Brake bleeding / dummy light update

[DirtDonk]

It's not supposed to under any normal conditions, including hard braking. And usually does not at least in my experience.
Seems to me that some things that could cause this are:
1. Still a little air in one circuit. Front OR rear.
2. Some extra flex in one soft hose that's not found in another. Such as using braided stainless on one end while some old rubber hoses are still installed on the other.
3. A leak somewhere you've yet to see. Is the fluid level remaining the same in both reservoirs?

Stuff like that.

paul

 

[Rustytruck]

Check the adjustment on the rear brake shoes may have to tighten them up. try rapid brake action while briskly backing up may be 20 to 30 hard rapid pulses. may be try braking with the parking brake on a couple of clicks to test if the light comes on. if there is no air and one circuit travels more than the other the light will come on. to reset mash and hold the brake peddle to recenter the switch till the light goes out.

 

[CopperBronco]

Check the adjustment on the rear brake shoes may have to tighten them up. try rapid brake action while briskly backing up may be 20 to 30 hard rapid pulses. may be try braking with the parking brake on a couple of clicks to test if the light comes on. if there is no air and one circuit travels more than the other the light will come on. to reset mash and hold the brake peddle to recenter the switch till the light goes out.

Just to be clear, mash the brake pedal while in reverse? 20-30 times rapidly? And the goal is to get it to come on permanently? Then put back into park and mash the brake pedal until the light goes out?

 

[Rustytruck]

The self adjusters on the rear brakes only self adjust while applying the brakes moving in reverse. if you want the brakes to self adjust rapidly back up and slam the brakes rapidly several times they keep adjusting as long as there is excessive stroke of the brake shoes. peddle must stroke all the way down and all the way up. if the brake warning light stays on you can reset it by braking hard and holding the pedal until the light goes out.

 

[CopperBronco]

The self adjusters on the rear brakes only self adjust while applying the brakes moving in reverse. if you want the brakes to self adjust rapidly back up and slam the brakes rapidly several times they keep adjusting as long as there is excessive stroke of the brake shoes. peddle must stroke all the way down and all the way up. if the brake warning light stays on you can reset it by braking hard and holding the pedal until the light goes out.

Got it, thanks, will try this, all in reverse, makes sense now that you say it.

 

[DirtDonk]

By the way, this is one of those "when they decide to work" kind of things.
It's not that they can't work as expected, and many do. It's just that neither I, nor any of my friends have ever had self-adjusters that actually did self-adjust.
Or if they did, it was a lot less noticeable than expected.
Every few weeks I'd spend a half an hour jacking up the wheels and "self" adjusting them myself.

My brakes always worked very well, but I had to make them do it.

Paul

 

[.94 OR]

My Bronco has had long tube headers since before I bought it in '89. The brake line down to the front axle was remounted due to the proximity to a hot pipe. When I replaced the headers I upgraded the hose to an F250 rear hose since it was about 3-4" longer than a stock EB hose so I could extend my suspension. The issue is a hose end like that at the wheel requiring a flat bracket and a horseshoe clip. I made a bracket to hold that hose vertical just behind the frame motor mount bracket and using the stock prop valve hold down bolt. It has worked, but being a rubber hose, it spent some time against a hot pipe so it is time to replace it as well.

How is anyone else running that front tube/hose?

 

[DirtDonk]

Don't hear a lot about having to re-route the hoses these days. Maybe because headers fit a little better now than before?
Or just as likely a lot of people don't notice the proximity and so don't change. Others may notice, but not quite get roundtoit.

Paul

 

[CopperBronco]

Long time follow up… my brake dummy light now functions as it should. It used to come on and stay on when I first started Bronco, or if I shifted into reverse. And then go off as I started driving around and braking… hadn’t gotten into brakes since I bought this thing besides a mechanic saying rears looked newer. Short of the story, the rear drum brakes had rear adjuster screws on wrong sides, and it had both rear and front shoes doubled up on each side. Now brake pedal is a tad firmer, Bronco stops better with rear brakes on right and adjusted evenly, and brake light switch and dummy light only come on when I turn ignition… all as it should be. This PO work though is starting to give me heartburn . Slowly but surely this old Bronco is becoming road worthy…

 

[DirtDonk]

Great to hear. Thanks for following up with the details. Glad you dug into a little bit more.