Braking issues

[Richard Ramon]

Hey R. Kirshy

My brakes were working just fine and my pads are basically brand new (about 6-7 mil). I completed my suspension which included upper and lower ball joints and inner and outer tie rods.

Now when I press the brakes, they are slipping as I slow down. The pedal is nice and firm. No change there. I had a little difficulty pressing one of the upper ball joints out and in and in doing so, bent the heck out of my dust plate. The dust plate was rubbing on the rotor when I test drove so I removed the wheel and straightened it out. I decided to do a brake service on that, the passenger side, and noticed the rotor had a thin layer of rust buildup along the edge that goes about halfway around the rotor.

Before I go buy new rotors, is there anything I can check for which is causing the braking issues? Brake lines are fine and not twisted and I made sure I topped off the reservoir.

Thank you again for your help

Topic

[Richard Ramon]

Also used anti seize on the pins and on the calipers where the pads are inserted.

[Richard Kirshy]

Ummmm you should have used Silicone-based brake grease is designed for caliper and wheel cylinder assembly work, not anti seize.
And yes, if your resurfacing or replacing rotors you should install new pads.

[Richard Ramon]

Not on my type caliper. The pins do not go into a rubber boot but thread thru the pads and caliper and are fastened by a flexible wire clip.

These are the same pads that had no issues before I started the suspension work. Not sure new pads will fix the problem

[Richard Ramon]

Replaced the pads. Still have the issue. Brake lines llook good with no frays.
I noticed the left front caliper inside pistons did not close completely and when I put the pad in it was loose but not as loose as the outer.
Not sure what to do other than replace the caliper and see if that works.

[Richard Kirshy]

You may have a sticking caliper, not uncommon.
FYI, many times when a brake hose fails, it is internal.
The inner hose collapses, so there is no visible signs externally.
A external sign would be a leaking or burst hose.

[Richard Ramon]

Richard,

So a person on the Tacoma World forum suggested that I bleed all brakes and LPSV and that my rear brakes need adjustment. Not sure I buy that analysis.

[Richard Kirshy]

In all honesty…
Couldn’t hurt anything.
A fluid flush is good maintenance every several years.
Also rear self adjusters have a nasty habit of seizing up.

[Author]

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