Brake problems 2001 Sport

[Kubotaorange76]

Ok i have searched and searched and cant figure out my problem!!

My wife's 2001 explorer sport 2wd has 146.000 miles on it.

The other day a right front outer wheel bearing welded itself to the spindle....I picked her up on a trailer, brought it home and tore it apart....replaced the wheel bearings, seals, rotors, brake pads, upper and lower balljoints and outer TRE's on both sides...

Before i did any work the brake pedal was very very spongy and was almost going to the floor. Now obviously the brakes wore down alot on the right front from the rotor wobbling along...but there were no leaks of brake fluid and the fluid level in the master cylinder was fine. Just before the brakes were working fine.

Ok now fast forward....after all the repairs have been done....the pedal still felt spongy(before i ever bled brakes or anything) So i bled the crap out of the brakes(flushed fluid) and it is only slightly better?

I Read on here this can be caused by air in the ABS system...but i cant figure out how air could have gotten into the abs system from a wheel bearing going out? Could something be wrong with the right front caliper internally from seeing so much heat?

It stops good....but the pedal travel is excessive and soft.

Anyone have suggestions?

Also i inspected the abs sensors and there is no visible damage...as well as pulled the abs fuse and it changed nothing.

I remember when i put it on the trailer the abs light was on....but now it is off?


PLEASE HELP MEE

Thanks

 

[Kubotaorange76]

Could the seals in the caliper be messed up from the heat? Like it leaking internally?

OR am i missing something very simple here?

 

[Kubotaorange76]

any ideas?

 

[gijoecam]

I would suspect one of two things: Air trapped in the ABS passages somewhere, and/or a simple bubble in the caliper or lines. It can take a lot more pumping to completely bleed them.

The only way to fully bleed the ABS system is using a scanner capable of communicating with the ABS control module while pressure-bleeding the system. There's a specific procedure outlined in the service manual for doing so... any Ford dealer should be able to do it... Probably an hour's worth of labor plus incidentals.

-Joe

 

[tripplec]

On some vehicles they say to start bleeding for the furthest point and then to the front. One of the rear wheels. If it sink down with pressure after a few seconds then master cylinder o-rings may be letting fluid by. but if just spongy and going down every time then its likely air in the line. Are both caliphers fully expanded and set against the rotors? Will the peddle come up with pumping and/or harden for that instant?

 

[Kubotaorange76]

before the bearing went out the brakes were solid...nice hard pedal

after the bearing went out the pedal was spongy..before the brake lines were ever opened. i bled starting from the farthest point away from the master cyl and worked my way forward....probably cracked each screw 15 times....till clean fluid came out. Never let the master cyl. get below half full.

Would you all try replacing the master cyl or a front rotor? Something leaking internally?


When you hit the pedal it is somewhat firm...the brakes grab but the pedal goes down softly...pumping the pedal doesnt really harden it up

 

[tripplec]

Well most Power Brake vehical have a soft or spongy feel to them and not rock hard. I don't know if it the booster which gives that effect or not. If the peddal is high enough I would wait and see. Did replace the pads on the other side as well in not you should to keep them balanced. Does not sound a whole lot different then my Jeep or other vehical I have. Certain not indicative of a master cylinder problem. But rotors and pads on both side should be the same for balance braking.

 

[Kubotaorange76]

pads,rotors,wheel,bearings,balljoints and TRE's were replaced on both sides.

Pedal was hard before...my wife called me and told me her brakes felt funny...like the pedal was almost going to the floor....30 mins later she called me and said she heard a squeeling noise. I got there with a trailer and the outer wheel bearing had welded itself to the spindle...brake pads on that side were almost worn out and the rotor was somewhat scarred up. No visible damage to the calipers or the abs sensor.

I would just replace both calipers and the master cyl....but im on a budget and the plan is to sell this thing shortly...so i dont want to fix something thats not broke.

Thank you all for the input....does this help anymore? Is there anything else i can tell you ?

 

[tripplec]

Pedal will be quite spongy when the fluid is too hot and likely when the thing seized up it was very hot. Forget the Master cylinder but the pads come in pairs and you have them to put on the other side. Standard rotors a cheap and if you change one side you should change the other as well.

That it. Good luck

 

[Kubotaorange76]

everything was changed on both sides of the vehicle , pads, rotors, wheel bearings and balljoints etc...