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Pulsating brake pedal |
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NJAMX
AMC Apprentice Joined: Nov/21/2010 Location: Murray Hill,NJ Status: Offline Points: 32 |
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Posted: Apr/26/2018 at 7:14pm |
Got my new 70 gremlin project to run for the first time today. Took it for a short ride around the block and the brake pedal has a heavy pulsation when brakes are applied. Car has 4 wheel drums. Is it most likely a warped drum? Thanks
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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out of round drum, yeah, that's the most likely culprit.
it's pushing the shoes back in every half revolution.
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rms827
AMC Nut Joined: Apr/18/2018 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 378 |
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Gotta agree with Bill... 98% probability that's it. The only other common culprit doesn't apply to classics; ABS sensor tone rings that get metal dust all over them.
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1964 AMC Rambler Classic 660
"You can think I'm an idiot, just don't talk to me like I'm one." - Batman |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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LOL - yeah, I read the message twice to be sure he wasn't talking about a 2010 Jeep or something. ;-)
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NJAMX
AMC Apprentice Joined: Nov/21/2010 Location: Murray Hill,NJ Status: Offline Points: 32 |
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Thanks guys. Is it more likely the rear drums over the front or are either possible?
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AMXRWB
AMC Addicted Joined: Apr/25/2013 Location: Midwest Status: Offline Points: 1154 |
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Could be a brake fluid leak inside a drum.
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tufcj
Supporter of TheAMCForum Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/10/2007 Location: Watkins, CO Status: Offline Points: 4097 |
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The fronts see harder use and more heat, so it's usually the front drums. If the car has been sitting it could be either end. Make sure the wheel cylinders move freely. I recently did brakes on a car that had been sitting about 10 years. All but 1 piston in the right front wheel cylinder were completely frozen up. 3 wheels were completely inop, and it was being driven.
Bob tufcj |
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69 AMX
74 Javelin AMX 67 Rogue If you need a tool and don't buy it... you'll eventually pay for it... and not have it. Henry Ford |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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That won't cause the pedal to pulsate - which means go up and down. Any fluid, such as brake fluid, grease, etc. will either make the wheel affected grab or the brakes slip. Pulsate means the pedal actually moves as in up and down. Grease such as a differential axle seal gone bad and leaking a bit can cause a wheel's brakes to GRAB and stick, lock-up,, sliding wheel, believe it or not. Brake fluid will typically not be sticky but slick. A LOT of grease, such as a really bad axle seal, will cause the brakes to slip.
Drums most often get out-of-round when driving at higher speeds, highway, etc. and the brakes are leaned on, getting the drum hot and the brake pedal is held down hard - the force actually distorts a hot drum. There can be other causes, but if the brakes got hot and there was a heavy brake foot, it can cause an out-of-round drum. |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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Although sitting for extended periods is one of the worst things you can do to brakes (aside from getting them really hot and then holding the pedal down hard) - you should have seen what I saw while doing brakes working my way through college - and later working on Iowa Highway Patrol cars - talk about brakes being abused. I saw my share of disc brake rotors fried - and with one side worn completely off and the pad backing worn half-way gone. Any further and some would have been into the caliper's piston. "car pulls to one side while braking" Oh, really?? Gee, wonder what is causing that - does it make any noise?? "Oh, a little, I guess - sort of a grinding sound". A far less common reason for pedal pulsating with drums is bent axle or hub - slide and hit a curb or hit a good ol' Des Moines city pot hole. The idea with a true pedal pulsation - sort of like a slow-motion anti-lock brake thing, is that something is causing the fluid to periodically be pushed back at the master cylinder - pedal pushes master, master piston pushes fluid out to wheel cylinders and something out there as the wheel rotates wants to push back on a regular basis and suddenly you feel like you are playing a base drum with the pedal going up and down. |
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purple72Gremlin
AMC Addicted Charter Member Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 16614 |
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Yep. Out of round drum.
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