Brakes.... Or lack of them..

[rd415]

The rear calipers are a FORD product and have the crapiest handbrake adjustment. If you accidently wind the piston in too far on the rear caliper you will have a lousy pedal until the stupid thing self adjusts.

Definitely not a brake pad problem, soft or hard pads or any pads won't effect pedal feel, they may not stop as well, but will always self adjust to give the same pedal feel. The ABS control can be a pain at times if it gets air in the system - very difficult to remove. Quite often only a vacuum bleeder can remove the air.

Did you let fluid out by cracking the bleeder open to push the pistons in - if so you have probably aerated the fluid.

How good are Bendix ???? They don't evem make rear pads for the MPS6

My QFM HPX pads after 10,000km are still just superb and as previous post, they work so well they eject the CD when the ABS works hard under emergency braking - I don't believe I'd still have the car if it wasn't for the the superb braking ( Mexican Taxi driver did a "U" turn on a freeway right in front of me)

[gslrallysport]

Thanks mate, appreciate the feedback!

[AndyMPS]

An update on the brakes issue.

I have not been able to take the pads out and give them a rub down on concrete and a re-bed(correct).

However the more I have driven the car, the better the brakes have become. The pedal now feels a lot better. However the brakes still don't have much bite compared to the stock setup (may be fixed by rubdown and rebed).

[rd415]

Still sounds to me you have managed somehow to get air in the system. The brakes sound as if they are slowly, very slowly letting the air bubbles to rise back to the master cylinder and self bleeding.

Technically brake adjustment of any sort (including clearance) can be pumped out of the pedal, a few quick pumps and the pedal becomes solid. Air cannot be pumped out and the pedal feels spongy until all the air is evacuated.

Before any - one comments
1. yes the booster evacuates and makes the pedal firm.
2. Gravity is a wonderful thing and brakes can self bleed - but it takes a long while - also depends where he air is trapped

Seen some funny things bleeding brakes - MK1 Zephyrs - to get the air out had to raise the rear of the car higher than the master cylinder. Looked hilarious with the rear wheels backed onto the hoist with the front still on the ground.
Did a Volvo once where as soon as I put the pressure bleeder on I lost pedal. Used a vacuum bleeder got a pedal, put on pressure bleeder, lost pedal. Ended up vacuum bleeding to a reasonable pedal - warned the owner and within a few days the pedal came good.

An update on the brakes issue.

I have not been able to take the pads out and give them a rub down on concrete and a re-bed(correct).

However the more I have driven the car, the better the brakes have become. The pedal now feels a lot better. However the brakes still don't have much bite compared to the stock setup (may be fixed by rubdown and rebed).