Home > categories > Automotive & Motorcycle > Brake Systems > 12 year old Chrystler brake system problems?
Question:

12 year old Chrystler brake system problems?

Older car, not bad shape. No brakes to mention. Pedal almost to floor. Changed master cylinder, bled all wheels, still the same. No visable leaks, does not lose fluid. Shoes and pads are OK. Any ideas?

Answer:

Be sure that the pads are already complety compressed to the rotor. If they aren't you're going to have to keep bleeding the brakes until they are. sounds like everything is new, so its probably the bleeding. Is easy but also easy not to get it right. goodluck
It all depends on the type of motorcycle you ride. On a sport bike, yes you use the front brake 70% of the time. On a chopper you hardly use the front brake at all, as using it is very dangers. On my Harley, a lot of weight is over the back tire even under braking. So I use the back brake, as much or more than the front. On my old chopper, I didn't have front brakes at all. When I did have fronts on it, I couldn't hardly use them without the front tire locking up and me low siding. On a sport bike, most of the weight is over the front tire during braking. More weight, means more traction. So much traction, that you can flip the bike over the front end. The rear tire won't stop you, if it's not touching the pavement. Even if you don't use the front brake, the rear tire doesn't have the weight on it for good traction under braking. Sport bikes will flip forward easily, dirt bikes and duel sport bikes can be flipped. Standards can be flipped, but you have to work at it. Cruisers and touring bikes can't be flipped at all. 80 to 85% of the time, if you use to much front brake. You will have under steer, or you will low side. The rest is high siding or front flip. A flip is hard to do, because you have to hit the sweet spot of your tires traction. Rear brake lock up, is very easy to control. A new be might crash, but anyone with a few years down the road probably won't.
1964, my first motorycle, a Honda CA110 Sport 50. They told me that using the front brake was very dangerous as the motorcycle could lock up and flip over. I am a Technician, I cannot believe me until I test it myself. So I did. Hard stop, front brake only, on wet pavement, it was a straight quick stop. Same, rear brake only, pitiful braking performance. Actually, I use the front brakes about 90-95%. After 35,000 miles my bike has had six or so sets of front brake pads. The stock rear shoes are still under 50% worn.
bleed the brakes again and start with the bleeder farthest away from the master cylinder first, it would be right rear, left rear, right front, then finish up on the left front. also adjust the back brakes up a little bit tighter against the drums.
Properly done the quickest stop involves first using the rear brake to set the motorbike low on it's suspension and then using the front brake to it's greatest extent without flipping the bike over the front tire. (try that in a full bore I'm going to crash panic!)

Share to: