my friend just put on new lowering springs koni shocks and front brakes. i know from putting the springs on my car is out of alighnment. but he also put on new semi-metalic brake pads in the front only.

when i pulled the car out of the garage my brake light was lit. after pumping the brake pedal it when out. the brakes worked fine until i got home. when i got out of my car i smelled a metal burning smell. i looked at the brakes and they were smoking lightly.
it was late so i went to bed.

i drove my car today and when i braked the first ten times the car pulled serevly to the left. it seemed to get better the more i braked. is this normal? the brakes smelled again.

he also put some antinoise compond behind the brake pads. should i drive the car to get the brake pads to wear in or are the brakes sticking? he used a c clamp to pry the calipers apart.

 

That all sounds somewhat normal. There is sometimes a glaze that forms on the rotor or the pad. I am not sure about those pads, but some of the more extreme compounds don't work until they get up to a certain temp, but that is mostly racing pads. Check your fluid levels too.

You probably touched the rotor or pads witha greesy hand. Give it a good squirt of brake cleaner.

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in... K&N filter... 93 octane...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

[This message has been edited by Biochem (edited December 11, 2000).]

 

No, No, No...this is not normal, and should be taken care of immediately...I think Biochem may not have read all the post...but severe pulling to one side, low or no pedal...is a problem...

My guess is this...you friend opened up the calipers to get the pads in, if done quickly, you can get air in the lines...look around the master cylinder resevoir for excess fluid that may have come out.

Next Q, is did your friend remove the calipers from the lines? If so, they should be bled.

Also, there still may be a problem with the install...causing one caliper to stick....regardless, I'd take it in and have it looked at...any minor issues of smoking or soft pedal, that hasn't gone away after one or two stops, is evident of a problem.

 

If it is pulling he may have forgotten to lube the slide joints on the calipers. My car used to pull before I replaced the brakes and I learned when I took the old pads off that one pad had "hung" because the slide joints were not lubricatd correctly. There is a special lube for this, sorry but I don't know the name, but a GM parts counter should be able to help.

As far as the pedal pressure I'd say bleed the system first and see if that helps. All you need is a jar, some brake fluid, and a hose to fit on bleeder valve. Just connect the hose to the loosened bleeder valve and have a friend make sure the other end of the hose stays in the fluid that you pour in the jar. Then pump the pedal until no more air bubbles come out, and tighten the bleeder valve. Do this for all four wheels.

Hope this helps,

Jason

 

my brakes stopped pull in the side but it seems that they are sticking as i really have to give it gas. it feels like the parking brake is always on. but the rear brakes were never touched. what might of went wrong?