soft brakes
 

My brakes are feeling really soft. There are no visible leaks. I want to check my rear wheel cylinder but i can't get my rear rotors off. What is the trick??? 89 civic hatch

Re:soft brakes
 

there might be air in the lines. also, when you goto stop, does the car seam to jerk to a side ?

Re:soft brakes
 

i was also thinking of bleeding them

Re:soft brakes
 

Bleed them first, and if that doesn't work, then try taking them apart.

Re:soft brakes
 

but i'd like to see what shape my shoes are in

Re:soft brakes
 

And the problem is.. ? You can't get the drum off?

Re:soft brakes
 

sorry i put rotors....i meant drums

Re:soft brakes
 

most the time there is a lil clip on the stud that holds them in place... oh and make sure THE E-BRAKE IS OFF ;D

Re:soft brakes
 

my brakes are soft everynow and again, just whenever they want. there's a leak somewhere because I have to fill up the reservoir every couple of months. I just press the pedal more and I stop, if it get's too soft just open the door and put your foot on the ground, you'll stop.

Re:soft brakes
 

I can be dumb but i know the ebrake is off LOL...
ahhh yes the good ol' Flinstone technic :P

Re:soft brakes
 

just carry a old engine block in the hatch and hook a chain to it, and when you need to stop roll it out the back and use it as an anchor

Re:soft brakes
 

BFH...big fuggin hammer! Probably rusted on a tad. Usualy just surface rust but with good whack or two they should pop off. I am going with leaking wheel cylinders. when you do get the drum off just take a peak behind the cylinder boots(dust covers). If you are losing fluid chances are the shoes are fluid soaked anyways.

Re:soft brakes
 

if your gonna bleed the brakes, start at the front pass, then the rear pass, then the driver rear, then the driver front. im sure i lost you in all that, so here is a simple picture ( follow #'s ). ;)


https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...leedbrakes.jpg

Re:soft brakes
 

To knock off the drum, use a hammer. It took me about a half minute to get one of my drums off, and 25 for the other. Just spray it with some ---- that'll make it loose and beat the ---- out of it.

Re:soft brakes
 

arent you supposse to start @ the farthest from the master cylinder then work to the closest?

Re:soft brakes
 

no.

Re:soft brakes
 

i was wrong... but so were you

1988-95 Models: right rear, left front, left rear, right front.
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d80142629.jsp

https://www.autozone.com/images/cds/...3d8014262b.jpg
Fig. 2: Brake system bleeding sequence-1988-95 models

Re:soft brakes
 

^^^^^^^^^^^does this REALLY matter?? :-\

Re:soft brakes
 

mine jerks around..why??

Re:soft brakes
 

Jerking...either warped rotors, sticking caliper bolt or a proportioning valve. Most likely just warped rotors. Does it actualy pull to a side or does it just wiggle the wheel and/or brake pedal. Heres a little test. Lightly brake from say 50mph if the steering wheel shakes I would suspect the front rotors are warped. Very common. Then do the same thing but lightly pull the E-brake and if you feel the car "bouncing" then its the rear rotors or drums whichever you have. Now if the car actualy pulls hard to one side check the caliper guide bolts. They might need a good cleaning and a lube. You can check this by jacking the car up without moving. Watch the calipers move on each side. One may not be releasing or grabbing. Hope that helps.

Re:soft brakes
 

k here's the story:

buddy has a 96 Cavalier Z24 and one day he looses all stoping abilities. i take it to work the next day ( i work at a huge Chev dealership ) and they looked at the car, and i guess that the front right caliper & pins were fucked, and the brake pad was wearing un even.

somehow that was ------- up the rest of the car to stop. also he told me thats how u bleed the brakes. ???

but i dont know how to explain the whole jerking thing, but im sure ill ponder then post it.