really quick I just wanted to know if you guys had any input on what would make a brake pedal squishy

obviously, worn rotors and/or pads would cause it, but why does the pedal still feel squishy AFTER i do a complete brake job?

mainly on my 03 liberty i am having this problem,, 4 wheel disc brakes and just ALL brand new ones on and it still feels squishy,,, just wondering if any of you had some insight on this

thanks!

 

What does your brake fluid look like? Is it still golden colored?

Bleed the system real well?

 

its a bit darker then golden color,,, i havnt bled the system yet... does brake fluid go "bad" over time

 

It doesn't "go bad" but it does absorb moisture (it's designed to)...and it can only absorb so much before it starts to perform poorly.

It's recommended to change it....as frequent as every 12,000 miles in some cases, but people seldom do. I think the fluid that was in my truck when I bought it was the original fluid (144,000 miles). It was black [:'(] I emptied the resevoir with a turkey baster and filled it back up with new fluid. The brakes felt a lot better after that.

 

wait your didnt blead them yet? there just some air in the lines then.

 

i didnt need to bleed it..i just put on rotors/pads on... ill do that though.. ill flush the whole system

thanks guys

 

It's normal to feel squishy with new brakes...minor machining differences causes it, that's why brakes need a "break-in" period, up to 500 miles of gentle braking.

Could also have some rust buildup on the pistons, or the "fingers" of the calipers...my only thoughts.

 

a '"squishy" or "soft" pedal means you don't have strong hydraulic pressure. Its usually caused by air or water in the lines. Brake fliud will absorb water and 'spoil'. Its a good idea to completely flush the system on each brake job. Like previous post said - dip out the master cylinder, and then bleed them sufficiently to empty the lines, calipers, and/or wheel cylinders of the old fluid. Just be careful to keep refilling the master cyl so you don't dump air back in. Bleed the longer rear lines first, and then the fronts.

On old vehicles, the rubber hose at the wheels can also weaken, and 'flex/swell up', absorbing your pressure.

As the master cylinder ages and seals weaken, they start to let fliud slip back past the seal. Most people don't notice this until they're sitting at a red light, and pedal oozes down.

One last tidbit. The front/rear proportioning valve is a safety device that is supposed to sense rear pressure, before it will allow strong front pressure. How is does this is beyond me - i've never understood it. But if the rear drum brakes are not adjusted up tight, this can foul up the front brakes.

were the brakes squishy before the brake job, or just after ?

 

i have a question about brakes while were at it, how come sometimes my back brakes after being wet or anything like taht are very sensitive, im talking pushing the peddle down and at a certain point they work and lock up if im on loose surface maybe its just me and thats normal for drum brakes when they are cold or just starting up for the day and not "warmed up yet" not heat but used a couple stops to clean em out and get to full potential again!??

 

Excess brake dust will absorb humidity since the drums aren't sealed from moisture...also, see that the little rubber adjuster plugs are in the bottom backside of the backing plate, another source of moisture...and being way under-adjusted...my 3 thoughts