Brake needs one push to firm up

Post by **Nimrod** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:06 pm

67 Traveller - everytime I drive it, the brakes need one push of the pedal to go hard. not a pump, just one push. I've adjusted all four brakes. Is this s symptom of oval drums?

Post by **HarryMango** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:14 pm

I may be missing something but your brakes seem to be working well to me. If you need to pump the brakes then there is something wrong - not the other way around.

Rog

Post by **Nimrod** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:48 pm

I wasn't very clear with the original post!
What I should have said was, that the first time I use the brakes, the pedal is soft and needs one push only to make it hard. It then stays hard if I brake reasonably frequently, but if not, (like on a motorway for example) then the next time I brake I need to pudh the pedal twice, once to harden the brakes, and the second to brake. It's always just one push, not a pump.It's like the shoes "creep" away from contact with the braking surface.

Post by **chickenjohn** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:58 pm

Sounds like air in the system. Try bleeding the brakes (starting from the bleed nipple furthest away from the master cylinder- then next closest etc)- a standard Minor should have a "rock hard" pedal, unless a servo has been fitted.

Post by **Nimrod** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:45 pm

Will any modern Brake fluid do?

Post by **Onne** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:50 pm

Dot 4 is the one I use

Post by **Nimrod** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:56 pm

Post by **hamster** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:01 pm

when you adjusted the brakes, were the wheels hard to turn until you went back a click?
A common problem with the recent brake shoes is that they foul the snail adjuster. If you have this problem, when you turn it until it 'locks' you may only be loading the snail cam onto the shoe backplate and not actually adjusting the brakes

If you can get the brakes tight (wheel is stiff to turn) using the adjuster then generally ignore this and look for other problems - like air/bleeding!

Post by **Nimrod** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:07 pm

In fact I don't just get the hub "tight", they are indeed locked solid. On all four hubs.

Post by **Packedup** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:03 pm

With the adjusters up to binding/ tight, does the pedal still do the same?

Remember to back the adjusters back off after testing!

Post by **Nimrod** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:07 pm

[quote="Packedup"]With the adjusters up to binding/ tight, does the pedal still do the same?

haven't tried that - I will.

Post by **Willie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:11 pm

Oval drums will give a noticeable judder when braking hard from speed.
If you mean that the first application goes further down but is still HARD then
the shoes are too far away from the drums. If the first application is spongy
then you have air in the system.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:36 pm

First - slacken off the handbrake cables - then adjust up the brakes - only then tighten the cables to give the travel you want. The Minor hydraulics holds a small pressure in the system specifically to keep the shoes near to the drums -{ this is one of the (many) complications of fitting disc brakes - the little seal that does this needs to be removed from the master cylinder to stop the pads wearing away}. Overnight or with longish period of not being used when driving this pressure sags away, and so next time the pedal is 'long' for the first push. Do as in rally driving - a wee 'test' of the brakes before you REALLY need them !