My 94 Ram Van won't stop properly. It has power disc front and drum rear brakes. I have replaced front pads, rotors, master cylinder, and rear shoes. I have also bled the system several times. The pedal feels a bit spongy (that's a technical term) and it just will not stop well. It has ABS for the rear only. When I tow the boat I have to stomp and pray that it stops. I don't know what else to do to get it to stop better. It used to be better and gradually got worse but it's never been as good at stopping as my 80 Dodge van. I have tried several types of pads and they all feel about the same. Any ideas?

 

How far to the floor does your parking brake go? The back brakes might not be properly adjusted. Does the parking brake work well?
Sometimes it is not so easy to purge all the air from the lines. The driver's side rear is the furthest away, brake line distance wise from the master cylinder, not the passenger rear, at least on my 96 9.25 axle it is, my old '89 8 3/8 axle too.

I'd be interested in the brands of Pads you have tried, and your opinions on which ones you feel might be the best. I am not impressed with my brakes, and I'm pretty sure they are as good as they were when fresh from the factory.

I am told, and have been convinced that more aggressive pads are an answer, and am a little dismayed by your report.

 

Rebuilt front calipers only cost about $20 each when you trade in your old ones at the local auto parts superstore. With all that brake work up front I would think you should replace the calipers.

Check the replacement brake fluid you are using; it should fresh from a new container and be DOT 3 type.

Check the condition of the brake hoses that go from the frame to the front brake calipers and replace them if necessary.

Not sure what method you are using to bleed the brakes but I would recommend the use of a vacuum hand pump such as a Mity Vac. Do the rear wheels first beginning at RR, then LR, then the fronts RF then LF.

 

This can be caused by a leaking RWAL accumulator valve. Although not specific to our vans, this article gives a good explanation of what is happening.
http://www.aa1car.com/library/abs_kelseyhayes_rwal.htm

 

Okay I see my FSM also says to start with the passenger side rear.

I always believed on first bleeds the brake which is furthest from the master cylinder . Distance Not as a crow flies, but distance along the path of the brake line. This is the driver's side rear.

So I've been bleeding my brakes wrong.

Why is it recommended to start with the rear wheel not furthest from the MC?

Sorry for the semi hijack.

 

I think it's just to set a standard practice. For most any vehicle out there the RR wheel is the furthest from the MC.

 

But that is not true of our Vans(or is it on some years?), yet the Factory service manual says to start with the RR.

I thought there might be a reason as to why, such the likely hood of a bubble getting trapped where the line splits and more success in flushing that bubble out starting with the RR rather than the LR.

 

I have a mityvac and I've had better results gravity bleeding brakes, especially ABS brakes, than I've ever had with the mityvac.

We do finish off with the mityvac, but almost all the work is done with the gravity bleed.

 

On my 2000 the RR wheel is the furthest run from the MC.

 

Interesting.

Perhaps someone looking for a replacement axle could benefit from that knowledge so they do not have to reroute their brake lines if pulling an axle from a newer Van. Wonder what year they changed?