Ford Brakes/Suspension :: Front Brakes Build Up Pressure And Slowly Start To Lock Up / Not Releasing
Apr 17, 2010
Initially when I start driving, the brakes work just find. But it seems as I use the brakes, the front brakes build up pressure and slowly start to lock up. They don't lock up completely, but they do cause a significant amount of drag. The rotor, calipers, rubber hoses and master cylinder are all very new. I'm thinking maybe the issue is with the master cylinder and am considering going to get one along with a brake booster(since it doesn't have one currently).
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I'm trying to diagnose thoroughly my braking problems before I start throwing money and time at replacing good parts needlessly. My braking system is on a 1971 f-250 4x4 with a swapped in front and rear 1979 dana 60's. Disc front, drum rears. Brake lines are in excellent shape, with no visible leaks along lines or at fittings. The individual rubber flex hoses at each corners are also sound with no leaks or bulging. Rear cylinders and front brakes are also dry. Master cylinder reservoir leaks a little out the seal under the lid, no big deal I have just kept an eye on it. Topped up front bowl from half the other day. Front pads and rear shoes are fine upon inspection. Brakes are in excellent working order.....when they work!*
So here are the symptoms: When driving, if I step on the brakes, the truck coasts to a stop and pedal goes to floor. However if I pump the brakes 3-5 times, pressure builds up and truck stops great. Than after driving again for even a few seconds that pressure is lost. When truck is parked and off, if I pump the brakes, the system builds pressure and the pedal is firm, when I start it up, the pedal pushes to the floor, turn it off and pedal is firm again.
I mean, I can force it down but I refrain. Are my rear brakes adjusted you ask? That was my first thought since for the past month my pedal travel had been increasing. I adjusted them when I was done inspecting them. I put drums on first, than adjusted both left and right simultaneously(posi rear) until drums would not move, than backed them off a little till I could rotate them with pressure. I have yet to open the system up yet or bleed it. Air in the system seems to be the old go to, but I want to be sure that is the problem as these symptoms exist, before I risk potentially screwing something else up.
Even in my research I have gone down a hundred rabbit holes and found all kinds of people who have done the same. Could this be the master cylinder? Another popular culprit. Could it have an internal leak? I have eliminated the brake booster as the problem because it is dry and when I pull the vacuum hose the brake pedal gets hard. I have an aftermarket ssbc combination proportioning valve on the inside of my frame rail, Could the problem be here? Could the fact that it is extreme cold here lately affect that? Could water and road salt get in it and freeze. Last week I went through some ice into deep water, and the brake travel worsened a couple days after that.
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What would cause the rear drum brakes to lock up upon hard braking? I have replaced the wheel cylinders, installed new spring kit, and adjusters.
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My rear brakes lock up constantly. It doesn't matter how easy I am on the peddle. The ABS goes through it's test on start up. Afterwards, the light goes out. The vehicle sat for quite a long time. I pulled the rear drums and inspected for rust and brake shoe condition. There was no rust to be found and the shoes seemed to be in good shape. I've read on here about some shoes retaining moisture and causing the same thing. These 'seem' dry. I've also read that it could be the RABS. Is there any testing to determine if the RABS is definitely the problem other than by-passing it?
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I have a 2005 F250 & both front calipers are locking up. I have replaced the front pads, no change, my mechanic installed a new master cylinder. No lockup for about two weeks until today. Front calibers are locking up again.
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My 97 f150 had been sitting for a while and after a few miles I could smell brakes and the left front rotor was hot. So I removed the caliper to see if I could free it up. When i push 1 piston in with a C clamp the other one comes out and visa-verse but I cannot push both in with 2 C clamps. When I push the brake pedal they both come out. Its like there is a check valve in the line. How should I go about trouble shooting this?
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On braking my front brakes locks up and there's a screeching of tires. Once I release the pedal all seems fine...or is it?
I dissassembled the front brake calipers and cleaned out the cylinder bores and blew out any contaminants from the line. Reassembled and bled the system only to find the pads doesn't move as freely from the rotors as they should. C-clamped the cylinder as far back in the caliper as it will go, pumped the brakes and still the rotor doesn't move freely from the pads, when the pedal is released...which accounts for the radical "loss of power", as the front brakes are holding on.
Bare in mind the vehicle hasn't seen the long road for almost 5 years and has been under the grinder/ welder/ primer/ sanding for most of that period and only moves out in the driveway when it's a good day to work outside.
New flex hoses? Flush the brake fluid from the whole system and start fresh? New caliper rubber seals? Blow the lines out with compressed air to rid of goop? New proportioning valve?
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First it was the RH now after replacing the rotors, calipers and new shoes. The LH is now doing it. It doesn't stop the truck just gets hot, the wheel, and u can smell it. The truck is a 97 f150 ext cab 2wd short box, had since new and has over 200,000 miles and going strange until now. I want to get 300000.0 before I let her go. Had to replace a rear axle brake line years ago, and do not think the lines were bleed right, the brakes never work just right.
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I've changed brakes on tons of front wheel drive cars, and two wheel drive trucks. But NEVER on a 4wheel drive Super Duty. My truck needs new front brakes now!!!! its a 2003 F350 4X4 -58,000 miles. I was just wondering from you all, how hard is it to change brakes on a 4x4 truck? Do I have to remove the Hub or lockouts?
