While laid up my van has had the brakes rebuilt, new cylinders, calipers, pads and shoes, pipes flushed through and then filled with new fluid and bled. Today I road tested my van and found the brakes work ok ish but the pedal is quite spongey, and also there's a delay in the brake lights coming on, ie the pedal travels down a fair bit before the come on. I believe the spongey pedal mean there's still air in the system, would this also cause the delayed lights? I removed and replaced the switch off the m/c but this hasn't helped. Is it worth using a vacuum bleeder to draw any air out easier? I did start to bleed them manually but snapped a bleed nipple off a new cylinder gggrrrr, is it easier just to replace the cylinder? Cheers
Were the rear brake shoes adjusted correctly up to the drums? If not, you'll get a lot of pedal travel before the brakes bite.
Make sure you start to bleed with the wheel furthest from the reservoir. If you have upper and lower nipples on your front callipers you bleed the top ones. Also make sure you've adjusted the rear shoes correctly. They shouldn't be spongy.
i'm not sure but if the brake light switch is anything like most old vehicles it can be adjusted for sensitivity on it's mounting, someone will confirm, on old land rovers for example screwing it further in or out afffects the time it comes on.
Try again. If the shoes are miles away from the drums, a lot of pedal operation is taken up just shifting fluid to the rear cylinders.
Ok, they were bled in the correct order, whilst parked in the shrubbery, my switch doesn't appear to be adjustable variety. So I'll recheck the adjustment at rear, then bleed again. Is the vacuum bleeder a good idea? What about the delayed lights?
just a musing, is it possible i would have trapped air somewhere in the system that bleeding wont shift? if that were the case, would i need to flush the sustem through again?
Seems like there can be a delay using hydraulic brake switches, some change to a switch on the pedal, it gives a faster response
I've checked the adjustment of the shoes today, tightened them up so the wheels lock then back off a bit. The pedal seems firmer and I think the brake lights are coming on quicker But the shoes are binding a lot. Somebody parked in front of my gate so couldn't get out for a test drive, but maybe they will bed in/settle after a few miles of normal use?
Assuming your vehicle brakes are same as mine, have you looked at the clearance re the pushrod going into /onto the piston , the 1st one under floor in the system?
This is my guess matey. The handbrake has been adjusted without first adjusting the shoes. The handbrake has no slack in it and is holding the ends of the shoes away from the pistons causing too much free pedal + causing the brakes to drag as it's not possible to set them up properly while the handbrake is holding one end.
I haven't mate no. As it was only at the corners that any work had taken place I hoped there would be no need to fart about with the other bits. previous to being laid up the handbrake was ok ( think it used to be a five or six clicker!) Its now about twice that. i haven't touched the adjustment for it and it seemed ok as I rebuilt the rears. But then I'm no expert! Will see how It feels when I drive it now and take it from there
If it's got more clicks now agreed it's unlikely to be that. Another possibilty is your drums have ovalled. If your pedal rides up and down you'll know. This makes it so you have to back off the adjustment too far to stop them catching so get a lot of travel. Chances are though that all you need to do it readjust after a few miles or bleed them again.
have you shorted out the switch yet just to test the circuit....just in case a wire is off or bad earth...rule that out as a possible cause....
