Ok, here's the deal:

1: Braking power seems to be coming mainly from the front driver-side. Other wheels are working, but not nearly as much as the front driver-side (car acutally pulls to left when breaking hard).

2: Exeperiancing brake fade. The peddle doesn't sink to the floor, but the longer i brake, the worse the brakes get. Meaning, that when i first apply the peddle, the brakes work great and grip hard, but as i keep on the peddle, the power seadily decreases. On long braking (like from 60 mph) when i get down to like 30 mph or so the brake power is very bad (the car wants to keep going). If i push down any more the front driver brake locks up and eventually the rest of them do too.

Whats the deal?

Is this a pushrod problem that just nees to be adjusted? Or is it a more significant problem?

If you have any questions about it i'll be checking back and try to answer them. Sorry if its a little unclear... Thanks for the help

 

Get your car to a brake shop quick before you rear end someone.

I guess i could suggest, check your pads and bleed your system.

 

Pads are good, i recently put on new pads, rotars, and calipers. The system is well bled.

Oh and i am being VERY careful about following distance and everything...I love my car


[Modified by 91civ, 7:28 AM 7/18/2002]

 

How long ago did you put your new brake stuff on? I think you have to kinda like brake em in first to take the initial coatings on the rotors and pads. What kind of pads and rotors too? i hope they're not the shitty kind.

 

make sure your calipers aren't ceased...

 

how old is your brake fluid? Over time, brake fluid absorbs water, and this renders it less and less effective, as water boils alot sooner than
brake fluid. I would suggest flushing the entire system, and replacing it with DOT 4 fluid. I have the same problem on my Si, and I plan on a
complete flush, Earl's s/s lines, DOT 4 fluid, and EBC Greenstuff front pads. And if your car is pulling to one side, you may want to slip in
some new calipers.

best of luck

 

Points to consider:

(1) Does it "dive" to the driver side under braking, or does the entire car "move" to the driver side under braking?

If it dives...then it could be a bad suspension member on the front left, or it could be a seized caliper on the front right, or it could be a lot of air in the front right caliper.

(2) On your brake fade issue...what kind of pads are you using? Also, it could be a leaking master cylinder as well. Check your fluid levels over the course of a week...and see if they go down at all...if so, replace the master. If not, then e-mail me at andie@cobaltfriction.com about your brake setup, and we'll investigate it together and find you a solution.

With Best Regards,

Andie Lin

 

1) It has all new brake fluid...DOT 3 & 4 approved. The whole system was flushed about 3-4 weeks ago.

2) The pads are run of the mill Les Schwab pads. I took my car in there for new rotars, calipers and pads on the front around 2 weeks ago. (I just don't have time to do it myself right now )

3) It does "dive" in the front when braking hard...but more so on the right side.

4) The front pulls to the left when braking hard

5) After a long drive, I checked the temp of all four rotars. The front left is the hottest by far, and the front right is a bit hotter than both the rear.

6) I recently did a rear-disk conversion. I put on a master cylinder and brake booster from an Integra, but I did not replace the proportioning valve.

Thanks for the help!


[Modified by 91civ, 2:54 AM 7/19/2002]

 

 

Just an update...I'm doing some research on this thread right now...will have an answer by week's end...it's rather complicated, actually. Appears to be a combination of thrust steer and suspension unbalancing...so I'm disconnecting parts of the e-brake from one of our test cars and testing different braking manouvers...stay tuned...

-Andie

 

You still need to break in your brake pads, that is why the car keeps going....