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Drove a few miles and both front brakes got hot. The driving was mild failry flat road under 30 mph and the steel rims were hot to the touch around the lugs on both sides pretty evenly.
The van is new to me and I've driven maybe 20 miles so far. The pads are about new, the rotors look fine. Already I've changed all the COPS and plugs, changed the trans oil and filter and installed a drain plug, chaned the engine oil and filter, changed the air filter, and rear drums are on order. So it would be nice to be done soon!
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I have a 1997 F150, 4X4. My mechanic says its time for new brakes and was curious if it would be worth possibly converting from drum brakes to disc brakes??
My mechanic has quoted me $300 to do the rear brakes, would it be worth the extra money to convert??? I really don't care for drum brakes. I have done a search on the internet and every time it brings up the issue with the parking brake.
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1987 F-350 460 Auto Trans. Brake Pedal slowly going to the floor. Stopped at a red light yesterday on a slight down hill and I noticed the brake pedal slowly going to the floor. I had to put the truck in Park to avoid bumping into the car in front of me. I checked brake fluid level and still at the full level, check rims for brake fluid leak from brake cylinder, none. Could my master cyclinder need rebuilding or is my vacume diaphragm going. Not sure thats what its called.
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Two weeks ago my front left wheel would start shaking like hell when I brake, not at first but after say may eight miles of driving. I have never been in a vehicle shaking so violently and after proceeding from a stop it would continue until it cooled down. I tore out the caliper and made sure everything was clean and lubed and also to make sure I did not put the pads on wrong. Fast forward one commute and the same crap. I could not go faster than 45 mph without feeling like it was going to disintegrate.
When I got home the damn thing was smoking. I managed to get it to the dealership this afternoon and two hours later the guy told me that the guides just needed some cleaning and grease. They did not want to charge me anything (draw your own conclusion) for it. I was told they drove it up/down hills and it was alright. I left kind of suspicious and four miles later the problem revealed itself again. My next thought it maybe axle end play, bad bearings or joints? Intermittent why? 2004 f150 lariat 4x4 ....
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Using a line lock as a parking brake? Going to switch to 4 wheel disc wont have parking brake.
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I am working on a e-150 van, 2005. the brake pedal fades to almost the floor with little pressure on it. I just replaced the master cylinder, bled the entire system, and it STILL fades to the floor. driving, or in park. engine running. 4 wheel disc, 4 wheel abs...
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I have a 2010 prius 2;
This morning after starting the car and releasing the brakes I heard loud clunking sound (seemed like a belt ?) Turned the car off. tried it again exact same thing, turned if off .. opened the hood to see if I can tell where this was coming from.. started the car and the clunking came for <1 sec and went away, car drove fine brakes worked fine..
I read something regarding temp changes we have had some change but not a drastic change, and the car was driven over the weekend.
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My 2012 F250 4x4 tire pressure warning message/warning light it on, I have checked all tire pressures, they seem fine, i s this a common problem and what normally has to be done to fix the issue...
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Two months ago, I replaced the rear drum shoes, wheel cylinders and seemed after that I was ok until today. I checked the rear brakes and they are split in half. i noticed my abs & brake lights lit up this morning. I would think the ABS is getting stuck? How do I check the ABS? This morning I felt like something was holding back the truck. I continued and when I got home I said to myself, let me just check the rear brakes and thais what I found. Both sides had the shoes broke.
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I have this truck (in signature below) that I have not driven for ~3 years. As I am starting to drive it I am noticing I need to put A LOT of pressure on my brake pedal to get the brakes to work. They stop the truck and the pedal doesn't feel soft as if there is air in the line but it feels as if I apply a lot of pressure and there isn't a lot of grab.
While it might be possible, I don't think I have any type of glaze or coating on my brakes that would cause this. 95% of those 3 years, the truck was inside.
I wonder if it feels as if the truck is hard to stop because of the additional power I have coming from this new motor?
Is there any type of part I can replace in the brake booster to adjust the pedal? Or brake booster. Maybe that is going bad?
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I have a 1994 F-250 4x4 w/manual transmission. I was driving a few days ago when the brake pedal suddenly went to the floor. I had almost no brakes (less than 10% at most), but luckily was able to get off the road safely. It was immediately apparent that the line connecting the T-fitting and the passenger side drum had broken.
I have never blown a brake line before, but I always assumed that you would have either front or rear brakes, depending on which line blew. Unfortunately I was wrong! The master cylinder reservoir was about 3/4 full when I initially checked it, but after I moved (slowly) the truck to a safer spot in the parking lot, I checked again and it was nearly empty.
Is my brake system behaving normally (no brakes front or rear, blown line completely empties the reservoir), or should there be some safety factor built in? If the system is operating correctly, is there any way to convert to a system that doesn't give out fully when a line is blown?
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My truck sat for 4 years. 1995 F-250. We needed to replace the brake lines. when you hit the brakes the truck does stop but not fast enough and it will not pass inspection this way. So far I've replaced
1. All the brake lines
2. Calipers
3. Brakes all around
4.RABS module
5. Master cylinder
6. Wheel cylinders
Pretty much everything but the brake booster. Lines were bled several times. The brakes still go to the floor. Anything else that I haven't tried? I want my truck back!
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