Fixing brake pedal feel?

Topic: Fixing brake pedal feel? (Read 2977 times) previous topic - next topic

Fixing brake pedal feel?

May 10, 2005, 11:26:16 PM

I'm trying to get my cougar (1986 V8 w/ 238000ish km's on it) ready for the road within the month or two, and one of the issues I'd like to fix is the low brake pedal feel (Pedal moves freely 2/3rds pressed down before the car start to brake). I bought the cat last october and has been in storage since, and have no clue of where to start to fix this.

Any tips on inspecting brakes, bleeding brakes, or other possible issues to brake pedal feel?

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #1 – May 11, 2005, 01:20:44 AM

One quick way that's often overlooked is the adjustment of the rear drums. I've found it to be the single quickest and most effective ways to firm up the pedal.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #2 – May 11, 2005, 03:35:44 AM

I heard braking hard in while driving reverse auto adjusts the rear brakes?

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #3 – May 11, 2005, 08:45:54 AM

No that would be braking slowly in reverse
(otherwise you will tear up your brakes for no reason). Its' the action of braking that causes the adjuster to ratchet up.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #4 – May 11, 2005, 09:08:43 AM

when you go from forwards to reverse and the other way around, it will turn the little wheel alittle, which tightens your brakes. My car didnt pass safety becuase of how loose the rear brakes were. I just kept backing it up in my driveway and then pulling it forwars and then I passed.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #5 – May 11, 2005, 09:36:07 AM

Have you done anything to the brakes? Was anything done prior to you getting it? If so, when?

How old are the pads? When was the last time the system was bled?

Sounds like it might be time to give the system a once-over.

Bleeding is pretty easy. The only real caveat I've found is that sometimes the bleeder screws (esp the rear) like to fuse themselves in place. It's pretty easy to break the rear bleeder screws. Then you wind up needing to replace the rear wheel cylinders. To top it off they are hard to get at, but if you can get a 1/4" drive 6-point socket in there and work them easily back and forth after saoking them w/ penetrating oil, you can ususally work them out.

I've been bleeding brakes by myself for years, so I've gotten used to using one of the small catch cans and never use a helper. The hand vac pumps are ok..but not really needed.

Start at the rear and work your way forward making sure you don't run the M/C reservoir dry in the process..

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #6 – May 11, 2005, 11:47:58 AM

also, look over your rubber lines, my old dodge has a horrible brake pedal feel, and i looked at the lines, they were nasty dry rotted and very squishy, swapping those out helped a lot

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #7 – May 11, 2005, 12:03:19 PM

i didnt know there was rubber lines tied into the rear brake system?
i thought the only rubber was on the front calipers..
humm? maybe i got confussed.

on the calipers however,, the first hint that a rubber line is breaking down would be the following symptom everytime....... (i feel pretty confident on this)

the pass side brake pads will wear down way ahead of the driver side. I dont know why other than the line lenght is longer for this brake line run.
as a result,, the rotor will warp due to constant tension appied even when you not on the brake.

if they feel mushy like mine do,, i can hear hissing when i press the pedal. Ive been told there is an O-ring up in the power booster where the rod on your pedal goes through the fire wall. Its not really replaceable ,or better said,, no one has done this yet. It might be that you need a booster.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #8 – May 11, 2005, 12:06:12 PM

There should be one from the car to the top of the axel. After all if there wasn't a flex there somewhere the break line would break when you go over the first bump.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #9 – May 11, 2005, 12:10:21 PM

oh,, yeah,, right there on the rear where it splits off.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #10 – May 11, 2005, 12:47:03 PM

I just went through this on my T'Bird. Replaced front pads and rear shoes, and still pedal was soft. Finally flushed lines, replaced all three brake hoses, bled brakes and low and behold pedal is like new. The rears went from 200 PSI to 600PSI after the above. I can now stage the car at 2800 RPM's and the brakes hold it! First flush, then replace those hoses and change that fluid. I'll bet it works better. Fred
P.S. Total cost of fluid and hoses was under $50. Cheap insurance!

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #11 – May 11, 2005, 08:07:02 PM

If evething checks out and you still want a firmer feel put the bigger 84-86 corwn vic M/C on there I put one on my 84 T/C and the pedal is solid and the brakes work like never before. I tought doing this might make my brakes a little touchy but it didn't.

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #12 – May 12, 2005, 07:32:46 PM

I question whether self adjusting brakes will work on a '86 with 200,000 plus miles. Depends when the brakes were last serviced/replaced. The adjusting wheel is part of a sleeve which likely is frozen up with age and the star wheel itself may have worn teeth and possibly be out of alignment with the meshing gear to work properly--so that gets you to where you are now--mal adjusted drum brakes--if that is the problem. You need to pull off the hub covers and inspect this. I am only saying this because of my own experience --with an '88 and half the mileage. If the pedal sinks to the floor somewhat, your master cylinder could be the culprit. Was it ever replaced in 19 years?

Re: Fixing brake pedal feel?

Reply #13 – May 12, 2005, 11:56:23 PM

Yeah the history of this car is pretty clueless. But first I hafta get a new battery first (got the battery tested before winter only to find out it was bad, and losing power).

In addition, when the car is off, the pedal has a uniform feel, but when the car is on. The power brakes get all soft. I'll start to inspect it furter once I clean out the junk my dad put on top of the cougar while it was in the garage this winter...