99 X Front Brakes HELP!

jonm61 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 10:07 PM

I just changed both front calipers and hoses; now the pedal goes to the floor and only the rears are grabbing! We bled the front brakes with the engine/ignition off and everything was fine. Started the truck and the pedal went to the floor. Bled all 4 calipers and still the same problem.

Any experience/suggestions with this?

Thanks!

Jon

DMB · #2 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 09:26 AM

Did you get fluid to come out the front bleed screws? If no, you've still got air. If yes, it's probably either the caliper slides hanging up or the piston itself. Make sure the caliper slide bolts are cleaned and re-lubed with slide rail grease. Also, sometimes when pushing the piston back into the caliper to make room for new pads it gets pushed in crooked. Then, when pressure is applied (ie, brake pedal) the piston binds. Make sure everything is cleaned, lubed, and properly assembled and you shouldn't have any problems.

marragtop · #3 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 06:11 PM

Make sure you are bleeding at the bleeder screw and not the hose connection. Also, always start the brake furtherst from the master cylinder. RR, LR, RF, LF.

MazdaRangerGuy · #4 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 06:45 PM

jonm61... why did you replace the front calipers and hoses? What symptoms were you experiencing that pointed you towards replacing these parts?

The reason I ask is that your low pedal might be due to pre-existing problems that may not necessarily have been repaired with the replacement of the calipers and hoses.

In the mean time, check to make sure you used the brass washers at the hose connections at the calipers and that you did in fact properly bleed them. Really the biggest thing to remember while bleeding is to not let up on the brake pedal while any bleeder is open. Typically its "open bleeder, press brake pedal down, hold pedal down while closing bleeder, let up on brake pedal, repeat until no more air comes out."

jonm61 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 11:37 PM

Thanks for the help guys!

You won't believe what the problem turned out to be! The first clue I'll give you--never let a drunk mechanic work on your truck!

This guy's a certified mechanic and family friend, gets drunk while working on my brakes and puts the calipers on the WRONG SIDES and therefore UPSIDE DOWN!

He also, when reinstalling the left front hub, left the old wheel bearing seal on the axle when he put the repacked bearings, along with new seals, back on. I haven't had it diagnosed yet, but my ABS light has been on since he worked on it--suspect he damaged a sensor.

So, Firestone charged me $450 to tear it all back down, repack the wheel bearings and put it back together correctly, including flushing the brakes. Now I've got to pay my local dealer $97.53 to diagnose the ABS light, but they will be gracious and not charge me the diagnostic fee if I let them fix it.

Oh, and I asked the dealer to look at something else when they look at the ABS light...oh yeah, that'll be another $97.53! That's their diag charge--PER COMPLAINT!

I should have just done it myself, but I was visiting my dad and didn't want to risk damaging my nearly new hub--the LF caliper went bad and was almost out of pad.

Oh well, lesson learned....