brakes hot!!!!!help!!!!please!!!!!

[naviathan]

I just put a loaded caliper set up front, new wheel cylinders in back w/ new shoes and a new brake booster with master cylinder.

Sounds to me like you need to pull both off and recheck the setting per the FSM.

[deedee]

I haven't touched the one inside the booster. I was talking about the one to the brake paddle. someone told me that they had the same problem when they got new pads, they were sold the wrong ones(too thick)

[naviathan]

If they're too thick though, wouldn't it make sense that the pads wouldn't go on over the rotor?

[Arne]

I haven't touched the one inside the booster. I was talking about the one to the brake paddle. someone told me that they had the same problem when they got new pads, they were sold the wrong ones(too thick)

Highly unlikely, since you bought loaded calipers. I still think the problem is between the master cylinder and booster.

[wa5ngp]

If they were too thick they'd probably wear down to right thickness after a while. And yes, you probably couldn't have gotten them installed either.

What kind of brake fluid are you using? I remember in High school some guys used coke cola (who knows why) and it locked them up. Might want to replace it. Brake fluid is cheap.

a bit off topic

I had a Taurus SHO (yes I know I asked for it) and it had a similar problem in that the breaks applied themselved ever so slightly. never figured out the problem but I always suspected that somehow there was a slight leak and the vacuum booster applied the brakes just a bit. There were so many other things that went wrong with that Ford that my wife gave me the ultimatum either it goes or she goes and I am still happily married and will never buy another Ford again. Life is too short to put up with that poor quality. Altho the engine was a thing of beauty made my yamaha.

Don

[deedee]

I put in my old brake booster back in and now the rims are staying cool. But now the peddle is really hard to push even though the brakes work. I'm guessing that now I need to get a new brake booster and adjust the clevis fork on the push rod at the peddle so the peddle is in just a hare. I think the brake booster isn't working. Like having manual brakes. Hard to push.

[Arne]

Sound like you have accurately identified the issue. You existing booster sounds like it is bad, and the replacement booster sounds like it is wrong (probably for a different year or maybe model).

[ZSaint]

It sounds to me like not enough brake pedal free-play. Make certain you have 3/16-1/4" end play on the rod. That will be about 1" of brake pedal free-play. If that does not stop the brake build up, you need to shorten the booster rod. It is one or the other.

[jmortensen]

It sounds to me like not enough brake pedal free-play. Make certain you have 3/16-1/4" end play on the rod. That will be about 1" of brake pedal free-play. If that does not stop the brake build up, you need to shorten the booster rod. It is one or the other.

Zsaint is 100% correct. As I said before, if the port to the master cylinder reservoir can't open because the pistons can't retract all the way due to no free play in the pedal, then the pressure in the master can't be released. When you first start driving this might not be too noticeable. The more you drive the more heat gets into the fluid the more it expands, the more it puts the brakes on, the hotter the brakes get, the more it expands, etc. When the piston in the master does retract all the way it just barely opens the port. So ANY amount of preload on the piston will cause this problem IME. Must have free play, it is absolutely necessary.

[Mike]

I just put a loaded caliper set up front, new wheel cylinders in back w/ new shoes and a new brake booster with master cylinder. I drove the first 70 miles no problem then one day I went to a friends that was 20 miles away, when I got there the brakes were soooooo hot and the pedel was so hard to push. I waited for about an hour or more and the brakes worked fine( cooled off) when I pulled up at home the pedel was hard to push and they were hot again. every time I get in the car I don't go that far because it's getting worse. when they are hot the brakes work on their own. It's like I'm drivining around with my brakes on. It sucks. help!!!!!!

DeeDee,

It sounds like your brakes are seizing. The clamping pressure just keeps increasing. Replace your slave cylinders on all 4 wheels and also replace the flex lines. After replacing them, take the car down to a brake specialist and have them flush the entire hydraulic system.

-- Mike

[ZSaint]

Mike: I fear if she does what you recommend, she will still have pressure build up. The master cylinder is not 'relieving' itself. I think she needs to install a new/rebuilt booster, check her pedal linkage clearance and she will be good to go.

[jmortensen]

Here is a quick test. After the brakes are nice and hot, crack open a bleeder screw on the master. If the fluid squirts out under pressure, well, then you know that you have pressure in the master when the brake pedal is not depressed. If it just runs out, then there isn't pressure in the system.