavement. I came to a stop but it wasn't just right.
My rotors are a little funky (they have ridges...and surely need replacing) and I could probably use new drums too, although they don't look too bad. But even with that my braking should be better! It always seems like the rear drums never stay adjusted, even though everything is new and greased well, so it's not like the star adjusteds are seized or anything.
Also my brakes are bled properly, and the fluid is new and clean. Calipers are on their correct sides as well.
What else could it be? The front rubber lines are a year old. The rear rubber line is probably stock. All of the metal lines are also most likely stock with the exception of the rear axle lines, which I had to replace. I've been meaning to replace the line going from the master cylinder to the rear rubber line as it's a bit corroded. But nothing is leaking and my brake booster isn't leaking off (pedal stays firm if pumped and motor is off. It'll stay firm forever, vacuum doesn't bleed off.)
And another question. Should you have to push further down on the brake pedal even if the rear drums become out of adjustment? I thought with the way the proportion valve worked that as long as the fronts were fine, your pedal would feel the same.
That's about the only thing that I can think of is being funky as the prop valve. And even then it doesn't make much sense to me.
Thanks in advance for anything you have to contribute!
About a month and a half ago or so I went on a quest to try and restore my braking power to what it probably should be. New calipers, pads, shoes, drum spring set, new self adjusters, wheel cylinders, and new rear axle brakelines that broke in the process of unscrewing them from the old wheel cylinders.
For awhile everything was great. My old wheel cylinders were totally wasted. One piston on each cylinder was seized!
I had great braking power and a pedal that didn't have too much travel. Sure, more travel than my grandmother's 1980 Oldsmobile....but I could live with it. I could lock up the 32's on dry pavement. Woo!
Well over time, especially after a recent wheeling trip, the pedal has more travel. I have to push it down further to get it to stop. Also my ebrake is weaker and you have to pull it all of the way up for it to do anything. Also tonight I had to brake hard. I was pushing with all my might and the pedal to the end of its travel and I couldn't lock the wheels on dry pavement. I came to a stop but it wasn't just right.
My rotors are a little funky (they have ridges...and surely need replacing) and I could probably use new drums too, although they don't look too bad. But even with that my braking should be better! It always seems like the rear drums never stay adjusted, even though everything is new and greased well, so it's not like the star adjusteds are seized or anything.
Also my brakes are bled properly, and the fluid is new and clean. Calipers are on their correct sides as well.
What else could it be? The front rubber lines are a year old. The rear rubber line is probably stock. All of the metal lines are also most likely stock with the exception of the rear axle lines, which I had to replace. I've been meaning to replace the line going from the master cylinder to the rear rubber line as it's a bit corroded. But nothing is leaking and my brake booster isn't leaking off (pedal stays firm if pumped and motor is off. It'll stay firm forever, vacuum doesn't bleed off.)
And another question. Should you have to push further down on the brake pedal even if the rear drums become out of adjustment? I thought with the way the proportion valve worked that as long as the fronts were fine, your pedal would feel the same.
That's about the only thing that I can think of is being funky as the prop valve. And even then it doesn't make much sense to me.
Thanks in advance for anything you have to contribute!