Got PSI

Just put some Performance Friction Type Z pads on last weekend, along with turning the rotors, and completely bleeding all the old fluid out and replacing with DOT 4. Took her for a drive and broke in the pads and the pedal feels much softer and it takes alot more force to stop them. Now I know these pads work better when hot, but even then it takes alot more pedal travel for them to stop. I'm afraid to drive it because it feels unsafe.

So my question is this....any of you guys with the Type Z pads have this same sort of soft pedal feel compared to stock pads? Or should I give her another round of bleeding to just eliminate possibe air bubbles?

gtsyellow

you have air in the fluid, remember you can bleed the front and rear seperatly on the C4. always start the furthest from the master cylinder and work in tward it. also make sure you have that bleeder CLOSED before the guy lets his foot off the brake pedal. there's the #1 way air gets introduced, that or the fluid running low while your bleeding. i'd just re bleed the system & you should be good to go. the only other thing it could be is a master cylinder on it's last leg that went when you were bleeding. sometimes pushing them down that far will cause failure if it's about to go.

Got PSI

When you say that you can bleed the front and rear seperatly, what do you mean? Is there something that I missed?

Nathan Plemons

I think you just need to bleed it again. My pedal felt the same after I put on the performance friction Z rated pads. I didn't even change the fluid at the time. I later flushed the fluid very carefully and completely and didn't notice a change in pedal feel.

no_radio

My pedal felt a bit softer, but not much, and certainly didn't feel unsafe.
I agree that there must have been some air introduced in the process.
Jeff

Got PSI

Sounds good....I'll put her back up on blocks this weekend and bleed it again. Thanks for the help.

gtsyellow

just mean you have two containers for fluid, one is rear, one is front. on normal cars you generally bleed back to front. on the C4 you could bleed just the front, or just the rear & have no issues.

Cratzy

I changed to EBC Greenstuff and grind the rotors. After that my pedal felt soft, even after bleeding the system properly.

I think that the reason for that was that the EBC pads required harder pedal pressure to work well and that made the brake lines become dilated (they were pretty old).

I changed to steel braided brake lines and that made a huge different.

mvitacco

ALso check to see if you have a primiary pipe bleed fiting at the ABS pump.
Not all C4's have them but if you replenished the fluid or do M/C work the shop manual says to blead the primary first at the pump module, then each wheel starting from furthest rear as mentioned above.

spdrcrj

I had the same problem with PF pads. I changed to Hawk HP Plus Performance pads and the pedal firmed up nicely. The problem was the excessive dust and brake noise, made my car sound very ghetto. I changed to Hawk's HPS Performace pads and they work great. Firm pedal, no dust, and no brake noise. I swear by the Hawk products. If your looking for a weekend race pad.....the HP Plus's are the pad for you, will stop you on a dime. :jester

Jeffvette

That would be true if he had a 91 or older car. 92+ got the single fill master cylinder



He needs to properly flush everything.


[Modified by Jeffvette, 1:40 PM 12/14/2002]