Ok, what the $%^&* is wrong with these brakes??

[vmax84]

I thought it needed a master cylinder.

1997 Corolla with 1.6 liter, automatic, no ABS. Car stops fine, but the pedal goes almost to the floor to do it. It has been doing this since about 5 years ago, when I didn't start the car for about 5 months. I had the vehicle in storage for those 5 months, and when I started it and put my foot on the pedal, it's almost like something "let go" and the pedal went further down than normal. LIke I said, car still stops fine, and in recent history, put front and rear pads on it, didn't notice any leaks from calipers or wheel cylinders........

so, I thought the only thing left was the brake master cylinder, which I replaced today. Bench bled the cylinder, installed, and gravity bled the brakes.......didn't seem to feel any different than what it did before? Vacuum boost shot?

My 1995 Corolla brakes start working almost the moment you start stepping on the pedal.........what's going on here?

Am giving the 1997 Corolla to my daughter who just turned 16, so want to make sure the brakes are without question 100 percent.

Thanks for any ideas.

vmax84

[speedy25]

If you get a hard pedal but the pedal travel is too much it because the master cylinder has ti pump too much fluid SOMEWHERE. Usually its the rear brakes arent adjusting and need it. SOmetimes its a badly warped disk that pushes the pads too far out.

The booster only affects pedal effort.

I suspect you still have air in the lines after replacing the MC. Gravity bled??

-SP

[Rip The E Brake]

rip up the parking brake a few times, and the rear brakes should adjust correctly...

Sounds like dry rot on the rubber lines somewhere... look for wet joints or leaking brake fluid..

[vmax84]

Good suggestions so far. I popped the hubs off the rear wheels to confirm the rear cylinders weren't leaking......they weren't. Pulled up a couple notches on the emergency brake and both wheels locked up (had the car up on jacks).........emergency brake goes about 3/4 of it's travel and locks up tight with the rear wheel tightened down hard.

Need to get my buddy over to have him pump up the brakes and bleed them this way. Looked at the rubber brake hoses, but they looked ok.

Thanks for the suggestions.


vmax84

[blb]

Manually adjust the rear brake shoes until they just start touching the drums. If that doesn't fix it, pull each of the front calipers and make sure the bushings that the mounting bolts slide through will slide easily back and forth in the caliper body.

[speedy25]

I second that IF you actually have all the air out of your lines.

-SP