Stainless Steel Brake Lines (Installed, Issues)

[FriboRage]

Does this orientation of the brake hose look right? I feel like it has to be, but it seems like it might pull tight on a full lock turn, and it looks like it might rub on that tab coming from the strut tower if I turn the wheel straight or the other direction.

And I assume we want the bleeder facing up as in the pictures, Im only asking because I read one set of instructions that says to face it down.. but that makes no sense to me.

 

[ItHurtz]

Re: Stainless Steel Brake Lines

air rises so bleeder stays up. Your at full suspension travel as is, jack the spindle up to ride height and turn the wheel and check.

 

[FriboRage]

Re: Stainless Steel Brake Lines

Oh yeah, I didnt even think about the suspension travel taking up slack. I know I had it right with the bleeder, but when I searched for the ss brake line orientation on google I came across a set of instructions that said you want the bleeder down. I thought that made no sense.. cause yeah the air wants to rise to bleed out. Figured I might as well get a second opinion on that while Im here.

Thanks man

 

[ItHurtz]

Re: Stainless Steel Brake Lines

double check ur lines when the wheels are on before you drive. The SS line on my rear was rubbing the tire when I took it for a drive and chewed through the plastic cover and began rubbing on the braid. I had to take the wheel back off and had to turn the line in some more. Or maybe I am retarded haha.

 

[Scottydoggs]

Re: Stainless Steel Brake Lines

it dont look like you bent the mount tab where the line meets the hard line up top, once the car is on the ground, turn the wheels and put your hand back there to see if it rubbing. i had to turn mine at the caliper to make it clear the tire.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

Re: Stainless Steel Brake Lines

ive had to clock the hardline end to help force the line into a "spiral/corkscrew" that clears everything. your caliper side may need to be clocked over a little too

 

[FriboRage]

Alright, so.. all installed, Fbody calipers in the front, fbody pads and rotors in the front, stock pads and rotors in the back with stock calipers, ss brake lines in the front... left stockers on the rear for now.

I vacuum bled 2 quart bottles of brake fluid through the system, I kept bleeding until each corner came out clear (it was a black, almost greenish blue color, I dont think the previous owner ever touched it)... no bubbles as far I can can recall.

Took it for a test drive, on starting it... I got... ABS off, Traction control off, Stability Control off, and I think there was a fourth one along the same lines... that's the only problem I really have, what could I have done to upset those systems?

Now, the pedal feels a little softer than I feel like it should... but the brakes work okay.. honestly not as solid as I thought they'd be with the ss lines up front. Braking power is definitely improved over the stock ones, with a semi-heavy foot.. under a light foot they feel similar to stock.

 

[nik12937]

It was probably variable effort steering disabled along with those other three messages. Did you disconnect any of the wheel speed sensors at the wheel hubs during installation? My bet is one is unplugged or a wire got pinched. Those messages normally come up when the PCM isn't getting readings from one or more of the sensors. I'd do a quick visual inspection, and maybe a continuity test of the wires if you can't easily see a problem.

In terms of the pedal, the F-body calipers are known for making the pedal softer. I think it's due to the larger volume of fluid in the calipers, but I'm not sure. Maybe bleed the system one last time, but what you get at that point is the best you'll end up with. The only "solution" I can think of past that would be to use 06+ Impala dual piston calipers along with matching brackets, rotors, and pads. They don't have quite as much stopping power as the F-body's, but I don't think they affect the pedal like the F-body's do.

 

[FriboRage]

I'll have to check, I dont see how I could have bumped the abs wires on the hub. I literally didnt touch anything else besides the lines, calipers, rotors, and pads... and obviously the wheels. Another thought I had was, there was one point where I had a panic moment because I got wrapped up in bleeding and forgot to check the level at the master. I dont think it got too low, but let's just say if I did get air into the master cylinder/abs box... would that cause this maybe? That would explain the pedal being a little on the soft side too.

 

[Scottydoggs]

if the master went dry or really close to dry you got air in the master, and the abs pump.

what you need to do it have someone pump the brakes like to bleed them, then crack the line off the master, do them one at a time.

use the line nut like a bleeder valve. pump pump pump, hold, you crack the line nut you'll hear air spit out, repeat till its all fluid. lock the nut back down before the pumper lets the pedal up, just like a caliper.

then you may also have to do the lines off the abs pump. same deal.

 

[FriboRage]

I'll try that bleeding the master and the abs box the way you described to maybe harden up the pedal.

I got the code scanner on it though, it came up c0035, Left front wheel speed sensor malfunction.

I'm really hoping I don't have to replace the whole hub, it seems weird to me this sensor crapped out with the car just sitting in the garage. The only thing I can think of is maybe I got brake fluid in the connector, and it's shorting.. Or maybe it affected it when I took a hammer to the old rotor to break it free from the hub. It only took 2 or 3 hits.

sigh.. I'll look at it when I get home. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Scottydoggs]

being the pedal is softer then it should be id think theres air in the master, and the air in the abs pump maybe why the abs light came on.

my f bodys feel very much like a stock pedal at the top,( slow normal stops) moves down a bit till it catches maybe a inch.

but if you stand on them its game on asap.

you should not have to re bleed the calipers after this is done. you'll feel the pedal get firmer if theres air inside. i find it better to do this with the car off too. you can really feel the pedal pump up that way.

 

[FriboRage]

Didnt get around to attempting to bleed the master, but I did fix the ABS problem I think.

I got some electrical contact cleaner, unplugged the left side wheel speed sensor and blasted out the connector real good. Plugged it back in and the light was out. It came back later that night, about 12 hours later. I repeated and it went out again, came back again the next day. I did it again, and it's been out for about 2 days now.. hopefully I got it.

Thanks for your input, everyone.