Ok...here's the deal. about a month ago I changed the whole front brake system on the front of my 87 TA except for the calipers. Everything was working well before I changed the brakes...except there wasn't a whole lot of brake left. After changing everything, having some problems, bleeding all four corners and re-checking everything, it seemed better. Ic ould lock them up and all that good stuff. Now...today while goin about 80 or so...yes I know its over the speed limit...I got on the brakes pretty hard. The pedal didnt hit the floor, but it got to a point where it wouldnt go any further. It was not stopping as well as I think it should have been. No locking up, no chirping, just slow deceleration. Let me know what you think I should check out next. Any ideas would be great. Thanks...

Justin

 

when u changed the pads, did u compress the calipers with a C-clamp?

 

why mike?

 

What pads are you using?

How many miles on the new pads?

Did you clean & lube the pins?

Is there any pulling?

 

Also have you seasonsed your brakes and if you really want good braking performance you'll need to bed your pads also

 

Certain pads are very particular to the rotor's surface smoothness. Are your rotors new or resurfaced? A lot of times resurfaced rotors will have a tough time "seating in" if they aren't perfectly smooth, or a non-directional finish wasn't applied after turning them.

 

the reason i said to compress the caliper so it resets inside the housing

 

Good replies guys. Ok...alittle more specific. Brand new hub/rotor assemblies. PFC carbon metallic pads. Everything was cleaned really good. Lubed the bolts, back of pads, all that crap. Yes the pistons were pushed back in. The new thick pads wouldnt clear unless I did. All four corners were bled down really good. That car does not pull at all. It was pulling before the brake change...only slightly. Stops straight as an arrow. During slower speeds it will lock them all up and stop fast as hell. Just when I have some momentum going...she doesnt seem to want to pull down. Im not sure how many miles the new pads/rotors have on them. Quite alot I imagine. I drive 40 miles back and forth to school. And another 50 every weekend to my girls house. I think they've had time to break in...

RegaPlanet : Not to sound stupid...but Im not exactly sure what seasoning or bedding the brakes is. I might have done it...but Im not sure about the terms...Please explain what these are. If I didnt do it...I will.

Thats all I can think of. New hoses, bearings and caliper bushings.

Thanks alot for the replies...keep them coming. I need to get this problem solved because it gets kind of hairy when I need to make a panic stop at speed.

Justin

 

that sounds 100% normal.


the brakes on these cars suck.. it shows badly at high speeds... they get hot, and then bearly work.


try going from 110+ and coming to a complete stop...by the time you get to 50, the brakes arnt doing much.

 

I hear you on that. Ive tried pulling down from over 120...and it wasnt too fun. However, before I did my brake job, pulling down from 80-90 seemed much easier. I didnt need to push so hard on the pedal. And like I said earlier...I didnt like how the pedal actually stopped traveling and the car wasnt slowing down so good. If its normal....I can deal with that. I just want to be sure its not an installation error on my part. Right now I only have a 305 TPI....but I have major plans that will be coming into action as soon as the weather turns. I WILL need to be able to stop her better. Maybe 1LE is in my future? I was actually thinkin about even getting the AIMCO extreme rotors from autozone. They are directional and slotted. Kinda pricey. Keep the ideas coming...

Justin

 

Here's a link to a few Tech Articles from Baer:

Baer Brakes Tech Tips

 

I think the general opinion of PFCM pads is they are crap when cold and just ok when hot, I know I had them. I switched to Bendix titanium metallics and have found them to be a big improvement at all speeds when hot or cold.

 

Ghetto,
I also believe its down to the PFC pads.I had these with my Baer Brake kit and they were quite poor when cold,good when warm and amazing when hot.
For day to day driving ive put in a set of EBC Greenstuff.These are really good for normal driving but i have on occassions found their limit when pushing hard.
I may try a set of SBS next which are the one Baer use mow in their kits

PM

 

PFC pads suck. I had the same type of problem when I ran PFC pads. I swapped to a set of Bendix Titanium metallic pads and WOW what a difference. Much much better. Do a search on PFC or Performance Friction on this forum and you'll see what I am talking about.

Tim

 

Hmmm...Ive never heard of the PFC's being bad. Im glad you all said something. What about the Z-rated ones? Anyone have any experience with those? If not those, how about raybestos? The only reason Im trying to stick to these is I get my discount. Plus the lifetime warranty. Ide actually be really happy if it was just crappy pads. I tried tonight to pull down from 50 and I found the pedal's limit really quick. She stops fairly decent, but not great. I was in a 95 V-6 mustang today and my friend mike hit the brakes and those things bit like crazy. Like mine used to feel. Yet if Im cruising at 30 I can lock em up and stop on a dime if I want. Let me know what you all think about those other brake brands. if they are still crap, Ill be buying a new set of something else. Thanks! Keep it coming!

Justin

Hey thanks for that Baer tech site! Very very informational. I mostly did all that without knowing I was actually doing it.

 

If it's me, I'm checking my master cylinder before I swap pads or anything like that. I have Preformance Friction Carbon Metallics and yes, while cold they stop weak, but it doesn't take that much to warm them up.

The pedal going to the floor indicates a loss of pressure. If you have not changed the master cylinder think about getting it done. It's 34.xx @ Autozone or the like, bench bleeding can be difficult, but with the right tools accomplished easily.

I did my master cylinder 2 weeks ago. My brake pedal is firmer and doesn't go to the floor.

http://www.phxsyss.com/ sell awesome hardware for bleeding brake systems.

 

Yeah the Master Cylinder has crossed my mind. Only thing is, the brakes were fine before I changed them. So that is leading me to believe the M/C should be ok. My pedal doesnt go to the floor. I just seems to stop. Its not down at the floor though. Its like the brakes are squeezing as hard as they can, but its not hard enough to stop the car effectivly. If needs be...Ill get a new one. But I want to explore my options. Thanks for the suggestion, definetly something Im keeping in mind.