Ok so I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 with rear abs only (Thank God). I have two issues one issue is a soft pedal will sink about halfway down before you get a good form brake pedal. So I rebled the brakes (was good to begin with) I checked the pads and shoes, which were good, and adjusted the rear drums (factory adjusters are gone and I think they work with the parking brake which doesn't work on my truck) and it got a little furthe but not much. I think I found the problem though:


Cooper brake lines! Older guy who was the first owner (I'm third) must have put them on I'll change them out to Braided Stainless Steel when they come in the mail.
Next issue is weird and I'll try to describe it. When the ABS works you get a really firm pedal, until you push it. It will stay for but them make a clicking noise and sink with each click doesn't matter if you gently push it or do a hard brake (is this how is suppose to work?). Now when you press the pedal the ABS and Brake light come on and sometimes will go out when the pedal is realised or sometimes when you push it again. Sometimes the ABS light will just come on and go out but lately the BRAKE light stays on. I checked the fluid, it's good and made sure the emergency brake wasnt on. Now when you do engage the emergency brake the light gets brighter. Any thoughts? I thought maybe a bad rear diff sensor but that would cause just the BRAKE light to be on.

 

I think you still have air trapped in the system somewhere...... and the proportioning valve is getting confused by that. That would cause the lights coming on when you step on the brake.

For the hard lines, copper/nickle lines are hard to beat. (which, it appears, those are simply copper..... not the best idea.....) Easy to bend, and don't corrode.

 

See I thought that too so I bled the system. No sir came out. Now all lights are out except the BRAKE light.

 

Likely the proportioning valve is out of place, which will indeed make your brakes feel wonky. (yes, that's a technical term. )

 

Can you reset it? If so how? Lol

 

Luck?

What I do, is have someone pump up the brakes, hold pressure, and then crack open a bleeder. Do that a couple times, and see if the lite stays off when you step hard on the pedal. If it doesn't, then do the same thing, with a bleeder at the other end of the truck. Usually takes care of it.

 

I'll give it a shot. It never stays on long enough to get a code. Trying to get it 100% before heading your way. I don't know ABS systems or trannsmissions to well. I see there is a bleeder? On the valve itself wonder if you can bled that to. I did change the matter cylinder about a year ago

 

I think I saw the solution to this one before. I think you need to bled your front left caliper to get the proportioning valve to center itself.... I've had an abs light on since I let the fluid all drain out of the system while I replaced all my brake lines, I think I need a tool to actuate the abs pump.

I bought prebent regular steel ones ( I think it was SSTubes), but I had to send my originals for my axle for them to get it right. I guess they didn't have a dana60 rear template - but they should now.

 

Have you tried bleeding the system by loosening the lines to master cylinder first, then moving to the proportioning valve and loosen those lines (bleed the valve), and then going to the rears to bleed from there? Seems like you could get that valve to move by bleeding the line in the opposite direction.

I think i meant it would move the valve in the direction of the line being bled. Anyway, probably go easy with the pedal when playing around with it and see if the light does anything as you're pushing.

 

Good to know I'll give that a shot! I just want a firm pedal!
​​​​​ No never tried that. The master cylinder was bench bled so I don't think it would need it. The valve actually has a bleeder on it so I might try bleeding it sometime today.