brakes out of proportion

[SuperHO]

Why is it that my front brakes work fine but the rear rotors are rusty as though they're not even being touch on the outside? I greased the pins and everything, but for some reason, the outside of the rotor's not getting touched. Same thing on my wife's 94 ATX. Her rear rotors are used so little that there's actually pitting happening on the rotor face. What can I do to change that? I've fiddled with that valve in the back by the gas tank, but it's not making any difference. Any ideas?

 

[SHOblime]

No idea....FWIW I just changed my rear brakes, the outboard pad on the left had a LOT of material left....the inboard pad was ground INTO the metal backing plate....this may be a common issue?

 

[SuperHO]

I just did the same thing on both of my cars. There was no inside pad, but on both of the outer pads on my car, it didn't even look like the pads had even worn at all. I didn't even replace em. Screw it....got spares in reserve now for when the inner pads wear out again.

 

[muzik]

Your rear calipers adjust when you set and release your parking brake. They have a screw mechanism inside that turns and extends the caliper piston. That is why you have to turn the piston to get it back into the caliper bore when you replace pads. If it does not extend eventually your caliper will quit sliding and then your slides will freeze up from not moving.

 

[SuperHO]

Well now something's wrong then....I use my parking brake every time I stop the car and get out. Though I have noticed that at times I've tried to take off with the parking brake on, and it didn't really hold that well.

 

[Ishodu]

How were the caliper braket pins?

 

[SuperHO]

straight and slippery...why?

 

[shospeed143]

If your parking brake is staying on then you might need to get new parking brake cables for your car. But i would make sure that all of the slide pins can slide in and out just fine. You could also put the rear of the car up and take the tires off and then put the parking brake on and then take it off and see witch one is staying on and that will be the cable or the slide pin that you will need to check.

 

[SuperHO]

the parking brake don't stick. That's the problem...it would appear that the parking brake hardly works at all. damn thing won't hold if I'm on a steep driveway, no matter how far to the floor I put it.

 

[wood_e]

Check to see if your hoses have collapsed

 

[kurtis adum]

there is a metal clamp that crimped arouind the brake line. it tends to get rusty and squeeze the brake line even more and reduce flow of fluid. ya need to get at it with a screw driver and make sure the brake line isnt crimed and should e able to move freely in there. Also make sure slider pins move in and out and grease them up nicely. myself im goin to remove the back bracket where the lines come out to the rear brakes which would give the brakes a more 50/50 type thing. just gonna use rubber hoses and clamps. i know of a few people that have done it, not quite 50/50 but u should be about to get the idea.

kurt

 

[Ishodu]

there is a metal clamp that crimped arouind the brake line. it tends to get rusty and squeeze the brake line even more and reduce flow of fluid. ya need to get at it with a screw driver and make sure the brake line isnt crimed and should e able to move freely in there. Also make sure slider pins move in and out and grease them up nicely. myself im goin to remove the back bracket where the lines come out to the rear brakes which would give the brakes a more 50/50 type thing. just gonna use rubber hoses and clamps. i know of a few people that have done it, not quite 50/50 but u should be about to get the idea.

kurt

Are you talking about removing the Bias valve and replacing it with hose and clamps? If so thats insane. Brakes are nothing to fool around with like that.

 

[SuperHO]

I was wondering the same thing. I've heard of people with other Fords just zip-strippin em up, but I've never heard of a safe way to remove it.....

 

[shospeed143]

You just need to adjust the parking brake then. If you look under the driver side of the car in front of the rear wheel that is were the cables split to go to both rear brakes. The cable for the right rear brake has a threaded rod attached at this point. Put the parking brake on and see if this nut is hiting the metal bracket, if not then release the parking brake and adjust this nut, you only need to move the nut a little bit at a time. Then keep rechecking to see if the parking brake works.

I would also check to make sure that all of your cables are in good shape and are connected to the calipers.

 

[Ishodu]

I was wondering the same thing. I've heard of people with other Fords just zip-strippin em up, but I've never heard of a safe way to remove it.....

If you want to remove it safely you must cut the lines remove the valve and install more hard line.

 

[kickeralpine]

midwest sho sells block off bias plugs to remove the parts on the positing valve i did it to mine and rear brake finally work good all so when you set the parking brake it has nothing to do with fluild or hoses sound to me you need to adjust your ebrake cable it is adjustable on the sho i just did mine

 

[kurtis adum]

Are you talking about removing the Bias valve and replacing it with hose and clamps? If so thats insane. Brakes are nothing to fool around with like that.

Actually i was still looking into. i wasnt positive on exactly how just new it could be done. i was going to do a search on it just havnt had time lately

kurt

 

[rangerj]

I agree with ISHODO, removing the proportioning valve is not a good idea.

Uneven prake pad wear is usually a sign of caliper problems like pistons stuck in the bores, or a lack of pressure getting to the calipers due to collapsed hoses, or hoses that have swollen shut inside.

 

[SuperHO]

You just need to adjust the parking brake then. If you look under the driver side of the car in front of the rear wheel that is were the cables split to go to both rear brakes. The cable for the right rear brake has a threaded rod attached at this point. Put the parking brake on and see if this nut is hiting the metal bracket, if not then release the parking brake and adjust this nut, you only need to move the nut a little bit at a time. Then keep rechecking to see if the parking brake works.

I would also check to make sure that all of your cables are in good shape and are connected to the calipers.

But what would that have to do with my rear brakes barely touching under normal braking? I understand the rears are only responsible for about 15% of overall braking, but I've only replaced the rear pads once since I've owned the car...rotors at the same time.....and that was about a year and a half ago. When I replaced a few weeks ago, it was only one pad that was wore out. I went ahead and did both insides (the outside pad didn't even appear to have ever touched the rotor...it had the same amount of pad material as a brand new pad), greased the pins and threw it back together.

 

[Shoaz]

There have been examples of the flexible portion of the rear lines becoming an obstruction (e.g., by collapsing), or the guidepins may be hanging, or the adjuster is not responding to the parking brake for whatever reason. I think it's highly unlikely that your problem has much if anything to do with the proportioning valve.