I have just finished replacing the rear brakes on my '02 Ram 1500 4x4 and I'm having a hard time getting the brake pedal to firm up. In replacing the brakes, I installed new parking brake shoes & spring kit, new rotors, new calipers & pads. I then had a buddy help bleed the brakes, starting with the passenger rear first.

At first, the pedal would go to the floor, then firm up after a pump or 2. We took the wheels off, re-adjusted the parking brake shoes a little, then bled the brakes about 3 times each wheel, including the fronts (even though I did not replace anything on the front yet). The truck stops, but the pedal still feels soft and the pedal travel seems too close to the floor.

Anyone have any ideas on what I may have missed or done improperly?

 

You sure you got all the air bubbles out? Did you use a cleat tube when changing the fluid so you could see bubbles?

 

sounds like air in the line to me, too. rebleed the brakes

 

Hands down the best and cheapest brake bleeder

Autozone part number 25036

Put the hose on the bottle and push one of the nipples in the hose. Then push the nipple into the bleeder screw and crack open the screw. Then pump the brakes and watch the fluid come out through the clear hose and collect in the bottle.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ier=46839_0_0_

 

Not sure what a cleat tube is. I used a clear pvc tube I had from a brake bleeding kit. The kit was the one like this from Autozone that I've had for a while:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...fier=70116_0_0_

The tube was a little larger diameter than probably needed to cover the bleeder screw...maybe that made it more difficult to see if air bubbles were still coming out. I think I'll give it another try or two with that siphon bleeder I have, or with the cheat one you suggest from autozone. I'll let you know if that works.

 

LOL....supposed to be a CLEAR tube....