I've always thought that my 1999 F-150 (93,000 miles) has had a soft brake pedal, but after driving my aunt's 2000 Expy for 2 weeks, I realize that it is a whole lot softer than it needs to be. It can be easily pressed almost to the floor. The brakes still seem to work normal though, if I press the pedal all the way down the abs kicks in and it stops quickly. Last night I bled the brakes and added some new fluid, but that didn't help. I did have some trouble bleeding the right rear brake, but I'm pretty sure that it's a bad bleeder valve because when you almost take it out (down to the last 1 - 2 threads), brake fluid comes out around the valve. Any ideas on what it could be? It's not losing any fluid (at least I think not).

 

I know the feeling. I did a complete brake job on my truck and the pedal still went to the floor. I heard from just about everyone I spoke to that I had air in the lines. After gravity bleeding the system, the brakes were still the same. Last week I took the truck to a mechanic who has done some work on the truck in the past and he said that is normal for the truck. He took it for a test drive and said everything was kosher. I told him in my moms expy the pedal feels like a rock and he said a few changes in the system over the years was the reason.

 

My friend has a '99 f-150, mine is a 2000. The difference in the braking is like night and day. Both of us agree, his '99 is extremely soft, whereas my 2000 is rather tight. It seems to be a difference in the brake systems, but I honestly couldn't tell you what it is. The first time I drove his truck I noticed how low the pedal would go, so maybe it is just a model year thing.

 

i work at sears... and we get a decent amount of f-150s in there... my 2000 has a decently tight pedal... some older ones were terrible.. there was a 97 that was great but it had all aftermarket lines rotors pads and what not.. the new f's feel great... i think its just updates to the system

 

I think the lines will make a great difference. How much are solid or not. Since the oil is not compressible you are able to expand the rubber tubing having the feeling of a softer system, not being the case with the solid lines getting a harder feeling at the brake pedal.

And I am sure there's other considerations to take that I am leaving out.

 

Last night I replaced the right rear wheel cylinder and got all new fluid flowing through the system. The new fluid seemed to help. Also the wheel cylinder wasn't bad, the bleeder screw was stripped out (dad's fault, not mine). And on my 1999 with drum brakes in the rear, I have solid (not rubber) brake lines all the way to the drum.

 

I checked mine and found rubber lines as well. Then I think maybe the improvement from the lines comes from the front rubber lines that goes to the calipers. Maybe they are using better rubber or another flexible material in later models. And of course better master pumps, calipers, etc....

 

I thought my 2002 F-150 had a soft pedal and even had work done on it until I was told by a mechanic that I trusted that everything was "running as designed." Before my F-150, I drove a Mustang GT that had VERY tight brakes. I have since gotten used to this braking system until we traded in my wife's junker Chevy for a new Explorer. After driving that Explorer, my F-150 doesn't even feel like it HAS brakes. Someone tells me that the 04-05 F-150's have rather tight brakes too, and I know for a fact that the Five Hundred has very tight brakes as well, so it's probably all across the board.

 

I blew a rear brake line last year due to rust, got my attention when the pedal went almost to the floor, but ol betsy stopped with the discs with just a lil more pressure. my feeling is as long as you dont hit that bumper in front of you it is a good stop. like my flying days, any landing u can walk away from is a good one

 

You have drums on the rear of your truck. I would make shure that they are adjusted. They make a large differance in pedal feel. Check the adjusters and when you put you drum back on take the rubber plug out of the back and adjust them. Also try replaceing the rubber hoses on your calipers with some good steel covered ones, this reduces expanding in the hose and nets you better pedal feel as well. Good luck