C900 T16 Brakes soft

My brakes are no where near as sharp as I would like them. My specialist reported the pads as 50% worn, discs changed within last 12 months. I wonder whether I am asking too much of them, having stepped down(?) from a

9000 2.3FPT to a C900 T16 with no ABS.

If I brake really hard the car seems to yaw to the right, it's a bit like a pole has been put through the roof in the centre of the car and its twisting round that. It's not a very noticeable effect, but it's definitely there. Maybe a calliper jamming?

I read a while back that brake fluid should be changed every 18 months or so. Maybe that would help, along with new pads anyway. Any thoughts/recommendations.

How easy is it to change the brake fluid? I know the process, and I've changed cylinders on drum brakes and bled the system before, so I'm fairly confident I can do it myself. As long as our good friends at Trollhatten didn't make it too fiddly for us amateurs.....

Grazie

Al

Reply to
Al
Loading thread data ...

They can be very good or very poor.

It can be a caliper jamming. What year C900 is it? Because the early T16's used the same brakes as the older C900 and 99, the later C900 used a similar if not the same setup as a 9000. They can be interchanged, but the easiest method involves swapping the rear beam axle and you need the newer style front hunbs too.

Roughly two years for brake fluid. What are the flexi hoses like? With age they can deteriorate and swell instead of psuhing the fluid, and even at MOT time, they may pass, but burst shortly after. New rubber hoses will help, braided hoses will feel much firmer but be counted as a modification if that may affect your insurance.

The best way to change the fluid is with a large container of fluid suspensed of the reserve. And either a pressure bleeder (you can make one your self using a garden pump sprayer), or a vacuum pump bleeder that sucks the fluid through rather than blowing it. Kinder to seals too.

Make sure you have enough fluid for the whole system, start the furthest away from the master cylinder, work round until closest, so right rear, left rear, right front, left front. Just keep pumping fluid through until you get clean clear bubble free fluid through.

Spray the nipple with something plusgas or your favourite other releasing agent the night before if you can. Last thing you want is to break a bleed nipple.

Also if you need new pads, do them first, as the new piston position will raise the fluid level.

When you are done with the pressure bleeder the reserve will probably be over full, use an old turkey baster to lift out any extra.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

How old is the car?

Yaw to the right means pulling right, wanting to go right?

First, check that your tyres are the same tread pattern (by axle) AND the same pressure.

I assume the problem is at the front brakes (as they do most of the work anyway ... you need a rolling road to figure out problems on the rear)

Ia it still pulls to the right when

a. the car/brakes are cold you have a ceased left calliper which does not want to press the pads against the disk

b. If the problem happens when the brakes are really hot (I mean hot!!!) then again you have a ceased left calliper which does not release from the disk until it overheats in which case it does not brake.

The car pulls in the direction of the better brake/tyre/friction with the tarmac.

Yes every 2-3 years. It absorbs condensation and causes internal rust. Hence things like the ceasures I describe above. Also if your brakes run hot (I mean hot!) and you have condensation in the system, it turns into vapour and then you have air in the system thus no brakes.

Exactly the same as bleeding. YOu keep bleeding until clean fluid comes through. (all 4 corners in the correct order).

Regards Charles

PS. How is the travel on the brake pedal. Very hard with little travel or longer normal (what is normal?) travel or long and spongy?

Reply to
Charles C.

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.