crazyjoe

I just picked up this car yesterday and the first thing I noticed was that the brakes feel very hard, and the car doesnt want to stop well at all. It slows just fine while moving, but doesnt want to come to a complete stop, it takes a whole lot of force on the pedal to get it to come to a full stop. The brake light (on the dash) and the ABS inop light stay on at all times, the guy I got the car from said that he had them checked out (from a dealership) and supposedly there's nothing wrong with them. They dont squeel or vibrate, just dont want to stop easily.

I'm just wondering whether all it needs is a new set of rotors/pads/lines, or does it sound like it could be more than that. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Joe.

Cmr0z28

I've driven a couple of 4th gen f-bodies, and I think it's just a characteristic of the car.....tight steering and tight brakes

LWillmann

I can't speak about the lights, but I can speak about my experience with my car...

It seems to take more brake pedal force to get my car (96 Formula) to slow and stop than to get my wife's car (01 V6 Camaro) to stop.

I don't know why that is, but it is.

If you have a brake light and an ABS light, then there has to be something causing those lights to come on.

I know my ABS INOP will come on on REALLY cold mornings, but that's it.

The Brake light could I guess be caused by a fault sensor where the e-brake handle is, maybe it thinks the handle is up when it's not and is throwing that light up?

crazyjoe

This is the second LT1 car I've owned and the brakes on my first one were NOTHING like these. By driving the car you can tell it's not stopping like it's supposed to. Like I said before, at higher speeds it will slow you down decently, but coming to a complete stop is the hard part. You have to apply ALOT of pressure and the car still wants to creep forward, I mean I actually have to put both feet on the pedal to keep it stationary. Would bleeding the brakes help any at all? Just curious.

Oh, this is a '94 Z28 A4 by the way. Thanks.

Joe.

TwEaKeDSS

Maybe you need to bleed them.

crazyjoe

I'll check the fluid and bleed them, and hopefully that will help. Anyone else have any insight? Thanks fellas.

Joe.

crAzy95z28

welll......yea my brakes on hard to push but i dont complain about it...cause when i come the a light and i know i have to sit longer than 5-10 sec ill go ahead and throw my car in neutral and brake lightly till a complete stop then you wont have to hold the brake unless your on a uphill, or down hill....then when the light turns green throw it back in drive or overdirve!!!

this may help ya and save ya lot of foot pressure!!!!

Transamdriver

Brake booster could be going out.

crazyjoe

That's kinda what I was afraid of.

Dave89IROC

check the booster like this:


car off, pump the brake pedal until it is hard, then, with foot on pedal, start the car, the pedal should drop, if not, either bad booster or low/no vacumn at booster

indieaz

I think it's just characteristic of these cars. Both my LT1 cars are hard stoppers (as well as others i've driven). The LS1 cars (my Y87 98 firebird for example with LS1 brakes) stop WAY better. I guess it helps having rotos that are nearly 1" larger in the LS1s. Are you sure your other LT1 car hadn't had any changes to the braking system before you bought it?

JohnD

These stories do not sound right at all. I can see how a V6 might stop a little easier because of the force multiplication characteristic of the rear drum brakes but something has to be wrong. My '97 isn't hard to stop. I can lock up all the wheels hard enough to activate the ABS without that much effort. Air in the lines would make for a soft pedal and no one has described that. I'd bet for a bad booster or possibly glazed over pads.

Hyperspeed97z28

If the brake and ABS inop light are both on.. Your car isnt gettin the brake pressure it should be.. I'd go against saying its your master cylinder but I agree with saying the Power brake booster might be shot.. Try bleeding the entire system first ( Right Rear/Left Rear/Right Front/Left Front ) in that order.. if the lights stay on, I would try changing the brake booster/master cylinder possibly...

DSIM

All these stories about hard braking... NOT NORMAL!!! Im on my second LT1, and have never had this condidtion. I would say that you need to check on the pads, rotors and bleed the system. Mine did that at first (with the exception of the lights), and I changed the rotors and pads, bled the system and now the car stops on a dime. These cars should NOT be that hard to stop.