I was hoping someone might respond to a question I have - after I did a front brake job, and car seems to take longer to stop....

I had my rotors resurfaced, and put new pads on my front brakes on my 1997 Grand Marquis.

It now takes a longer distance for my car to stop. (It stops, it just feels like it travels an extra 20-40 feet longer than I think it did before, depending on my speed of course.)

The pedal feels firm enough, it just takes longer to stop.

I did not 'open' the lines, but thought I would bleed the front brakes 'just in case' something weird happened when I compressed the piston into the caliper. I bled the right front (but saw NO air bubbles), and was going to bleed the left front, but the bleeder screw head is rounded, so didn't get that one done yet. (I think I need to buy a 'nut extractor' type socket. I could not even budge it with vice grips.)

So, I tried to think of what else might be 'wrong'.

I read about 'bedding the new pads', and tried that, but so far, no help.

Then, I thought about wether the pads were being pushed against the rotor with the right amount of force, and that got me to thinking about those 'slide bolts'. I did not over tighten them, but I did not use a torque wrench either. I saw a few videos that said they should be 12-15 ft pounds torque, but a manual said 21-26 ft pounds.

What if I had them looser or tighter than 12-15 ft pounds - could that affect how much 'pressure' the new pads are being forced on the rotor with? (I was guessing that the tighter those slide bolts were, then the less distance the outer pad would need to travel to touch the outer part of the rotor. So, if they were less than 12-15 pounds, maybe they were not applying enough pressure on the outer side of the rotor, from the caliper/brake pad? Maybe that is why the car takes a little longer to stop?)

I did let the left side caliper fall off the bracket once as I was doing this brake job (I forgot to wire it up while removed). But, I don't see any fluid leeks - on either side. So, I am guessing their is no problem there.

I did add new grease on the pins, and they do slide in and out freely.

If my idea about the slide pin is off base, is there any other things I should be thinking about - and checking?

Thanks,
Matt

 

Welcome to the site..

Whose pads did you install, type material?

 

Thanks for the welcome.

The new pads are the same part number as the old pads that I removed. These are the pads from Advance Auto (Carquest Wearever Gold Semi-Metallic Front Brake Pads; Front; Original Equipment Pad Material Is Semi-Metallic )

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...659/20410045-P

 

So, I did check the torque on the glide pin nuts last night. They were a bit under the 21-26 foot pounds. My guess is they were around 18-20 foot pounds. I retorqued them to 24 foot pounds. Unfortunately, this did not improve my braking distance any.

 

Since you were honest to tell us abut that caliper hanging, there is a good possibility that brake hose might have suffered some internal damage. Might not be enough to cause the vehicle to pull to one side when braking, but could be enough to restrict some pressure to that caliper.
Semi met pads do last longer, but are a harder material and might require some time to allow material transfer and better braking. Just another thought.

 

Hi Hanky, I am not really familiar with the rubber brake hose construction. I had thought that as long as it was not leaking - I was likely ok?

But, I did read there is also an internal 'tube' that can be damaged. Is there a way to test/observe if it still is functioning properly?

I have to mention, that caliper has a bleeder screw that is rounded off. I tried to use PB blaster on it, and to put some vice grips on it, but the vice grips moved, and the bleeder screw did not.

I have ordered a set of "nut-remover" socket set ( ) - which I hope to receive in about one week. I am hoping that the 3/8 extractor will help me loosen, then replace, the bleeder screw. I would think that if I have to replace that rubber brake line - I would then need to bleed that line? (I was going to bleed it earlier, hoping it might help my braking distance to reduce, but found it was already rounded off, and could not remove it).

 

Hanky, Thanks for your reply. I do not know a lot about the construction of the rubber flex lines. I had read somewhere that there is an inner 'tube/line' that can be damaged. Maybe that is a problem with mine? Is their an easy way to inspect/verify damage?

After my accident, with the caliper falling off the frame, I just loked for leaking fluid, and when I saw none - I figured the flex line was still ok....

I would change that rubber flex line, but I firts need to kow I can get the bleeder screw on that caliper working. It currently has rounded off head, from some previous job. I tried vice grips and PB Blaster, and could not get it to open. The vice grips just rounded it more. I ordered a set of 'nut removers off of Amazon, and I am hoping the 3/8 socket will turn the bleeder screw. ( ) - as I will need to bleed that line if I can get that old bleeder screw out and put a new one in.

Any other ideas to get that belleder scew off - if the "nut extractor" fails? Also, I hate to think I might snap the bleeder screw head off if it is too rusted in the caliper.

(I bought a pair of 3/8 bleeder screws from Autozone that I hope are the correct replacement. ( https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and-...1_347842_27048

 

You can choose to do whatever you want, but ,,,,,,considering the year , miles and that someone managed to "alter" the head of the bleeder screw,
Good practice strongly suggests that you consider replacing both calipers and the questionable hose. Here is why,
You are spending a sum of $$$ getting ready to bleed a caliper and hose that are probably original. Pushing all that contaminated fluid back into the system previously isn't good . Brake fluid is recommended to be replaced around every 2 years, so you will be accomplishing a lot by replacing those calipers.

A little side note, When you are getting ready to bleed the fronts, keep one thing in mind. That is the sediment that has accumulated in the master cyl bore will score the rubber piston seals if you depress the brake pedal past the usual stopping point. So if you decide to manually bleed the fronts when ready, only depress the pedal half way down and no further . Then repeat the process , If the seals get scored, you will need to replace the master cyl also. because you will have a sinking (internal leakage) brake pedal problem. So, give this some consideration. I am aware cost always gets into the picture, but it really pays to do it right and do it once.

 

Did the car stop in a similiar manner before you did the brake job? If the car stopped better before, I would look at something not being assembled correctly. Brake hose issues usually will present themselves as a hung up caliper which won't release because the fluid pressure is so high when braking and very low on release. The hose will act as a one way check valve, not allowing fluid to be drawn away from the caliper...Some cars have LH and RH pads. Not sure about yours but worth looking into.

BTW- it is not the sediment in the M/C which causes failure if the brake pedal is pushed too far during bleeding. A wear ridge is formed in the bore of the M/C after years of use. The seals get damaged when you push the brake pedal too far during bleeding and over this ridge. When the seals get damaged and the M/C soons start bypassing fluid internally, resulting in loss of hydraulic pressure.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to try and bed the pads again, and then bleed the driver side after I get the sockets that will hopefully turn the rounded bleeder screw. If these two things fail, I'll try a new flex line hose, and caliper. Would you think I could just get a new caliper and put it into the old caliper bracket, or should I simply get the complete assembly, caliper and bracket?

BTW, I am thinking that perhaps Belle Tire may have rounded that bleeder screw. I had them put two new front brake lines on about 5-6 years ago. That would have been the only time someone else who have needed to bleed the lines. Although it could have occurred earlier also, as I bought the car about 11 years ago. But Belle would definitely had to have bled the lines after putting new steel lines on both fronts. Which means either they rounded the bleeder screw, or managed to get it free to bleed the lines - but did not suggest to me that they put in a new bleeder screw - which I would have thought they should have, given how little they cost!