brakes getting soft(er)

[chester rides again]

ok, so just last week I noticed that I was having to do more than the normal 2 pumps to get the truck to slow down and that the first pump is now going pretty much to the floor. The brakes are starting to squeek more than normal also, but that might just be the rain we had and the fact that the truck sat for a few days.

Since I don't have a garage at present, I'd like to have some idea of what might be going on before I start crawling around in the dirt/mud. I've noticed no liquid leaking (other than the usual engine/tranny related stuff), so I'm suspecting that either there is a buldge in the flex hose, the wheel cylinders are going, or that I need new brake shoes.

As usual, your comments and expert observations are appreciated...

Jeff

[Paul Rossmann]

Jeff, Try adjusting them as per the shop manual (or Haynes?) first. Then check the shoes. If that doesn't do the trick, go on to master cylinder etc, etc...

[Mercedesrover]

Yup, give 'em an adjusting. Should solve your trouble.

[Tim Smith]

3X

When you are adjusting them, jack up each wheel one at a time just enough so that you can get it to rotate. As you adjust the brake, keep moving the wheel back and forth. Once it locks up, back it off about 1/4 of a turn. More if the drums are warped at all and have a stuck spot but back it off the same for each wheel.

Once you do that, find a nice gravel driveway (preferably not your neighbors) and do a few short stops to see if one wheel is grabbing before the others. Slam the brakes at about 5 mph. Hop out and see if one tire groove in the gravel is longer than the rest. Take notes and readjust to compensate.

I used this method when CT was still doing the brake test as part of the registration process. Maybe I was lucky but I was able to get the brakes within the range they were looking for. That test was notoriously difficult to pass so I figure there has to be something to this method.

Cheers!

[jac04]

I used this method when CT was still doing the brake test as part of the registration process. Maybe I was lucky but I was able to get the brakes within the range they were looking for. That test was notoriously difficult to pass so I figure there has to be something to this method.

Funny....I did the same thing when I went for a CT reg. inspection on my 63 a while back. I brought the wrench with me and I actually 'dialed-in' the brakes during the inspection. Now all CT requires is a VIN verification.

Since nobody has mentioned it, it is also a good idea to change the brake fluid if you haven't done so in a while.

[Tim Smith]

Funny....I did the same thing when I went for a CT reg. inspection on my 63 a while back. I brought the wrench with me and I actually 'dialed-in' the brakes during the inspection. Now all CT requires is a VIN verification.

Since nobody has mentioned it, it is also a good idea to change the brake fluid if you haven't done so in a while.

You mean to say that the inspector allowed you to dial in the breaks on their skid pad? Wow! Your inspector was a lot nicer than any I ever met.

The skid pad is a great tool for getting the brakes right but if you can point me in the direction of a garage that actually has one, I'd be surprised. Maybe a 'brakes only' kind of shop perhaps.

But for the cheapskates out there like me, a nice level gravel patch is a pretty close approximation. When you don't have the right tools, fake it!

[jp-]

ok, so just last week I noticed that I was having to do more than the normal 2 pumps...

Jeff

I find that when the normal 2 pumps don't do the trick. I go the extra 3rd pump.

[chester rides again]

so you're admitting that you use to be a 2 pump chump?

[jac04]

You mean to say that the inspector allowed you to dial in the breaks on their skid pad? Wow! Your inspector was a lot nicer than any I ever met.

Yeah, it was great. I guess he had nothing else to do at the time.

[jp-]

so you're admitting that you use to be a 2 pump chump?

Yes, but if it takes more than two, I will inspect and correct the problem.

I bled a little more air out of the brake lines in the 88" a few days ago and got it down to 1 pump! Actually, 1/2 pump!

[Jeff Aronson]

Sounds like Chester needs his brakes adjusted. The technique outlined should do the trick. If they're adjusted out as far as they will go, then you'll need shoes and possibly, drums.

The 109" has two wheel cylinders per wheel, top and bottom. When you pull the drum, you'll see immediately if there is a leak. Front brakes wear first because of the weight distribution of the Rover.

If you have a hydraulic problem you can usually tell with the "hard push" test. Start the car and then push the pedal, hard, to the floor. Don't pump, just push. If the pedal goes down above the floor and remains there, then you have a solid hydraulic system but worn brake linings.

Sometimes the shoes wear out against the drums and remove too much of the inner surface of the drum. If, when you put in new shoes, the drum does not need to be squeezed over the new shoes, then you might need a new drum too.

Jeff