1994 f150 5.0 4x4: Sorry to post about this again but i just cant get any firmness in the brake pedal. And to bring you guys up to speed, when i bought the truck the brakes werent working (i bought it as a small project truck). I have replaced the booster, ms, front brakes (calipers and pads), and put alot of new brake lines in, although they are not all new. I have bled everything from bench bleeding the ms, rr, lr, abs module, rf, and lf and i still have barely any pedal. The brakes do not engage until the pedal is about an inch or two. I did return the original ms i got for another just in case it was bad, but there has been no difference. Couple additional things: the e-brake couple snapped so it does not work anymore (not sure if that could play a factor?) and i have not replaced the rear drum brakes (i dont know if anything with the drum brakes could be causing this?). Maybe the brakes just need to be re-adjusted? Thanks, hope someone can help!

 

One big problem.... You should never attempt to bleed ABS unit. It can't be done without a Dealer equivalent type scanner. You may have caused damage to the module already or allowed air to enter ABS unit. I recommend now towing to dealer unfortunately to bleed it properly. Very rare to find a shop besides the dealer with the proper scanner BTW

Or try picking one up from a U-Pull-It and don't crack bleeder on it and install that.... May be a cheaper or optional route.

Also, in the future, continue the original thread if an issue is not resolved. The biggest help on these sites is to have all the pertaining info on the one thread.

 

No. On a 4-wheel ABS vehicle this would be true, however 94 has rear wheel ABS only, and has a bleeder on the hydraulic unit that's meant to be bled. No special tools needed for that.

To the OP: If you haven't touched the rear brakes at all, you may want to check for a leaking wheel cylinder and/or worn or out of adjustment brake shoes.

Also, check the front calipers to make sure they're on the correct sides. Bleeder screws should be on the top.

 

I don't know where you would acquire to the kit for doing so, but it may be useful to pressure bleed the brake system, assuming any and all leaks have been repaired.

Bleed the lines starting from the farthest from the master cylinder and rotate inward (typically passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, driver front) and bleed until you can see new, clean brake fluid. Also make sure that the valve you're bleeding has a hose attached to it, and that the hose is submerged at least 2 inches into a bottle of brake fluid. Pressure bleeding will usually eliminate the possibility of air entering the system, but it's better safe than sorry.

 

If the drums don't want to move, a propane torch applied to the outside of the drum between the studs will help break the rust bond between the drum and the hub.

I'm not talking about heating the drum red-hot either. When I did mine I kept the torch flame between adjacent studs just until the fogging on the iron disappeared, then moved on to the next one. I think I made it around the drum three times on the one side and about 2-1/2 on the other side -- no muss, no fuss, and no drama. Just drums that weren't rust-welded to the hubs any more.

I did have to retract the shoes to get the drums to come all the way off, but I expected that. I didn't expect the drums to stick to the hubs quite that tightly.

 

Thanks. So this has the RWAL system? Does unit you speak of, is that in engine compartment or frame rail? Does it look more like the proportioning valve?

 

It's called Rear Anti-Lock Brake System (RABS). The hydraulic control unit is mounted on the driver side frame rail, literally under your left foot.

It looks like this:

 

Make sure the rear brakes are adjusted correctly as well, that will cause a low pedal.

 

Thanks you so much for the info! Great visual too!

 

Appreciate all the feedback. I will check everything out tomorrow! Thank you!

 

+1 on rear brake adjustment being correct. With everything assembled including the wheels, pry the rubber plug out of the backing plate at each rear brake. Use a flathead screwdriver to adjust the brake shoes out, til you get a light drag on the wheel. Then back them off just til the drag is about gone, and you're done.

 

Anytime

 

As has been said, you NEED to check your rear drums. Just being out of adjustment will make it feel like you have no pedal. I've experienced this first hand. When I got my truck, the brake pedal would almost go to the floor. Adjusted the rear drums, replace one wheel cylinder (was leaking), and bled about 1/2 gallon of new fluid into the system. Had a great brake pedal feel afterwards. Stops well now.

The rears are supposed to be self adjusting, but it doesn't work too well. If they're off my more than just a little bit, the self adjustment doesn't really work. Drums are usually good for the most part and help stop well, but they need to be adjusted here and there.

Good luck!

 

I ain't EVER had those stupid adjusters work. The cable was broken on one of mine, so when I did my rear brakes I just left the cables out of both sides. Not like it's any trouble to adjust them manually when I notice the parking brake gaining slack or the brake pedal being a bit lower than normal.

 

That was it. Asked a mechanic I know and he said having the calipers on the wrong side is a big no no and wont allow the calipers to bleed and work correctly. Swapped them around and brake pedal feels great!