This fix could be the answer to my problems. Have spent over $2500 and countless hours at the dealer trying to resolve my low pedal. What I would like to know is if anyone has applied this fix to a 99 F150? If so, are there any mods to the previously described fix or is it exactly the same.

Either way this is a very interesting topic and has helped me understand my brake system tremendously.

 

I was ecstatic to read this thread since I have the exact same issue on my 2009. But my rod is not adjustable. Bummer...

 

I had a 1993 F-150 since it was new 4X2 5.0 3.55 rear and had never had a brake problem other than the lines rusting through both front and rear. The pedal was high and grabbed fairly quickly. My son got in some financial trouble when he lost his job and I bought his 2007 F-150 STX with power options. 4.6L 3.73 rear 4X4. From the first day I drove it I asked him if he was having problems with the brakes that I thought they were soft. He said he did not think they were. After driving for a month I knew that these brakes were low and soft. The truck has only 14,500 miles on it. Adjusting the pedal will do nothing except push the pedal towards the driver but this does not make the pedal less soft or the brakes grab sooner. I cannot tell you how many times in a month I hit the brake and wound up on the gas pedal at the same time. Not a good situation. Fords explanation that this is normal is nothing more than a CYA for themselves. No brake pedal should have this much play in it.

I had just told my wife and son the other day I was going to replace the pads and rotors on the fronts but they are like brand new. Then I found this thread. Last night I read this entire thread. Yes there are pros and cons to doing this however I cannot find more cons than pros, so this morning I went out and made this adjustment. Any time you replace or remove a MC you should pump up the brakes to take the vacuum out. As you back off the bolts the MC will just start to fall onto the studs. So anyone who does not release the vacuum could be in for a real struggle. Remember one simple rule never force anything. I marked the original location of the booster rod and made a half turn adjustment. Still was not stiff enough for me. Went back and made it a full turn and man what a difference. I took it for a ride and checked for heat, but to me the heat I felt in the rotors was normal due to braking. Also you will get heat in those rotors just from driving. The key is not to have that rod engage the brakes at all so there is some play in it. Now these brake are "almost" like my 93 was (by the way I had to sell my baby to help my son out).

I am not surprised in any way that Ford will not acknowledge this as a fix. Engineers hate to be proven wrong. I have experience with that in another field.

Great find, great fix. For the naysayers well just don't hit anyone!!!!!!!

 

I'll Admit that I've ignored the sticky about this issue for quite some time, but didn't even consider that it was my problem, until I started having a brake issue myself.
I knew that I needed to get new front rotors and pads as I was getting a slight shimmy on hard braking... I've been shopping around for the best replacements for my 2wd, considering the centrix 2-piece hub upgrade and saving up. In the mean time I replaced the worn pads with some cheap OEM replacements to get the job done.
I supposed I never really noticed how soft my pedal was, until one morning while pulling out of my garage (I have a pretty steep grade downhill) I pushed the pedal to the floor, the truck didn't stop, only slowed down a bit as I backed out.
It scared the shnitz outta me... so I figured that the rotors were finally shot, and started reading, and of course, gave this thread a browse, it took a LONG TIME to read through 20+pages, but by the end of it I was confident that this may help some, and I would get the brakes soon as well...

I adjusted 3/4 of a turn (in 1/4" increments with a test drive in between... I actually went to 1 full turn and felt the truck have a little increae in rolling resistance and backed it back up)... She stops much better, I can back out and stop in the middle of my driveway ramp too. Now the rotors DO need to be upgraded as the stop is not as strong as new and there is still a shimmy... but at least the pedal firms up quickly and is way off the floor.
Thank you everyone for trying this many times before I did, thanks for the instructions, and the pics, I wouldn't have tried this without you!!

 

I'm in the same boat. My wife's 2009 F150 4.6L Screw 4x2 is having problems. Sometimes the pedal is just soft, other times it travels all the way to the floor. Would be awesome if we can find a way to adjust it or find a fix. The truck only has 46k miles on it! This is crazy!

Lee

[QUOTE=EsJayEs;4582923]I was ecstatic to read this thread since I have the exact same issue on my 2009. But my rod is not adjustable. Bummer...
QUOTE]

 

I'm hoping to swap some parts at some point with a 2010 at some point. Probably starting with the booster, then master cylinder, and finally the front brakes if needed. At some point along the way I should have the solution. I'm told that the new brake setup on the 2010 is night and day different from the 2009, which uses basically the same brake system as the 04-08.

 

The 2010s are night and day different. I had a 2010 and the brakes were so much different it's crazy. I was thinking about trying the same thing I just don't have the money to spend on it. Makes me very nervous though that my wife's truck is having these problems. The pedal on my 2010 would lock up the brakes with HALF as much travel as my wife's 2009. I wish I still had the truck, I could swap the parts to see what fixed it and share what I found.

Please let us know what you find out, you may end up saving someone's life. (My wife almost had a wreck last week, pressed the brake pedal and it went to the floor...)

Thanks,

Lee

 

Thanks for the thread.
I have a 06 Scab 4x4 XLT had have had the same issue since I bought it in 07. MC and Booster replace years ago and as like many was told live with it.
Will have to have a look at this later today.
Will post update once I have stiff pedal.

 

Back when I was a fleet mx I used to put a thin layer of grease on the end of the rod after adjusting, then bolt it back up and take it right back off to see if the grease was disturbed. I would repeat until it would disturb the grease then back off the adjustment a bit. This would make sure I was close as possible without "pre-loading" the MC so when things heated up it would not let the brakes drag or lock up.

FWIW

 

Add another satisfied user for this tip! My '04 had a soft pedal from the day I bought it. This fixed the problem in 30 minutes, and that included two trips into the shop for various distractions.

John

 

this fix really does work just did it and mine took about a half turn but i think i need to do it a bit more but it totally worked just wanted to bump it. also talked to two very large reputable ford dealers one had never even heard of it and the other had but said he never had to adjust it. I believe some of these trucks come off the line adjusted correctly and some don't, leading to the reason why my truck brake pedal was stiff up until a couple months ago. so apparently it loosens up somehow. also the dealers will tell you it's normal whether before or after they fix everything else because they weren't trained to know this crap. which is sad. your pedal should be stiff!

 

hey esjayes your rod should be adjustable. mine was loose enough to turn with my hand. if you can't get it with your hand turn it with a pair of pliers but maybe put a cloth on your plier teeth so you don't scar it up any. turn it left a little at a time. if someone already replied with this answer sorry didn't take time to read these.

 

The 2009 isn't adjustable like the other years, the rod is fixed, no threads.

 

You can add mine to the fixed list..Works great ..Just under 3/4 turn did the trick.

Thx for posting this as a sticky

Hunted1

 

I didn't read all 23 pages of this thread, so if someone already posted something similar, I apologize. I found this in the service manual for my 1988 F-250:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62010414@N04/6351424702/