Hopefully this is the right place to put this.

I've got a 1997 Ram 1500 4X4 that I'm having brake problems with.

The truck recently hit 60K and I took it to the dealer for servicing. I was told that I needed the front pads replaced and rotors turned and the rear pads replaced. No problem I said.

After returning home. . .I didn't drive the truck for 3 days. I had to make a short business trip (2 hour drive - one way) and on the the return trip I had to hit the brakes hard (traffic in HOTlanta is BAD). When initially applied. . .I received "some" pedal resistance and then the pedal went to the floor. VERY SCARY !

I took the truck back to the dealer and told them of the brake problem that I'm experiencing.

The dealership called and I'm being told that they've inspected the truck and the only thing that they can come up with is that the rear brakes need to be adjusted. They are claiming that the system doesn't need to be bled - cuz they didn't break into the system to replace the front pads/turn the rotors. My response was, "Why didn't you make the necessary adjustments when you replaced the pads?" Now they're claiming that they didn't replace the rear brake pads because I told them not too (they know nothing of my near miss this past weekend).

Does this sound right ?

1) Aren't the rear drums on my truck self-adjusting (at least to a point) ?

2) During brake application. . .if the front and rear brakes aren't asymmetrical. . .will this cause the brake pedal to go to the floor board (I've always associated soft brake pedal that goes to the floor with air in the brake lines) ?

3) Are they blowing smoke up my pant leg ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated !

TIA

Jeff

 

I was confused for a minute, drum brakes have shoes, disc brakes have pads. That said, out of adjustment rear shoes should not cause the pedal to go to the floor. Did the pedal height come back right away after you pumped the brake, if so I'd guess you have a master cylinder by-passing. If not I'm at a loss, it's possible the dealer did not properly "bed" the new pads in. New brake pads on freshly turned rotors have a procdure that must be followed to properly bed the 2 together. They will eventually to it on their own but as you've experienced at a reduced abuility to stop in the meantime. It's too late to do it now, once the vehicle has been driven you just have to let them do it on its own. I'd pick it up from the dealer and find a deserted road to make some panick stops to see if that master cylinder is going out before venturing off onto the freeway.

 

My bad. . .I meant to type rear shoes. . .instead of rear pads.


That is what's so confusing. My experience has always been air in the lines, a leak in the system and as you said. . ."master cylinder by-passing."

And the pedal height did not come back right away after I pumped the brake. And I could tell that the ABS (rear only) wasn't functioning the way it should have when I made the sudden stop.

I picked the truck up late this evening. . .and all is well now (I'm still ticked at the service dept). They are claiming that they "adjusted the rear brakes." They had the truck from 8 am to 5 pm (was on a lift at 10 am). I'm thinking that they did more than "adjust the rear brakes." I've had absolutely "0" problems with this truck and definitely didn't have brake issues until this outfit worked on it. [:@]

I did exactly what you suggested. . .took it nice and slow on the drive home and then hit a near by paved side road (isolated. . .4 miles long). Made 3 emergency type stops at the 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 MPH range.


Thanks for the help dodgemech !