5 Tips For Better Brakes

Brakes Won’t Bleed

Soft Brake Pedal

New Brakes

Old Brakes.

5. Check your hard lines/soft lines/bleed screw. The dirty secret is that if you are using stainless brake lines, you may have to tighten the line up a little tighter than with Nicop or mild steel. The issue being that the flair on the stainless is less malleable than the flair on the other two. Air may be getting in but fluid may not be getting out. Also, old lines are old, and replacements are available, Check for damage to the lines.

4. New/existing parts issues. In the last three master cylinders we have gotten, one of them was not well rebuilt, we had air leaks on the seal and some substance that was not dissipating in the brake fluid. Always bench bleed a master cylinder thoroughly before installing it. Also, on Drum brakes, make sure that the rub pads are in good shape. If they are grooved, you could have problems under braking.

3. Air in the line/Improper bleeding procedure. Start at the back of the vehicle farthest away from the master for the rear system and the farthest from the master fro the front system. Air is the enemy of good braking.

2. wrong parts/mix and match parts. Make sure that all the parts on the car are correct for that car (or are the correct aftermarket parts). This could be an issue of a former power brake car having been converted to a non power system, or a non power car converted to power. Wrong push rod etc.

1. Leaks. Wheel cylinders, calipers, but especially master cylinders and bleeder screws. Cars without power brakes will see a rust trail down the firewall inside the car if the master cylinder seals are going bad. Harder to detect on cars with power brakes. But the fluid is very bad for the rubber diaphragm. And when we bleed the brakes, the bleeder screws if too loose will allow air into the system, or if they are not tight enough will draw air into the system.

BONUS.
Old or low brake fluid. Our truck has to have a leak in the system somewhere on the front. As we have lost fluid.