2004 - 2008 F-150
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: Real Truck

Soft Brakes determined to be OK

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 02:52 AM
  #1  
Phaggard's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, Ca.
Soft Brakes determined to be OK

I took my Scab into the dealer for soft brakes and was told that they are normal. I did a lot of searching on the forums and it seems that some feel their brakes are soft and some don't. It seems that the 04 and 05's had caliper and disc warpage problems and they changed the system. The new system has a soft pedal. My brakes work fine and I can stop on a dime but I never had a car where the pedal would go to the floor when stopped.
 

Last edited by Phaggard; Feb 18, 2006 at 03:00 AM.
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 08:03 AM
  #2  
26point2's Avatar
Suspended
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
I took my truck to have in Line-x'ed yesterday...the guy that did it told me he has driven many F-150 and this one feels like the brake pedal is too soft. I too can stop quickly if need be, but when I'm stopped at a light I can almost press the pedal to the floor..
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 09:13 AM
  #3  
ThumperMX113's Avatar
Suspended
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 17,079
Likes: 0
. . how hard are you pushing on the pedal when your stoped?
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 09:18 AM
  #4  
silverbullet5.4's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 647
Likes: 1
Mine also goes to the floor easy, I slammed on the brakes the other day and it stopped but not as soon as it should. My old truck when I slammed on the brakes it would put you in the windshield, this one scares me. Lets just hope we dont need to stop on a dime, and make sure you have good insurance lol.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 11:01 AM
  #5  
hmustang's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,188
Likes: 3
From: Kansas side of the greater KC area
I have been driving FORDS for years and this is the first one where i hit the brakes and it feels soft like nothing is there almost like ho most GM vehicles feel when you hit the brakes on them as I had the misfortune of driving GM cars a few times in my life I have been use to barely touching the brakes and i would be stopping and if it put the pedal to the floor in my old truck if i didn't wear my seat belt I would be slaming my head in the windshied and chest into the steering wheel as that is how hard the brakes were on all my previous FORDS I guess FORD is making theses things more woman freindly instead of being manly like they should be.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 11:44 AM
  #6  
Phaggard's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, Ca.
Pay attention to what year the truck is when someone describes the brakes. According to my service rep, it's only the 06, maybe some 05's that have the different brakes. Maybe it's 04 owners saying they have a hard pedal.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 12:01 PM
  #7  
ChrisAdams's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,597
Likes: 0
My 04 reg cab will hang you up in the harness on a panic stop.
I've had to engage the ABS one time and it worked well, lots of stopping, full control.

I did think I was getting a soft pedal once or twice, but it turned out to be I was pushing the throttle and brake at the same time.
I have wide feet and when wearing one particular pair of shoes I was sometimes getting both pedals at the same time.
They are too close together in my opinion. Of course not everyone has a triple wide foot...

They use the same brake parts from the regular cab 2 wheel drive to the Lariat 4x4. So results will vary a lot.
Chris
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 01:34 PM
  #8  
silverbullet5.4's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 647
Likes: 1
Yeah like I said, my 93 F150 would put you in the windshield, but the brakes on my 05 Scab really really scare me. Ive already had the entire master cylinder/brake booster assembly replaced, but the brakes still dont stop like they should. Maybe the brakes are just overpowered by the heavy truck.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 04:39 PM
  #9  
hmustang's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,188
Likes: 3
From: Kansas side of the greater KC area
Like I said before I have had many FORDS over the years and this is my second truck both have been reg cab XLT's my 2000 was a 4.6 and my current one has the 5.4 this one hear the brakes feel soft and sometimes when I hit the brakes it feels like it picks up speed before it starts to stop I liked the hard feel of the brakes all my previous FORDS had.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 04:50 PM
  #10  
cyclone vampire's Avatar
Suspended
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 841
Likes: 0
From: great white north
Originally Posted by Phaggard
I took my Scab into the dealer for soft brakes and was told that they are normal. I did a lot of searching on the forums and it seems that some feel their brakes are soft and some don't. It seems that the 04 and 05's had caliper and disc warpage problems and they changed the system. The new system has a soft pedal. My brakes work fine and I can stop on a dime but I never had a car where the pedal would go to the floor when stopped.
BRAKES, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING BRAKES....Page 1 in the screw Ford owners hand book...
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 05:09 PM
  #11  
26point2's Avatar
Suspended
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by cyclone vampire
BRAKES, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING BRAKES....Page 1 in the screw Ford owners hand book...
Just a loud horn and a good front bumber..

Anyway, this may be hard to explain, but at a 40mph roll the brakes feel fine, they are softer than say my VW, but the pedal does not go to the floor...stopped at a stop light I can keep pressing until it seems to be at the floor...maybe it has to do with speed of the vehicle?? Or somehow "it" knows that the truck isn't stopped and needs more pressure?? I have no problems stopping where and when I want, but I can see it being a different feeling from other cars..
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2006 | 07:05 PM
  #12  
silverbullet5.4's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 647
Likes: 1
With my truck at speeds, say around 55 and above, the first press of the pedal doesnt do anything, the brake pedal just depresses. I then have to let off and press it again(similiar to pumping to build pressure) before the brakes will really be effective. So my experience is that the first application of the brakes does nothing, while the second application creates the friction.

The problem is sometimes when I need to stop quickly I dont have time to press the brakes twice to create the pumping action, and thats why I feel that if I need to stop quickly, I will not be able to. If the situation does present itself, I can predict the outcome and it wont be pretty. The sad thing is the dealer says its fine. Oh well.
 
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2006 | 12:25 AM
  #13  
DougS's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
From: N.E. Ohio
I have this same concern with my '06 F-150. I have not had a chance to talk to my dealer about it, but I plan to at it's first oil change.

There is a huge difference between my F-150 and my wife's '05 Ford Freestyle. After driving my truck, if I drive her Freestyle I will just about put us through the windshield as her vehicle's brakes will grab as soon as you touch the pedal and is very solid.
 
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2006 | 03:23 AM
  #14  
Red05stx's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: Florida
my truck stops on a dime. Very impressive for the weight. The first thing i noticed on this truck is how well it stops.
 
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2006 | 10:48 AM
  #15  
sweetsc's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
The problem is sometimes when I need to stop quickly I dont have time to press the brakes twice to create the pumping action, and thats why I feel that if I need to stop quickly, I will not be able to. If the situation does present itself, I can predict the outcome and it wont be pretty. The sad thing is the dealer says its fine. Oh well.
Thats definitely a problem. Run from any dealer if they tell you that is normal. Find another one fast!


Chris
 
Reply



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:45 PM.