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Swapped pads...pedal is mush

476 views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  G1-Focus 
#1 ·
Well, on my parents 4 runner at least.

Swapped out the front pads, bled all four corners, and nothing has changed!

Slowly press the pedal in a few times, then hold, and bleed from the furthest point back, that's how I remember doing it before. No air is coming out, reserve is not and has not been bled dry.
 
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#2 ·
i dunno,,,,how does it get drove? how many miles? brake fluid just might have had enough and took a dump,,,,check with some other people first but maybe u need to get new brake fluid through the entire system,,,
 
#3 ·
Did You machine the rotors? Did You break the new pads in? If it is a situation where You just slapped pads at it, and didn't even scuff the rotors, then You have to break the pads in more gentle. What needs to be done to break the pads in is drive the brakes very easily for the first 10 miles so trying to heat the rotors as little as possible. Then be very easy on them for the first 100 or so miles.

Since it sounds to me that right now the brakes are glazed because the pads were not broken in properly, remove the pads, sand the rotor surfaces in a circular motion and sand the pad surface to a fresher looking material then re-assemble and do the proper break in.

Unless You removed a caliper or a line, it is not neccesary to bleed brakes after swapping pads.
 
#4 ·
Actually I did scuff the rotors pretty good on both sides while I had the caliper out of the way.

The pedal feels like there's air in the system, and will go about halfway down before it feels like the brakes are catching.

It's felt like that since I got the new pads in. Was fine before the swap.
 
#6 ·
Well...I did a few 45-0 stops, very, very gradually, with very light braking. Then let everything cool down, and did it again.

I'm going to repeat the whole install process again tomorrow AM to perhaps alleviate something I may have fubared and not caught. Going to scuff the rotors again scuff the pads also.
 
#8 ·
Son of a monkey slut!

I'm starting to think it's the master cylinder (which is original-16 years old). I tore everything down again, scuffed the pads and rotors, reinstalled, bled all 4 corners for sht's n' giggles.

Car off- press brakes...pedal gets nice and firm. No mush to speak of.

Car on - instamush

Car on, with parking brake engaged- nice and firm.

Car on, parking brake gets released- back to mush.
 
#9 ·
Sounds like the rear brakes are not egaging properly. If the pads are not touching the rotors, the pedal will feel soft until the pads make contact. With the emergency brake on, the rear pads would be fully engage giving the firm pedal.

Just a thought.
 
#11 ·
Rear drum auto adjusters sometimes don't work or work well enough and you have to manually adjust them; check this out first. Another item to look for on an older car is the flexible line from the chassis to the caliper. If they are weak, they can expand enough when you press the pedal to give you that mushy feeling.
 
#12 ·
Rear drum auto adjusters sometimes don't work or work well enough and you have to manually adjust them; check this out first. Another item to look for on an older car is the flexible line from the chassis to the caliper. If they are weak, they can expand enough when you press the pedal to give you that mushy feeling.
i second that
 
#13 ·
Well, just woke up and talked with my dad, who drives the thing daily, and he say's it felt like normal when he drove it earlier. So...I'm a happy camper, confused, but happy.


Many thanks to everyone!
 
#14 ·
Rear drum auto adjusters sometimes don't work or work well enough and you have to manually adjust them; check this out first. Another item to look for on an older car is the flexible line from the chassis to the caliper. If they are weak, they can expand enough when you press the pedal to give you that mushy feeling.
i second that
Yes, check out the drums and the adjusters and make sure the parking brake cables are working as well.
 
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