Super Soft Brakes/No Stopping Power-90 Cutlass Supreme

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

My dad and I just got done installing the new rear calipers onto his '90 Cutlass Supreme...along with the struts and the parking brake cables...we only have to replace the muffler and swap another set of tires we have lying around onto it and it will be ready for the road.

 

Anyways...when i went to put more fluid into the master cylinder it was pretty much all the way down to the piston (could see through the cap)...we bled the shit out of the system (all 4 corners) and the pedal has a lot of travel and doesn't stop well at all. Car has new rotors and pads on the back also, didn't spray the rotors off with brake clean either...they might have been a little greasy.

 

How can i fix this???

 

Thanks for any help!

[supreme_style21]

I assume you've ran it and drove it a few hundred yards so the pressure and all that good stuff built up? Its always very weak after you do that kinda stuff.

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

Yeah we drove it up and down the street a few times with no plates...the stopping power really isn't there......the pedal feels better than it did now though.

 

I was sitting underneath the car and I could see the calipers squeezing against the rear rotors so they were working

[stockgp]

i'd say just bleed them again if they don't feel better after a while. sometimes i have to bleed mine twice after i do brakes

[CutlassSL91]

sorry to bring up this old topic, but my cutlass is having the exact same problem! when it is off, i pump the brakes and they are as firm as can be, turn the car on and the pedal goes right to the floor with poor stopping power. the pads have all been changed and the fluid is good.

[tdaye]

The rear parking brake is how you ajust the rear calipers...they are on a ratchet type system. it's funny that I haven't seen anyone ever mention this before. Use the park brake a few time and the rears will ajust and give you alot better pressure.

[5speedz34]

sorry to bring up this old topic, but my cutlass is having the exact same problem! when it is off, i pump the brakes and they are as firm as can be, turn the car on and the pedal goes right to the floor with poor stopping power. the pads have all been changed and the fluid is good.

 

Make sure your bleeder screw on the calipers is right side up, or else is won't bleed the system.

[CutlassSL91]

my parking brake doesn't seem to work, the cable hangs down under the car, could that have something to do with the crappy brakes?

[tdaye]

my pedal went ALOt lower to the floor and the brakes were way weaker before I knew how the calipers ajusted and had my park brake cables replaced...used it a few times and i could really feel the difference.

[jeremy]

I'm afraid to try the parking brake on my STE

[White93z34]

The rear parking brake is how you ajust the rear calipers...they are on a ratchet type system. it's funny that I haven't seen anyone ever mention this before. Use the park brake a few time and the rears will ajust and give you alot better pressure.

 

i'm rather suprised at the lack of knowledge thats on here about the rear brakes of these cars for the 88-93 stuff to begin with, everything i've learned has been trail and error.

[CutlassSL91]

so if i replace the park brake cable, will it help the rear brakes?

[tdaye]

it will help them by ajusting the rear calipers for you get the maximum use out of them, without ajustment they won't have good pressure to the rotors and your brake pedal will go further to the floor.You would also get alot of brakeware on the front pads because you would be mostly using your front brakes.I use my parkbrake at least once a week to keep the brakes well ajusted and to keep the cables from rusting up again

[Q-Ball]

Seems like a common problem here. My 92 GP SE has all new rotors as well as pads. Before I got new rear calipers they worked awesome! Than 1 of my rear calipers seized, so I got 2 new ones to replace them. My parking brake is busted and it hangs below the the car too. I've bleed my brakes before. I was thinking about trying to bleed them again, but if its not going to do anything, than whats the point? So I am hearing I need to get my parking/emergency brake fixed first?

Also not to get too much off track, but at low speeds i feel my car wobble, any idea what this might be? I was told by a friend it might mean my lugs arent on tight enough on my rear tires.

[tdaye]

could be that, but not likely, you would have lost a tire by now, it could be a bent rim but you would also feel a vibration at higher speeds, most likely a bad tire or one with a broken belt, but again you would also feel a vibration at higher speeds

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

Our cars brakes got much better once the rear pads and rotors broke in. The car stops great although it needs front rotors pretty hard...oh well, the pads are probably close to shot on the front anyway