Hi,

I have a 1999 F350 DRW 4WD long bed V10 that I bought 3 years ago. This is my first big vehicle. I don't think the brakes work as well as they should.

When driving on level pavement at 35mph, if I panic stop the truck comes to a stop but as quickly as I would expect. There is no antilock pedal modulation or tire squeal. If braking with rain or ice the antilock brakes do modulate the pedal, so I am guessing the antilock components are not the problem.

When I bought the truck it needed some brake work. I replaced both front rotors with NAPA OEM type rotors, put severe duty pads front / back, and bled the brake lines in the order listed in the service manual. The tires have about 5K miles on them and inflated to 70 psi front / 60 psi rear.

Is there a specification that says how many feet the truck should travel at a particular speed on level pavement with full braking applied?

Are there some other brake related items to check? Or is it all my imagination? I don't expect the truck to stop as quickly as a small car, but I really feel that the brakes are inadequate.

I am planning to use the truck to haul a 5th wheel camper, and want to get this issue resolved.

If I take it to a dealer I am concerned they will tell me I need new everything and cost me $1000.

Thanks for reading,

Beefus

 

Do you have four-wheel ABS or just rear? (some '99's came with just rear ABS I believe).

My '01 has a Kelsey-Hayes ABS valve unit in it, and these units are known to have a leak in the valving where the brake pressure bleeds into an "accumulator".

Does the pedal go way down when you try to panic stop ?

 

Krewat,

I have four-wheel ABS. And yes, the pedal does go way down during panic stop.

Beefus

 

Hmm...

http://www.aa1car.com/library/abs_kelseyhayes.htm

and

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/bf/bf50434.htm

The last one tells you how to diagnose the dump-valve which is the leaky valve I was talking about.

On the Ford, it's not easy to get to, unlike GM where it's right on the fender in plain sight.

Not sure if you want to tangle with this, or get a tech/mechanic to take a look.

Anyone else care to comment?

Also, bleeding these things is a nightmare and can only truely be done with a scan tool that can activate each valve and the pump ...