Is there something up with my brake hydraulics?

cyclonebri1

skiddlydiddly wrote: »

Edited to add, its much easier to bleed them with a special cutout ring spanner that slots over the brake pipe.You can round the bleed nipple off with an open one and it causes a lot of hassle.If you canno ge th right sized spanner at least buy a couple of new nipples just in case, they only cast a pound or 2.

You don't need a cut away spanner for brake nipples, only for brake pipes, a normal full ring or combination spanner is better,

Rev, your comment that you don't use the brakes heavily or hardly at all may actual be part of your problem.

The auto (assumption)rear brake take up may not be able to take effect under very light braking, and also light use will be much less likelt to keep the discs and drum clean and the pads clear of glaze.

In line with the previous post find somewhere quiet and stamp on them a few times to clean them up.

Strider590

I used to get this from people too when they drove my 306.......

A couple of reasons why the 306 didn't seem to brake quite so well:

- The suspension was rock solid so when hitting the brakes, the car didn't throw you forward, it just stayed dead level.
- The brakes were progressive and didn't just snatch at the slightest touch.

I know only one thing, it didn't feel like it was doing much, but that car used to stop on 5p coin.

Manufacturers now, they go for the "wow" factor by making cars which snatch and apply more braking force to the front (which causes the car to nose dive) making the buyer think "wow, these brakes are good".

cyclonebri1

I do wonder how some of todays drivers would get on if they were transported back 40 years to the pre servo braked cars of the 60's


To answer my own question it's simple; press the pedal a bit harder :rotfl:

skiddlydiddly

Yes cyclone you're right about the ring spanner, the thought popped into my head this morning but I knew someone would correct me.I was thinking back to the last time I bled one of my cars I was fitting new calipers and bigger discs.

red_eye

rev_henry wrote: »

Ok thanks for that. I would just take it in and ask the garage but I'm busy with work atm and don't really have time to unless I really need to. Does it do any harm if I don't bleed/renew the fluid then? It will have been done shortly before I bought the car I would have thought.

I would replace the fluid. Old fluid has a lower boiling point so heats up quicker as it does the air trapped in the fluid expands and gives you a spongy pedel

red_eye

skiddlydiddly wrote: »

Yes cyclone you're right about the ring spanner, the thought popped into my head this morning but I knew someone would correct me.I was thinking back to the last time I bled one of my cars I was fitting new calipers and bigger discs.

forget the brake spanner use a good quilty short 6 sided socket and soke the nipple in wd40

skiddlydiddly

Yes, I was thinking about the fitting on the back of the caliper.Don't think you can use anything other than a ring/normal spanner really because of the brake pipe.

red_eye

You can get a socket or a ring on the bleed nipple, the pipe fitting nothing but brake pipe spanner will work as you cant get the socket to pass though the pipe.

I would use a ring spanner if there is no corrosion or a socket if it is corroded or it is done up really tight. I have had a spanner slip round off the nipple and trap my thumb

rev_henry

I gave the brakes a bit of a test on the way home today. When I first left the carpark they were incidentally making an scraping and squeaking sound. But they always do when they've been left a while. Today especially I imagine as it was wet then warm and dry. After braking reasonably sharply a couple of times the sound always goes - just rust on the discs I believe. The actual brake pedal also seemed ok today, it seems to vary. I don't think I've anything to worry about. Also I know the servo's fine as I often turn my engine off in traffic - there's one place in particular where traffic queues down a hill and I can feel the servo going off as I brake several times and just roll down the hill, iyswim. I'll probably get the fluid done soonish - thanks for the advice on doing that.