poor braking: escort 97

I dont know if it's fixable. Is it ABS brakes? Disconnect it for a while see if it improves. ?

Try putting in better gripping pads (more $$) and bleeding & replacing the brake fluid first. If it doesn't improve them, check master cylinder.

what kind of car are you used to driving??? i normally drive our 93 ford taurus with disc brakes on the front and drums on the back.. and when i dive our 96 contour with disc on all four wheels it is a much better braking job and i feel the way you do about the stopping power on the older car... this might be what yuou are experiencing and there is nothign wrong with the car.....

that's a good point: I drive a Gd Marquis, 4 disks, with ABS. so I am not sure. but it really feel very weak. My wife's Escort has front disk and rear drums.

Fred.

I own a 97 escort lx sport. I've owned it since it was new. We had braking issues since it was new. (squealing mostly. But noticed they were a bit soft. Had shims put on flushed the system. Finally, at 140k kms decided to put new rotors and pads on. Upgraded to higher quality, after market stuff. What a difference!! I'm thinking it was the crap Ford pads and rotors. Was considering Callipers too but the guy at the performance shop said that it wouldn't make as much of a difference after the high quality rotors and pads. I have to agree. It was an easy do it yourself job too. I did it in about 1.5 hours both fronts. I left the rear alone as they are drums and in good shape. And hey most of your braking power come from your front brakes anyway.

my 2 cents

Drew