Rep Power: 453

Ok the first question is for those of you with stock OEM pads, do you notice the pedal a bit soft. I have been so used to high performance pads for so long, and today I went to change the pads and rotors with some duralast from autozone, had to replace the calipers too since they had torn boots, but the pedal feel isnt like the performance pads were. when I had them on, after they were bleed, it was a nice and tight feel in the pedal, now after these were bleed, they have a nice feel, but a bit more soft then the others. Just wondering if you all with OEM ones had this or ones who just recently went from OEM to aftermarket.

And the second question for all of you, go outside and turn the car on and tell me if you can wiggle around the parking brake handle without pulling it up. DOes it seem to move around alot. Also how much slack is there is it before you start to actually pull it up. Not how many clicks, but how loose is it before you start feeling resistance. I have always done the adjustment from the rear, but thought maybe I could remove that slack from the adjustment in the car found here http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...ake+adjustment

SOmeone let me know.

 
Rep Power: 812

my parking brake is very loose and the light comes on before it even clicks. it hasn't been tightened in almost 4 yrs tho. brakes I still have oem and they don't feel that good. very shakey and yes pedal is pretty soft. i just had brake fluid changed early this year.

 
Rep Power: 413

I have driven a civic with stock pads recently and it is very soft. I also would think about changing the fluid if you haven't done that in awhile.

Mine is loose. I have only done the adjustment from in the car. I don't know how to do the one from the brakes.

 
Rep Power: 334

Same here, the light comes on way before it even clicks. I got about an inch before the first click.

 
Rep Power: 453

Well we did bleed the brakes today along with the pad, rotor and caliper change. Actually I flushed it out since the fluid was old. Still kinda soft though. I like a pedal that is high and tight. The car still stops good though. But that pedal isnt high and tight. Unless I still have air in there, which I dont think.

Now with the parking brake, I have adjusted it from the rear brakes with the star adjuster, but I was wondering if I could take that slack out of the actual parking brake lever from the inside.

Not how far it goes before it clicks, but that little bit of slack before you start feeling any kind of resistance.

 
Rep Power: 289

aren't you supposed to have a certain amount of distance for the pedal travel? I mean as in enough room for stomping so ABS can recognize the amount of force?


EDIT: I'm referring to your Q about the softness of the pedal...probably a lil off topic but thought i would ask in addition...NOT TRYING TO THREAD HIJACK...


but yeah like you said I could tell almost immediately there was a diff in firmness of the pedal when I went from OEM to axxis and p/s...I doubt it had anything to do with adding DOT 4 to the dot3....

PARKING BRAKE...Mine does the one inch thing as well.....and I have yet to try it on a steep incline...

 
Rep Power: 334

You mean before it'll hold the car? I got a little bit of an incline on my drive way and I need about 4-5clicks before i can trust it to hold it's self. But I always leave it in gear. But I usually give it 6-7 click just incase

 
Rep Power: 453

No what I mean is how far can you pull it up before you feel any type of resistance. I dont care about how far untill it will hold the car, to put it another way, how much slack is in it? Can you wiggle it up and down. Mine can go up about half an inch before there is any type of resistance. Kinda like the slack on thethrottle cable. If you push on the pedal, you can push it a few MM or so before you actually feel resistance, well I am talking about the same with the parking lever.

 
Rep Power: 334

Oh I see, after the second click I can actually feel the cable tighten. About 1 1/2 inchs, maybe a little more

 
Rep Power: 289

i dunno if its dependant upon the tech or w/e but every time I went into the dealership for work (warranty work mind you) they would tighten the cable...i thought it was weird but it was every time...

 
Rep Power: 413

same for me. just take some slack out using the little nut in the console. It is a PITA to turn though.

 
Rep Power: 328

Pedal feel can be different from car to car. Not to mention the difference that cheap to expensive rotors and pads can cause. You may want to re-check your rear brake adjustment

 
Rep Power: 453

thats what I am going to do tomorrow. We did it really quickly yesterday and I think it needs to be done again. But I was going to do it from the inside and from the drums.

 
Rep Power: 289

If all goes well you should make a DIY for the adjustment from the drums....least I haven't noticed one from the drums yet.....

 
Rep Power: 328

proper rear brake adjustment isnt an easy DIY, not that it cant be done, but proper adjustment can take years of experince to get right and even then you can still be off. Its always better to error on the side of to loose than to tight

 
Rep Power: 0

i replaced mine yesterday for the first time on my car...and did anyone notice on the pad they are not flat....but like they cut or rounded off the ends...or something

 
Rep Power: 328

Sometimes pad manufactures will bevel the edges to TRY to eliminate some brake noise. Think of running your sharp edged finger nail down the chalk board compared to running the palm of your hand down the chalk board.Your hand has no sharp edges like your finger nail!

 
Rep Power: 453

ok, bringing this back to try and pinpoint my issue. I am still trying to figure out why I have so much slack in the parking brake lever without pulling it into position. What I mean is it takes about 2-3 clicks before it is tight which is normal, but when I have the lever released, I can move and wiggle that thing around like there is a loose bushing or something in there. it just doesnt feel normal to me to have that much play in the handle. that why I ask if everyone else can check theres.

Now I think this all started after I helped a friend move and he put his big *** tv in my car and it was sitting tightly against that e-brake handle, so that may have had an effect on it, but not sure. for those of you with years of brake experience, besides the rear brake adjustment which is fine, is there something within that lever assembly on the center console that can cause the handle to be excessively loose?

 
Rep Power: 424

Have you tightened the nut up on the handle carrier?
I had the handle wiggle and it turned out the nut was too loose, so the cables were pushing on the spring under there and weren't held in place by the nut.

 
Rep Power: 0

yeah the star adjuster doesnt remove slack from the line...it tightens up so you have your rear brakes working...its like when you change you front pads and you have to press the brakes and they dont work right at first..even without the star adjuster i think our cars like most drum cars, the rear brakes would eventually tighten up....if you need to take slack out the line i agree with the others and adjust from the inside

 
Rep Power: 453

see whenever I adjust the rear brakes, I do it from the rear brakes. because when you adjust that star adjuster, it moves in or out the shoes which in turn, when you pull the e-brake handle, if there is a very minimal clearance between the shoes and drums, when you pull the handle, the less it will travel, or less clicks before there is resistance.

Now I think I understand what you are all saying, the star adjuster just adjust the brakes, but I need to adjust the line correct? Now I am assuming to take the slack out of the line, it will be from that nut that you adjust from under the console, correct? just like in greys DIY? I am assuming thats what you meant boilermaker?

 
Rep Power: 0

yeah pretty much..i mean i took a class on brakes over a year ago and we didnt spend to much time on drums ...from what i remember you would be correct in that you adjust the slack from the console....if you keep having problems get under you car and make sure they aren't frayed or cut...shoes work opposite from discs and push out...just like pads they make constant contact but with the drum instead of a disc..the star adjuster pushes out the shoes so the wheel cylinder doesnt have to if i remember correctly

 
Rep Power: 328

Adjust the rear brakes first then the park brake adjuster nut... Make sure to re-check the rear brake drag to make sure they are not applied/dragging after the e-brake adjustment... It is possible that if you use your prak brak alot than it may have worn parts........ cables/handle pivot....

 
Rep Power: 0

yeah i know horrible explanation -1 rep for me..if i had the drum i could show ppl what i mean

 
Rep Power: 453

yea I havent really gotten around to pulling off the center console and checking everything.

I appreciate the help from everyone though.