Question: Brakes

[RMJones]

Hello all:

I have bled my entire brake system twice with fresh new fluid and it still seems when I drive the car the very first application of the brake pedal at every stop seems weaker than the second push. It is a positive firm pedal but if I touch it once, back off and then re-apply when braking it is much firmer the second time around. Is this a weak master cylinder or weak power booster? I have checked all the lines and everything seems nice and tight. Car is a 1992 with 19K original miles on it. I am crazy or is this just normal ops for a C4? I don't feel I have as much confidence in the brake system as I should. Any thoughts?

 

[dogfish246]

I sort of know what you mean. When I press on the brakes the first time, it is a little lighter than the next application (mostly when I start the car up and use the brakes for the first time).

Its not a big difference, but I like everything to work 100%!

Im curious to hear what everyone has to say!:cool

What I want to do is find an open parking lot and do a 60-0 brake test. Then measure how many feet it takes. I think my 1996 LT1 with factory heavy duty brake option should stop at least in 120ft.

Just a little experiment I will try when I finish final exams!

 

[tcolyer]

I have an 86 and have the same problem. In Feb. I decided to do a little maintenance work and rebuild all four calipers, replaced all four caliper flex hoses and flushed the system. Since then I have gravity bleed, vacuum bleed, pressure bleed the system with still the first push of peddle soft and second firm and correct (did not have this problem till the manintenance was done) The manual says the bleed the rear brakes the rear has to be lower than the front, question is how much lower, I have left the front tires on the ground and removed rear tire and let the car down till almost resting on the shock mounts. Still no air seems to come out.

 

[John Robinson]

Question

One thing I can think of is this. Some of you may have replaced the OEM brakes with high end pads or near competition grade linings. In that case they will feel mushy until you get them heated up which may explain what you are feeling. If any of you are still on the original pads with a low mileage car they may be glazed and will not grab hard until they are heated up.

You might try taking the car out and without pressing the brakes hard carefully put a little pressure on the brake pedal and dragging the brakes for a couple of hundred feet and then go up to say 40MPH and try to brake as if in stop and go traffic. Pay attention to the feel of the brakes on this first hard application with heat in the pads to see if the pedal is soft or normal. If the pedal is hard you have your problem solved it is normal for the pads you have and not a condition of the master cylinder.