okay so guys tell me your thoughts, iv driven my car around town a bit, but never more than 20 mins at a time, well today i took it to its first show,beside the radiator opening back up i found a few problems, tell me your thoughts.. 29 A coupe drum/drum 40's juice up front speedway master, and residual valves, well first of all my brake lights stay on now all the time! and i did bleed out the air...so maybe the switch went bad already? second problem,its never done this before, and the brakes have worked well, after i got it home, i went in the hose, came back out a min later to move the car and the front brakes were locked up, the back was fine (i jacked it up to tell witch axle was holding) both front brakes were super tight! and i had just got done driving it minutes earlier..heres the odd thing, the brake lines are no were near any heat, my pipes are a LONG ways away from any brake lines. and all of these parts are basicly new, new hoses,cylinders,valves, all of it.. maybe the front residual valve was holding? after i let the car sit for hours the front brakes were fine again..what gives?
Hope your problem is the same as I had lasy week on my T. Exact same symptoms. Just backed off brake pedal a few turns and problem solved. Sorta like a clutch, it needs a little free space. Might not be your problem if you have been driving the car for months and it never locked up before, but worth a check. Drive the car, get brakes worm, jack car up, when brakes are too tight (don't spin free), feel pedal free space. If this is not your problem go to plan B. Good luck
i havnt drivin it to much,but this is the first time its happend, but you have a point actualy, im pretty sure i have it set all the way backed off but you know there is no free play when i think about it now, that would maybe explain the brake light switch,but i dont know if that would cause the fronts to lock up. it was so bad the car had to use alot of effort just so i could pull it in the back yard,they werent completly locked up but pretty close, and its only the front, the rears seamed to be fine ( i spun them by hand) seems after it sits for a long time it goes back to normal but the lines are not anywere near anytype of heat, im confused.
I think abone has it. If the piston in the master is not returning to the "bleed back" posistion, It will hold pressure in the line. Drive it until the problem happens again.. Simply crack the bleeder. If it frees up. You need to back the pedal off a bit.
got ya, i think he is on to something ,its so simply i didnt realy think about that,its a very good point. ill see if i can get it to do it again
Keep us posted, I have the same basic setup on my coupe. Haven't had any issues as of yet though. Good luck.
as i remember i think i have it all the way backed out and it still does not have free play,i may have to cut it a bit, ill see if i can get it to do it again and crack a bleeder, it just took a long time of driving before it did it, ill keep you posted, thanks for the tip
There MUST be a little free play in the pedal assembly. The pushrod must allow the piston in the master cylinder to fully retract, unhindered. If it doesn't, the brakes will "pump-up" until they lock, or nearly lock. Like others have said, back off on the adjustment. If there is no more adjustment, pull out the pushrod and shorten it.
Yip rekon Abones right on the money, you need that little free play in the pedal, just had this problem recently in a camaro that got pretty bad to the point where the discs got that hot they warped pretty bad and needed machining, Bit of free play and the guy has had no more problems.
okay fellas thanks for the advice i apreaciate it, im thinkin that also why the brake lights stay on sometimes,altho the rear brakes havnt locked up like the front,it does make sense,ill shorten it soon and see how that works
It may not need shortening, (equally it may) but does the brake pedal return spring bring the brake pedal back far enough to take the load off the push rod? Make sure the pedal is returning properly, and the push rod is adjusted properly and all should be well. Mart.
Hey, Guys, not sure you've got the same problem, but my '96 Tahoe all of a sudden would not release the right front disk. I found that the rubber coated (and lined) front brake flex hose had reacted to the brake fluid, swelled up, and completely blocked BOTH brake lines. Pull one end and see if it looks stopped up, or pull all the way out and check them for flow..
I agree with the others that the first look should be at the pedal return. if that ISN'T the issue, I would want more info about your master/residual pressure setup. drum masters should not require additional residual pressure valves. Is it a dual outlet master or a stock early ford type?? I'm guessing dual since you say only the fronts lock up. what type of pedal assembly??
ill try to adress all of these, the rubber lines are brand new and only have 20 miles on them,the rear is fine and has one of the same type of line, yes the pedal does return back after i press it, its the dual speedway frame mount master/pedal i beleive mine was the new ford style (outlets on the right not the left) i was always told to put residual valves in my setup,i had a thread on here about it. running 40's brakes up front,mustang in back, residual valve in each,brake pressure switch is after the rear residual. and nothing is near any heat (i run lake headers)
here the front R.V.... would one of tem malfuntion?the rear has the same but maybe the front one was defective? im going to play with the brake rod today
okay fellas update on progress, loooks like that was it, i cant beleive i overlooked that, thanks a lot guys. the rod was WAY into the master, i adjusted it out a lot and the brake lights are off, just have to fix a few other things before i can get it hot and see if it fixed but as of this moment that deffinatly needed to be adressed and im pretty sure that was the problem.
yup i did, it was actualy pushing the piston in a bit, i backed it all the way out, then put it till it touched then backed it off a little again, there a little slight space there you can feel before it 'hits'
so far so good, i re adjusted all the brakes and the brake lights are staying off, ill go get teh brakes warm friday and see if it does it again but im almost positive that,that was the problem, thanks a bunch fellas you guys are awesome
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