[raleigh5]

i just replaced the front brake pads on my rodeo. there was actually only 1 pad worn to point of requiring replacement. and even with that, the brakes worked very well and had a good firm feel to them. no fluid leaks or anything. now, after replacing the pads....the braking is the worst it has ever been. when the motor is not running, the pedal goes down only a minimal amount before a solid feel. but when the motor is running, the brakes are mushy and the pedal goes down way too much. bled the brakes at the wheels, and it got only a little more feel in the braking. it never got low on fluid. but the fluid coming out during the bleed was pretty dark. i will take it to the shop to have it 'professionally' bled today. but was wondering if there is something else i might try before i go that route? i am wonderring just what i coulda done wrong in replacing the pads?

 

[stusvend]

Make sure the vacuum tube going to the booster is not cracked, loose or off.

 

[Bansil]

if only one pad was badley worn,you probaly need to clean and lube the slide pins etc. they are a floating caliper

 

[raleigh5]

if only one pad was badley worn,you probaly need to clean and lube the slide pins etc. they are a floating caliper

true. they were all gunked up on the side with the worn pad.

 

[rodeo joe]

My Mama always said if a jobs worth doin' it's worth doin' right.

Break job:
replace both pads. Remove guide bolts clean and re-grease bolts and guide holes. Should resurface disk also as they get out of true over time. Spray off everything with brake cleaner before and after assembling and reinstalling.

 

[raleigh5]

My Mama always said if a jobs worth doin' it's worth doin' right.

Break job:
replace both pads. Remove guide bolts clean and re-grease bolts and guide holes. Should resurface disk also as they get out of true over time. Spray off everything with brake cleaner before and after assembling and reinstalling.

yea, that's what i had done, with the exception of the resurfacing. it's something in the hydraulics is what i am thinking. maybe from backpressure from the pistons being pushed in to fit the new pads. got it bled at les schwab tires this morning...still fading.

 

[IsuzuGeek]

I'm not sure if this applies to your situation, but I had the brakes and rotors done on my VX a few years back. I replaced the pads and rotors with R1Concepts stuff.

After that, my brakes were worse. So bad, it was downright dangerous. I had to STAND on my brakes to make them work sometimes. Very mushy, and very scary at times.

So, I replaced my pads only, with OEM pads from Isuzu. Problem gone. From what I understand, some aftermarket pads are not as thick as the OEM pads, causing this problem.

Just a thought, worked for me.

Bart

 

[isuzu95]

Check out "Brake Fade" and "How to fix brake fade" at this site:

http://www.se-r.net/car_info/brake_perf ... html#Brake Fade

 

[raleigh5]

interesting. i replaced the 'metallic' OEM pads with Wagner Ceramic pads. this is the 1st i have used the ceramic on a car. so maybe it is how they are supposed to feel. but it puzzles me still why the brake pedal is very solid feeling when the motor is off ...but changes so dramatically when running.

i will check out the info in the link on fading brakes... thank you.

I'm not sure if this applies to your situation, but I had the brakes and rotors done on my VX a few years back. I replaced the pads and rotors with R1Concepts stuff.

After that, my brakes were worse. So bad, it was downright dangerous. I had to STAND on my brakes to make them work sometimes. Very mushy, and very scary at times.

So, I replaced my pads only, with OEM pads from Isuzu. Problem gone. From what I understand, some aftermarket pads are not as thick as the OEM pads, causing this problem.

Just a thought, worked for me.

Bart

 

[IsuzuGeek]

Yeah, in my case, it was really bad. Mushy pedal, and I nearly wrecked half a dozen times due to the R1 pads. Seriously, I can vividly recall standing on my brake pedal to avoid hitting a car in front of me....really strange...and in my case OEM pads fixed the problem.

Bart

 

[Gizmo42]

I have ceramic pads on mine (Satisfied Pro) and they are great.

One of the first projects I did on mine when I got it was flush the brake system. Old fluid was pretty nasty. Not sure on 1st gen rodeos but for sure on 2nd gen you need to have the engine running when you bleed/flush the brakes. Otherwise you could kill the brake booster. Start with the farthest from the master cylinder and bleed/refill until it runs clear. Then work your way to the closest one.

You probably still have some air in the system. Plus old crappy fluid. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air over time.