ok this has been bothering me for awhile and now i think my car might have a problem. Ive had my v6 2.8 liter firebird since 1995 and its always stopped on a dime...it had rear drums and front disks...then i buy my red z28 (with rear drums) and i noticed it took alot more petal pressure for it to stop..i checked it out and did maintenece to the breaks and everything it still would break the same. Now, i buy the iroc, this car has 4 wheel disks and all new parts and its just as tough to stop as the other z28 i owned. the other day the break light came on when i started the car up and wouldnt shut off till i pulled over and turned the car off. it doesnt come on alot but i think it may be a problem. i was wondering if its normal for these cars to require that much petal pressure to stop even if its 4 wheel disks?? im sorry if i confuse any of you lol

 

Different master cylinders were used on drum and disc rear cars. The idea was to increase the required pedal effort on the disc rear cars to give them more of a "performance" feel.

 

uhhhh, the brake light came on, I hope your not talking about the barking brake light lol

 

Yes, unfortunately the factory brakes aren't too great on 3rd gens. That's why many people are upgrading to the 1LE style or Baer brakes.

As for the brake light, if it's coming on while you're driving then you've got a problem. Most likely with the master cylinder.

 

yes its the parking break light..its happend 2 times but doesnt come on often i have a feeling this car is gonna be expenisive grrrr

 

It could be a problem with the parking brake switch or some part of the wiring. The next time it comes on, unplug the wire from the combo valve. If the light stays on then it's not a hydraulic issue causing the problem.

 

Many pre '89 Fbody cars with the old Delco-Moraine steel rear calipers have brake problems. On many of these cars the rear calipers will need to be overhauled with an updated repair kit to get them to work properly. This may be the situation in your case.

Many members have done this with great success. i am sure someone will post all of the details for you.

Thanx,ANDYZ28

 

Wonderful 3rd gen rear discs

They have a recal because to stay set where they need to be the parking brake needs to be in working condition. If you don't use the parking brake the parts of the e-brake seize up and the pistons back off the rotor over time requiring double pumping and all that fun **** If I hit the brakes the brake light would go on.

The recall only covered stick shift because the e-brake was needed when parking the car so automatic transmissions got the raw end of that deal. I took my TA with rear disc to the dealership and they gave me an estimate of $1047. I laughed a little and bought new calipers, the front, and the two rear e-brake cables. I replaced all that and now the brakes work fine. It's a pain but if you do it yourself it'll save a lot of money. Or maybe buy the stuff and see if you can have the work done at Midas or something probably a hell of a lot cheaper than the dealership.

 

The problem occurs whether you use the parking brake or not.

If you don't mind rebuilding your calipers yourself, you can pick up the recall kit from the dealership and take care of both sides for about $30.

 

does anyone know if this is for the 9 bolt rears also? becuz i just picked up a 9 bolt rear and the guy that sold it to me put new calipers and new rotors on it. i need to buy need parking brake cables but thats nothing the dealer wouldnt have.

 

9 bolt rears came with both style calipers. The early Delco-Moraine iron calipers, and the later 1LE style PBR calipers.

If the calipers on your 9 bolt are iron, then you have the troublesome early style calipers.

Thanx,ANDYZ28

 

dammit