No typo, I spent about $ 350.00 in fuel... But i didn't try to save on fuel either. Hammer down and back. It was like pulling a wall down the highway. The truck did it's job though.

 

Hey Gang

I stood up and cheered when I saw this thread. I have hated the brakes on my '06 since day one. I finally had a chance to print out some info here and take it and truck to the dealer. We'll see what happens. I must say my service writer is outstanding. I just hope he can convince the powers there to correct my brake issue.
I have already considered get rid of this truck because I just don't like double pumping to stop. I have not had one bit of trouble with this truck, other than the brake issue.

Wish me luck

 

It's a shame that anyone would have to resort to printing up a thread from a forum to get a resolution.

BTW...Make sure you get this last post printed too...

 

Well I just got a call from the dealer. You'll never guess what they said.
"we can't touch them w/o an OK from ford." We all know what they are going to say. My writer said they have a call into

David Owens (svc mgr)
Fox Valley Ford
(630) 907-3100

So I hope he will call my man back.


This so stupid. No use in getting mad, the brakes have been crap every since I bought it.





Does anyone know of any dealer in the Houston metro area that has and wil do this procedure?

 

Because brakes are a vehicle safety system, dealerships will not do anything that Ford does not authorize due to the potential liability. Fix it yourself and don't tell the dealership, then you can be happy with your truck.

 

Tell them to call Fords Hotline and complain. Tell them you want a copy of that complaint in writing, they will give it to you. (I have 2 different copies of mine). This is the way it gets Fords attention, and they will look into it further, with more complaints. Just maybe we will get them to issue a T.S.B. for crappy brake pedals...... I sure love my brakes now.

 

Let us know what Dave tells them....

 

I have had the soft pedal for years. I just did 4 rotors and calipers with carbon metallic pads and was very dissapointed at the soft pedal afterwards.

I did a search here on soft brakes and taa daa.

Went 1 turn out and the pedal feels great now. It didn't feel this good when it was new.

The brakes are still lacking in their stopping ability, but the pedal is great...

 

Yet another satisfied customer!!!! Good job!

 

Well add my name to the list of satisfied.

I went out today and tried the fix, and it worked.

I went somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 turns and the pedal tightened up nicely. I left it there, and will be driving around to see if the brakes grab at all. If not I might go back in and see if I can tighten it a little more.

Thanks a lot for this thread RMS.

 

Just thought i would bring this thread back to life tonight. I got a call from a guy that want's me to show him how to adjust his brake pedal. My pedal is still great after 5000 miles since the adjustment.

 

In all the years I've been surfing forums, if I've ever seen a candidate for a "sticky" it's this thread here!

 

Whew! Just read all 10 pages of this thread and I am ready to try it on my truck. Just want to be clear on one thing though. For those of you who have done this, Which way do you turn the rod again? It sounds like everyone is turning it out (counter clockwise). Is this correct? Thanks

 

Yes counter clockwise is correct. You want to extend the brake rod. I did one whole turn. Make sure that you mark the rod with something so you can use it as a reference point. Note: The rod will spin freely in the booster, so you have to hold it with plyers or something. Don't forget the vaccume holds the master cylinder on tight. Just rock it and it will loosen.

 

I "strenuously object" to that comment. This is a very advanced mod that should not be performed by just anybody. Putting a sticky on this posting will lead to trouble for lots of people. This point was made somewhere around page 3 by Fireman Dave and I want to revisit it...

These master cylinders are designed to replenish through the center of the pistons. (replenish = fill the brake system to compensate for brake wear, etc). But due to the dynamic lag in the brake system you actually replenish on every release. Then as the pressurized fluid returns from the wheels to the cylinder the fluid needs to escape back into the reservoir. For this purpose, the cylinder was designed with a very small hole in front of the seals - only exposed when the brake pedal is at rest. If you are in manufacturing / engineering, you will understand that there needs to be a tolerance to make sure that hole is open... so you may have to push the brake pedal about 1 mm to get the seal past the small hole.

I like how RMS8 didn't even do this thing that he is telling everyone else to do...
NEWSFLASH - your F150 master cylinder is different than the aftermarket MC you put on your Mustang.

and now to answer a few questions with real information...

Lets start out with the most important point
If RMS8 knew what he was doing, he would tell you that you need to remove the vacuum from the vacuum booster before attempting to remove the cylinder. The easiest way to do this is to pump the brake pedal with the engine off. When the pedal feels hard as a rock, the vacuum is gone and you can remove the MC without any trouble. This will also help to ensure that you do not suck the O-Ring into the booster (it is very difficult to fish it back out)


... lets see... whats worse... having to push the brake pedal an extra mm or sitting on the side of the road with locked brakes...

yes... its a booster output rod

... if the brake feel gets worse, then it is probably due to pad wear and/or moisture in the brake fluid. Brake fluid is Hygroscopic... meaning it absorbs water. Water is much more compressible and therefore can create a "spongy" feeling.

wow... so RMS8 will advise you to pull your MC off the booster, but then advise against bleeding your own brakes. That alone should be evidence that he is clueless.
You are fine in bleeding your own brakes. The only time you need to cycle the ABS is if your brake system is totally dry, or you put on a new ABS module. Granted, bleeding will not change the tiny amount of fluid trapped in the ABS valves, but this is not an issue since it is just a tiny amount of fluid.

So, to sum up my points. I do NOT think that any owner should adjust their own booster output rod. The risk of increased brake wear and even the possibility of sitting on the side of the road waiting for your brakes to cool down and unlock is TOO high.

alright... I'm sure that now RMS8 will bash me like he bashed Fireman Dave. Its amazing how quickly ignorant people attack those with knowledge.

BTW - I am a degreed Mechanical Engineer that designs and tests Master Cylinders for a living. Just thought you might like to know where this information is coming from.