Hard Brakes ?

[Chris_GTR26]

on my r33 gtr.

since buying it couple months ago.the pedal has always been stiff.

i dont think the brakes have ever been changed. niether have the disc's or fluid

do u reckon it could just need to be bled ? or im up for some disc's and pads

if so what do u reconmend?

thank you Chris.

[bnr#@]

Wow.. now thats new, a complaint about a stiff brake pedal in the sea of complaints about soft brake pedals... feel like swapping brakes? lol

Does it slow down fast or not as good as it should do?

[blind_elk]

Try overhauling the calipers.

[Chris_GTR26]

Wow.. now thats new, a complaint about a stiff brake pedal in the sea of complaints about soft brake pedals... feel like swapping brakes? lol

Does it slow down fast or not as good as it should do?

hahaha.. nah it stops like shit. i have to push really hard for it to pull up.. iv just bought some dba4000 drilled/slotted and some endless pads .. and gonna flush the system. i think thats the problem.

i think thats the problem so ill let yous know how i go

[bnr#@]

hahaha.. nah it stops like shit. i have to push really hard for it to pull up.. iv just bought some dba4000 drilled/slotted and some endless pads .. and gonna flush the system. i think thats the problem.

i think thats the problem so ill let yous know how i go

Make sure that all your pistons are moving freely when u have the pads out, they may be siezed a bit... If they are all moving freely then what ure doing should solve your problem

[Chris_GTR26]

Make sure that all your pistons are moving freely when u have the pads out, they may be siezed a bit... If they are all moving freely then what ure doing should solve your problem

sweettaa... thanks alot for your help.. ill let you know how i go on thursday

[Duncan]

also could be the brake booster is not working if the pedal feels like stepping on a lump of wood. put your foot on the brake with the car off and start it - does the pedal sink a bit?

[Chris_GTR26]

also could be the brake booster is not working if the pedal feels like stepping on a lump of wood. put your foot on the brake with the car off and start it - does the pedal sink a bit?

yeh it does.. its not the booster iv already tried lol

but thank you anyway

[djr81]

Look the chances of it there being something fundamentally wrong with the system are remote. If it was a seized caliper the car would pull hard to the left or the right.

A seized master cylinder would not allow the pistons to return from the depressed position - hence the brakes would be on more often than not.

It won't be fluid.

The chances are some nugget has fitted a well hard set of brake pads. My first R had something similar. It would take what seemed like month of Sundays to stop. This fix was as difficult as getting some new pads & replacing the (wornout) rotors. Obviously new fluid would be done at the same time.

[R34GTFOUR]

My brothers 32R has the exact same problem, really hard pedal. But if you push it hard it pulls up evenly, so i dont think its calipers. And you can get the brakes smoking after a decent workout so i doubt its "racing" pads.

Is it common for the master cylinder to clap out on these? His car is 15yrs old now so it wouldnt overly surprise me, but i just havent heard too much about failing master cylinders in the skylines.

Its quite funny because my stock na brakes shit all over his atm haha

[Chris_GTR26]

My brothers 32R has the exact same problem, really hard pedal. But if you push it hard it pulls up evenly, so i dont think its calipers. And you can get the brakes smoking after a decent workout so i doubt its "racing" pads.

Is it common for the master cylinder to clap out on these? His car is 15yrs old now so it wouldnt overly surprise me, but i just havent heard too much about failing master cylinders in the skylines.

Its quite funny because my stock na brakes shit all over his atm haha

lmfao.. iv changed my discs to dba4000 cross drilled rotors with new pads and flushed the brake system

it fixed the problem. my braking has almost doubled and the pedal feel is awesome now

if anyone is after some dba4000 cross drilled rotors. let me know i have for sale

[R34GTFOUR]

really? so you didnt change anything to do with the calipers or master cylinder?

Do your old setup ever get "better" after you got the brakes hot? Did you take note what pads came out (brand etc)?

I would of thought shitty fluid would of given a spongy feeling (since its not compressing properly), the rotors shouldnt really have much effect unless they are cracked so that just leaves the pads as the culprit.

how much did you want for the rotors haha? did you have front and rear or just the fronts?

[Simonster]

I've got the same problem- really hard pedal, little feel.

I thought, shitty pads and old crap fluid. So i bought and fitted new pads all round and completely flushed the fluild and bled the ABS master.

Absolutely no effect. ABS works, i've got to push like an elephant though. SO, that leaves the booster i guess. Is there anyway to test it, or do just have to replace it?

Or what about the master cylinder- i guess the piston could be semi-seized?

Thanks for any suggestions

Edited April 11, 2010 by Simonster

[Duncan]

yeah easy to test....block off the vacuum from the motor to the booster and see if the feel changes. I ran the race car with a busted booster years ago it was terrible (pedals designed for no booster have a different leverage).

BTW I owe you an overheating pm....one day that motor will be stripped, next few weeks I hope to have info

[Socrates]

One of my brake cylinders in side on of my drums was seized and gave me a hard brake pedal, i thought it was normal until i replaced them and it got much softer.

So yeah, check that your callipers are working good

[iseekool]

also could be the brake booster is not working if the pedal feels like stepping on a lump of wood. put your foot on the brake with the car off and start it - does the pedal sink a bit?

+1 on that

Could be a slight vacum leak in the brake booster, causing it to initially feel fine - then as the brakes are applied harder more vacum will leak - therefore stiff brakes and brakes that do not pull up as good.

I had a similar issue on my bluebird. Changed brake boostrer and no issues since.

[Simonster]

Thanks guys, i'll give the a try!

Look forward to it Duncan, i figured you' fobbed me off