Brakes - need help

[Domen]

When braking hard my rear wheels stops before front wheels.
It should be opposite.

It is becoming rather dangerous. Last time on the highway I had to stop suddenly and my back started to dance.

What can I do or check?

 

[Domen]

Did't anybody experienced same problem with brakes?

 

[410Fortune]

is this the 97 in your profile?

You should have your front brakes checked, or check them yourself. Are you losing brake fluid?

If your rear brakes are doing all the stopping and all the brakes are in good shape, good rotors, good pads, calipers not leaking.

After that it is either the 4WABS system of the master cylinder itself, a good brake shop can actually check the line pressure at all 4 wheels to find out what is going wrong.

How many miles on the truck? when was the last time you had the brakes checked?
I assume you mean the rear brakes lock up first in a panic stop situation?

 

[BrooklynBay]

This happens to me whenever I am low on brake fluid.

 

[Domen]

Front rotors and pads were changed 3k miles ago. I also changed back pads. Back rotors seemd fine.

Is it possible that only changing front rotors and pads can cause back brakes to stop before front?

Back brakes lock up first in a panic stop of course. But when I brake down the hill they get hot, very hot. Much hoter than front. I think that front brakes should get hoter and do the most breaking.

Toyota 4-runner had a back brake regulator. I can not find it on Explorer. Maybe X has another sistem for distribution of brake force between front and back brakes.

Truck has 100k miles. No leaks and fluids are ok.

 

[gijoecam]

Try bleeding the brake system, and you want to flush new fluid through the front brakes. Then, look at replacing the master cylinder. It's possible that the master cylinder has failed and is not maintaining pressure on the front brakes as it should.

-Joe

 

[budwich]

It is possible that your front calipers are "less than free" (ie. frozen a bit) and as a result take a bit more pressure for them to actuate casuing the back to operate first and then eventually the fronts kick in. How long ago, if ever, were your fronts replaced?

 

[410Fortune]

What about the rear E brake? That sucker can cause some issues with the rear axle if its stuck or the shoes are disintigrated, etc

Have you put the rear axle in the air and tested the roatation, looked at the brakes? Adjsut the E brake drums?

 

[Domen]

It is possible that your front calipers are "less than free" (ie. frozen a bit) and as a result take a bit more pressure for them to actuate casuing the back to operate first and then eventually the fronts kick in. How long ago, if ever, were your fronts replaced?

Fronts were never replaced.
How can I check if they are frozen?

 

[Domen]

What about the rear E brake? That sucker can cause some issues with the rear axle if its stuck or the shoes are disintigrated, etc

Have you put the rear axle in the air and tested the roatation, looked at the brakes? Adjsut the E brake drums?

E brake drums? Please explain. Sorry but I'm not much of mechanic.

 

[410Fortune]

the rear disc brakes on your truck use an internal small drum (inside the rotor) which is your E brake. When they go bad they can drag, causing all sorts of fun issues with the rear brakes.

You can search for E brake or similar on this site and see pictures.
Putting the rear end on jack stands is a great way to check the adjustment/function of the rear brakes.

 

[budwich]

When you changed your front pads, the calipers had to be pushed back (ie. cylinder / piston had to be compressed). If it took a large amount of effort to force the pistons back in, then it is a good possibility that the piston is a bit frozen. On vehicles that I have done disc brakes work on, you could easily use a blade screw driver and pry against the "about to be removed disc pad" and the rotor and the piston would readily move in. On others, I have used the standard "C" clamp and it has been an "effort" cranking on the clamp to get the piston to receed. I have had my one caliper off to replace the front bearing and the piston readily moved back with little to no effort. NOTE: pushing pistons in will cause "dirty" fluid to find its way into your system and potentially towards your ABS stuff.... not good. The proper procedure is usually to have the bleed screw open to allow the fluid to be dumped from the system and then subsequently the system is replenished / bled.