Front Brakes - Help

[Richard Grove]

I forgot to mention we applied for IVA test about 2 weeks ago but have not had a call back to book a date yet. I will start chasing VOSA once we have sorted out the brakes. We are moving house on October 24th so its been crazy trying to get the kit finished before we move plus having to completely pack and clear the garage / workshop while still finishing the car. The new house does not have a garage so everything will be put into storage once we move. First job at the new place is to build a garage!!

[nigelt]

What I found with my front brakes was that there was too much travel in the peddle and spongyness and put this down to the front pistons retracting back into the callipers. I tweaked this by unscrewing the pushrod on the servo, that drives the MC, so preloading the breaking system. Don't do it too much though as you might then find the breaks lock up when they get hot.

 

Nige

[Peter Bell]

I had a problem once with one of the slider pins bent, it twisted the pads as they were applied.

[gr8nomad]

For what it is worth, I had much the same issue (although I do not have a servo system) and despite putting gallons of brake fluid through the system in an attempt get a proper pedal, it was all fail. I was bleeding the lines with a compressor driven bleeder and manually - all to no avail.

 

Take this as you will, but I have a tilt trailer to transport the car while it is still in the build stage and after a fouple of "on and offs" the trailer - lo and behold I got a good pedal. I believe the problem was an air lock somewhere in the line to the rear (yes rear), and putting the car on and off the trailer put enought angle (about 35deg) on the line to shift the air lock. I'm in Oz otherwise I would offer to lend you the trailer.

 

My car is now finished and has passed the brake test with flying colours.

Geoff

[richyb66]

As your brakes passed IVA, what was the actual solution this problem, it might help others out.

 

I gather you replaced a pair of new Sierra calipers with Wilwood ones but this doesn't explain why there was an isuue with the Sierra ones.

Edited October 16, 2014 by richyb66

[Richard Grove]

We put it down to dodgy recon calipers that I bought cheap off ebay but we never really figured out exactly what was wrong with them.

 

After fitting the new Willwood calipers, discs and pads we did a quick bleed of the system and all was OK.

 

I stripped one of the Sierra calipers down to inspect it and could find nothing wrong.

 

We came to the conclusion it must have been a problem with caliper - as the bake pedal was pressed you could see the caliper trying to twist as it was biting on the pads/disc. Rather than clamping tight the calipers just seem to keep twisting a bit thus the pedal kept moving down. We checked to make sure the gluide pins were straight and they seemed OK. We put it down to dodgy recon calipers that I bought cheap off ebay.

 

Richard