spongey brakes!

[warrior]

So after my seized caliper, I swapped both front calipers with refurbished ones, new OEM rotors from the dealer and raybestos pads.. I bled the brakes very very thoroughly, in fact all the way until new fluid started coming out.. even did the suggested front pass, then rear drive, front drive, rear pass order.. but my brakes are still spongey!

I'll apply the brake and it will brake but the pedal doesn't really engage as quick as it used to.. but if i apply the brake then quickly release and re-apply, like pump it once, it bites nicely.. I bled all brakes again, even pumped them 10 times, made sure fluid was always topped up but nothing.. I'm pretty positive there is no air in my lines.. any idea why they'd be so spongey but bite hard when pumped once?

[Plays_with_Toys]

Pads take 500-1000 miles to bed in. You're supposed to avoid heavy braking in this time period. After that they should work much better.

[warrior]

K, I'll wait it out and see what happens.. tirerack is selling Goodridge G-Stop steel braided brakelines for $108.. hmmmmmmm.. good investment?

[Huffer]

Braided brake lines are fine - you just have to watch out for salt if you live in an area with snow. Even "stainless" hardware seizes.

My brakes are always a little spongey - but they still stop me in a hurry when I need it. You might want to check the pads are in snug.

[Wiscon_Mark]

You need some of these:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_pa ... ducts_id=1 (http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1)

[warrior]

Braided brake lines are fine - you just have to watch out for salt if you live in an area with snow. Even "stainless" hardware seizes.

My brakes are always a little spongey - but they still stop me in a hurry when I need it. You might want to check the pads are in snug.

Yea, pads are snug.. i think it maybe the crappy raybestos pads I got on there.. I can still stop fine, i just wish they engaged a little quicker thats all.. I do live in Toronto and we get one of the harshest winters :cool:


You need some of these:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_pa ... ducts_id=1 (http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1)

are you serious or you just pulling my leg? :oops:

[Huffer]

Yea, pads are snug.. i think it maybe the crappy raybestos pads I got on there.. I can still stop fine, i just wish they engaged a little quicker thats all.. I do live in Toronto and we get one of the harshest winters :cool:


You need some of these:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_pa ... ducts_id=1 (http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1)

are you serious or you just pulling my leg? :oops:

Get some good tyres as well then - Nokian WR or RSi for the winters - because good tyres will allow you to grip better under all circumstances - meaning you can steer out of trouble.

And Mark is just pulling your leg.

[Wiscon_Mark]

:lol:

You should check out that site, it's all like that, I just thought it would be funny ;)

As for snow tires, I have Michelin X-Ice tires (with about 20k on them) and they're absolutely awesome! Great grip in snow and on ice, excellent control, handling is OK. I honestly only had the ABS go off a few times last winter, threshold braking is pretty easy with these tires.

[warrior]

:lol:

You should check out that site, it's all like that, I just thought it would be funny ;)

As for snow tires, I have Michelin X-Ice tires (with about 20k on them) and they're absolutely awesome! Great grip in snow and on ice, excellent control, handling is OK. I honestly only had the ABS go off a few times last winter, threshold braking is pretty easy with these tires.

I'm big on tires, currently i have Michelin HydroEdge and I love them, and for winter I'm looking at getting Kumho KW17.. real good reviews and not too pricey!

That site is funny.. cross drilled lines.. wow.. the Bugatti Veyron has ram air to the brakes to cool it :grin:

[Wiscon_Mark]

I have the hydroedge as well, they're great in the rain.

[STZYGT]

ok so i had a problem with contaminated brake fluid on a wrangler, they used the wrong fluid and it expanded the cup seals in the master cylkinder. this causes a hard pedal when you jam on the brakes, but rest you foot on the pedal and the pedal would sink to the floor. This sounds like a similar issue to what you have. It sounds like you me that you still have some air in the system, possibly some worn or overheated cup seals in the master. You could have one of the two sets of cup seals not pushing fluid giving you the weak spongy feel. make sure you used the right fluid, re bleed (make sure no air get in the system) i would start from the rear wheel and work your way to the wheel closest to the master. depending on how that goes you mey have bigger issues.

[warrior]

Still have spongey brakes, but I'm thinking its the crappy pads I have on it.. fluid is new, and I've bled the brakes numerous times.. I stop well when needed.. i'll just live with it until spring and go from there.. thanks for your advice though!

[d1giPhux]

Have you checked out this article on bedding in brakes? :

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

Also, if you do buy new pads later on down the road, this guy is awesome. I bought the Axxis Ultimate pads, and they are SWEET! Currently i only have them on the front, but i need to put the rear ones in, and then bed them in. Does anyone know how important the shims / spacers? are for the brakes? The guy who installed my front ones told me i didnt need them, and explained some stuff to me.. that i didnt really get. :oops: They work great though, so im assuming he knew what he was doing, since he has been doing this since 1950! lol. I will be doing my back brakes next.. and i hope i can do it as easily as he was able to!

[Huffer]

Does anyone know how important the shims / spacers? are for the brakes? The guy who installed my front ones told me i didnt need them, and explained some stuff to me.. that i didnt really get. :oops:

I would always use the brake shims - they help keep the pads snug.

[badbasser98]

On both of my Legacy's the brakes have felt "soft" compared to other cars. I came to think this might be due to the AWD in a way. I came to that conclusion after driving a friends 4-wheeler (RWD) after being used to driving my full-time AWD Yamaha. The brakes on the RWD were very responsive, and the brakes on mine were good, but you had to press them harder to really stop fast.

I did have to test my setup the other day. The girl in front of me rear ended another car. I was approx 1.5 car lengths behind her (@ 30MPH). After seeing this I was able to stop about a 3/4 of a car length before hitting her car. So I guess the HAWK hps and RacingBrake slotted rotors do get the job done when needed. I don't think my stock brakes would have saved my Leggy. After all, I have the "phatest" Leggy of all to bring to a stop. (happy Mark?)

-BB98

[Wiscon_Mark]

:grin:

[d1giPhux]

I would always use the brake shims - they help keep the pads snug.[/quote]

Yea, he told me something like you only need them if your pistons dont come out far enough.. or something like that. He said mine come out plenty far enough, and that in the end, having the shims might just cause lock up, because they get corroded and rust and stuf.. he showed mine to me.. and they were NOT in pretty condition.. so i was completely cool with it. I wonder if when i put my back ones in, if i should use the shims, and the other piece of metal that was in there (spacers?).