brake pedal sqishy

[dsellars]

I have a 79 bu and my brake pedal dosent feel firm at all. When u press it its real soft and goes almost to the floor. Just put new shoes and 7/8 wheel cylinders on the back.and blead the brakes any info on my broblem will be appriciated



Thanks Destry

 

[355_79bu]

Was the pedal soft before you worked on the brakes?

 

[dsellars]

I changed rear ends and after that the pedal was soft

 

[lurchsmalibu]

What technique did you use to bleed the brakes? With new hardware installed it should be fine, still air in lines possibly unless 355_79bu's answer to his question was YES. Then it's a different story.

 

[388bu]

Did you adjust the rear shoes? Even with no air in the lines and the rear shoes too "loose" you will get a soft pedal.

 

[dsellars]

brakes

I had my wife pump um up and on the back i had to use a socket and wrachet. and on the front i could use a wrench.the reason i used the socket on the back is because the bleeder is inside the cylinder as all of u know.

 

[lurchsmalibu]

Thats a good way to bleed the brakes, as 388bu mentioned did you adjust the shoes out to where they just barely start to drag on the drum when you install it and rotate it? If everything is properly installed they will self adjust, but the clearance between the shoes and drum have to be close to one another first. Then they will self adjust when ever you use the parking brake or use the brakes when backing up.

 

[Blackwizard22]

After you bled them did you top off the master cylinder resevoir? Also like was mentioned, did you adjust the shoes? There is a spanner under the drum that you turn to push the shoes out. You should adjust them to where there is a little friction between the shoes and the drum. then drive in reverse and hit the brakes. Theyll self adjust to the proper setting. On some rear ends you can turn the spanner from the backside of the drum.

 

[Blackwizard22]

I changed rear ends and after that the pedal was soft

You changed rear ends? My guess is you still have some brake bleeding to do to get all of the air out of the lines.

 

[lurchsmalibu]

You may already know, but...

Start with the furthest wheel cylinder and finish with the closest to the master cylinder. Along with pumping them up and bleeding each one at least 4-5 times
If that rearend is an 8.5" and you can't get hard pedal after bleeding/adjusting the brakes I will take it off of your hands and see if it works in my '80 Malibu. :lol: