Brake Adjustment and Soft Pedal

[mloret]

Question:
In addition to air in the brake system, could poor adjustment of the brakes (via adjusting stars) lead to a soft pedal, or is that strictly a brake fluid issue??

Thanks,

Michael
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Michael Loret

[nbuscemi]

I just got over a whole sack full of brake problems with my '72 Super. I had soft pedal and these where my top three issues: 1, All four soft hoses where plugged. 2, My "new" master cylinder piston would hang-up in the bore making it impossible to build pressure. 3, Getting a second person involved in the bleeding process. New hoses, better master cylinder, and a freind cured my brake woes. But to answer question, improper bleeding / air in lines will give a soft pedal. I also found out too that new bake shoes will give a "Soft" feeling until they brake in.

-Nick-

Oh yeah, adjust your pads all the way out to bleed, then back in afterwards just until there is a "slight drag". Drive for a week or so and readjust.

[mloret]

Yeah, my poor wife got stuck pumping the brakes yesterday. Poor thing.

Anyway, what do you mean to "adjust your pads all the way out to bleed"? Sorry if I'm being thick.

Michael
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Michael Loret

[julrich366]

[Bugorsh]

You turn the star adjusters and run one shoe at a time out until it is tight against the drum so you cannot turn the wheel. Then back off 2-3 clicks on the adjuster until the shoe just barely drag on the drum, then do that again with the other shoe for that wheel (you will do this with all 8 shoes if you are servicing both front and rear brakes). Do this for new shoe installation and for the regular 3000-5000 mile adjustments. This centers the shoes on the drum for the best braking results. After you do this operation, then proceed with bleeding if necessary. If you push on the brakes and the shoes of a particular wheel do not retract then you may have a bad brake hose. All the brake hoses should be replaced periodically as the rubber will swell internally and can act like a check valve and not release the brake fluid causing the shoes to drag heavily on the given drum.
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[ashman40]

Actually, I think Nick was trying to suggest you expand all the brake shoes until they are tight against the drums and you cannot turn the wheels. THEN bleed the system. This method has worked for me in the past.

The idea is that reducing the wheel cylinder movement to almost zero means all brake pedal movement builds pressure and forces the maximum fluid out during each "squirt".

When you get the pedal firmness good, then go back and adjust the shoes as directed above.

EDIT: in answer to your original question, "yes", if your brake shoe adjustment was so bad that most of your pedal travel was against the brake springs and not the inside of the drum... It would feel "mushy".
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AshMan40
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[nbuscemi]

Thats exactly what I meant... works like a charm! Bug brakes are easy to work with once you know all the tricks.!

-Nick-

[Eric&Barb]

Definitely with dual MC you really want to fully lock up all four wheels with the brake shoes adjusted all the way out against the brake drums.

Then after bleeding the brake system you loosen each adjuster till each drum will turn, a slight drag here and there when turning each wheel is OK.
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