How to improve brake pedal feel?

[goheels681]

I've had my Explorer since June and the brakes have always felt relatively spongy. Past cars I've driven have "caught" immediately when you press the pedal, and had a great deal of resistance all the way down. With the Explorer, you can press the pedal a decent amount before you start to really feel the car slowing down. I don't believe the pedal can be pushed to the floor, but I haven't checked yet. I replaced my pads a few weeks ago and once the brakes engage they seem to work a little better, but the pedal still feels off. What would be the first thing to tackle to improve the feel of the brake pedal?

I've got a 2000 Explorer XLT with ABS

ALSO something else to note- the brake pedal has always been slow to return to it's resting position. I can take my foot off the brake and a second later I feel the pedal touch the bottom of my foot. Shouldn't it rebound immediately after taking your foot off?

 

[1AJeremyD]

Might want to have the brakes bleed. Sounds like there might be some air in the lines possibly

 

[little x]

Stainless steel braided brake lines will dramatically increase pedal feel and reduce the spongy feeling. Brake pad compound has a lot to do with the "initial bite": what pads did you put in? When was the last time the brake system was flushed?

 

[goheels681]

I'm not sure of the exact brand, but I replaced the front pads with the middle/high-end offering from my local Advance Auto. No idea about the brake flush, I just bought last June. An older lady drove it for 10 years before I did, and I doubt she ever had to have it done if the mechanic didn't mention it. Isn't there some complication in bleeding brake lines if you have ABS? How involved is the job to replace brake lines with SS ones? Would weather affect those metal lines? I'm in a mountain community, and we'll be below freezing for the next 5 months or so.

Something I just added to my first post:
ALSO something else to note- the brake pedal has always been slow to return to it's resting position. I can take my foot off the brake and a second later I feel the pedal touch the bottom of my foot. Shouldn't it rebound immediately after taking your foot off?

 

[OneLever]

You likely have air in the brake lines. If it hasn't gotten into the ABS Hydraulic control unit (HCU) a simple brake bleed will work. If it has gotten into the HCU you will have to have a dealership with the correct tool run the bleed sequence on it. Unless you're good with wiring diagrams and feel like making a breakout box to manually bleed the HCU.

First thing would be to check the master cylinder reservoir and see what the brake fluid level is at. Also the condition of the fluid.

 

[unclemeat]

Check the vacuum lines including the rubber gromet at the booster.