I bought my 99 4 cylinder engine standard ranger some years ago and never had problems with the brakes. Before they wore out completely I had a friend help me replacing them, and so we did, new shoes and new pads.
The problem is that now the brake pedal goes almost all the way down, and going downhill it won't stop at all unless I use the emergency brake.
We bled both rear and front brakes totally, but no luck. The brakes feel spongy and only after hitting the brakes several times, they start to grab but just a bit.
The funny thing is that before doing the job eventhough the brakes were pretty worn out, they stopped almost instantly and now with new brakes, I'm scared to take the ranger out because they don't grab like they used to.
I know it has ABS system but is there something I should know that I haven't done right to make my brakes work again. PLEASE HELP

 

First did you turn the drums and rotors? If so that is the problem. The new materials used in brakes (since the early 90s) don't like machined rotors they don't get a good grip on them.

If not are the rotors/drums grooved?

either one will cause issues until the the pads wear into them slightly. When I was still working in a dealership we used to put new brakes on then drive the car a few miles riding the brakes slightly then let drive without riding for a bit to let them cool and try applying them again. Usually only took once and they worked fine but without doing it they felt like you had spongey brakes.

 

Thanks, I'm gonna try that. I just thought that there might be a gadget like umplugging a fuse and plugging it back again to make the ABS and normal brakes work again because it was a real disappointment having the new brakes fail so badly when the old ones were very good.

 

Assuming there is no air in the lines...did you adjust the rear drums with a brake spoon until you has a little drag? The self adjusters will take up the rest with repeated reverse stops.

 

The spongy feel & the pedal going almost to the floor, suggests you let air get into the system when you bled the brakes.

If it's gotten into the ABS valving, you'll likely need a vacuum on the brake lines & a special scantool that'll cycle the ABS motor, to bleed the air out of the ABS valving system & most of us don't have that equiptment, only a brake shop, or Dealer likely does.

For sure the rear drums need to be adjusted as Bidwell has suggested, as that will help with the pedal height, but won't cure the soft pedal problem.

For that, it sounds like the system may need the service of a brake shop or Dealer, unless you want to try again to carefully bleed the system, paying close attention to not letting the brake master cylider fluid level get too low, such that it sucks air into the system, or unscrew the wheel cyl bleed valve too much, such that it back sucks air past it's threads & lets air into the wheel cyl or caliper, if your doing a one man bleed routine.

If you have a "mighty vac" hand vacuum pump, or the like, you could try that at each wheel bleed valve.

Beginning with the RR, LR, RF, LF wheels, in that order & see if you can get a firm pedal & with Bidwells suggestion to adjust the rear linings, get a good pedal height.

Then as Monsterbaby has suggested, you'll want to "bed" the new pads & linings in, to the lining manufacturers suggetions, so you get the pads & lining surfaces outgassed & cleaned up & an even transfer of material onto the rotors & drums, so the grab on each wheel is even.

I hope you degreaed the linings, hubs & rotors & adjusted the rear shoes, before you drove it.

I'd suggest using Motorcraft PM-1 DOT-3 fluid, as it's a very high quality product, at a reasonable price, making it a danged good bang for the buck!!!!

More thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks to all you guys' advise and carefully following everyone's comments I got it fixed without having to go to the shop. Saved me a lot of bucks.
It was so simple and I never saw it since everybody I consulted even mechanics said that front calipers should never be bled since there is no way that air will get into them. Well, they are wrong since as a last resource I bled the front calipers and miraculously, brakes were better than ever now with new pads and shoes.
Seriously, I never had brakes that grabbed so good by just tapping them, even in new cars.
Thanks again to you all.

 

Good feedback & to hear you now have a good firm pedal & the grab is good.