Brakes more than dragging

[RickyBobby]

I just put my car back to together for the 09 race season.  There was no drag at all on the front end.  I put brake fluid and and bled the lines.  Now my pedal still goes almost to the floor but the front brakes are on.  I can move the car but sitting on a 3 inch slope in my garage and it won't move on its own.

MegaMan and I had some issues getting fluid at first to the front brakes.  We had to prime the master cylinder to get the front working. 

Any ideas what could be the issue?

Oh I took the pistons and moved them back before removeing the brakes.  They seem to be moving fine.  I also cleaned and lubed the slidders.

[mch46]

Make sure the pads are in the slots and secured.  When they pop-out (and it happens without you knowing it) you won't have brakes, and will hunt everywhere for the problem.

[IraceLegends77]

What mch46 said. It will make you think you have no brakes with the pedal and will drag when you spin the wheel.

Scott

[RickyBobby]

I will certainly check that tonight.  Since they sat for a while with no fluid and the calipers loose I am sure that is what happened.  Thanks guys.

[elimn8u_43]

Make sure the pads are in the slots and secured.  When they pop-out (and it happens without you knowing it) you won't have brakes, and will hunt everywhere for the problem.

I have had this happen to. It will throw you for a loop.

Geoff

[mch46]

First time it happened to us, we went thru 1/2 bottle of fluid bleeding brakes, to no avail, b4 Jeff Jordon at RPM stopped by my pit and fixed it for us.   I have to credit him for schooling me that one!

[RickyBobby]

my steel braided brake lines are coming in today so I have to pull them apart tonight anyway.  Thanks for the help.

[RickyBobby]

so it seems there were two issues.  One was the pad shifted slightly so it was on and locking up the wheel.  The second was I had to prime the master cyclinder.   I woul dhave thought there was enough pressure in it but with it being all new lines the fluid could not move all of that air with the lines connected.  So two suggestions I came up with.  If you have drined your system completly undo the lines from the caliper so the air get pushed out as you fill the system or what I had to do was take the bleeder valve out and back feed fluid into the system.  Then bleed everything.

[justfreaky]

Good to hear you got it all worked out. Thanks for following up on your thread!

Steve

[Racinjj]

I use an air operated vacuum bleeder and it works great, never had any issues with bleeding the brakes.  Its particularly handy because you can bleed the brakes by yourself and in a fraction of the time.  It was one of the best racing tool investments I have made, 8 years old and still works great.

In case anyone is curious this is the unit I have, I got it at NAPA:
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/vac180051.html

[RickyBobby]

ok so I lost brakes again in practice.  I heared there are clips that you can use to hold the pads in place.  Not the ones that hold the shim in place but one that goes at each end of the tabs of the pad.  Has anyone heard or used these?

[VMS Motorsports]

I have seen people use small cotter pins and bend them to hold the pads in place, never had the problem personally tho...sorry

[elimn8u_43]

I have not seen any used on a Legends car but Ford uses something similar. I think it is on a pickup that I have seen them probably from the early eighties 4x4.

Geoff

[RickyBobby]

bled all the brakes.  They work but the pedal goes to the floor still.  I am putting in a new master cylinder this weekend and replace all of the fluid

[racerrad8]

There are anti-rattle clips that will come with rebuilt "loaded" calipers. They will help hold the pad in the bracket, but once the caliper is "set" the pad should not be able to come out of the bracket.

Randy - RPM

ok so I lost brakes again in practice.  I heared there are clips that you can use to hold the pads in place.  Not the ones that hold the shim in place but one that goes at each end of the tabs of the pad.  Has anyone heard or used these?