What causes excessive brake pedal free play?
Low/Spongy Brake Pedal
| Probable Cause: | Corrective Action: |
|---|---|
| Excessive free play in brake pedal linkage. | Adjust for proper linkage. |
| Pad “knock-back”. | Examine rotor run out and parallelism, bearing adjustment, etc. |
| Excessive clearance between linings and drums. | Adjust brakes. |
| Contaminated fluid. | Replace with approved brake fluid. |
Why does my brake pedal have play?
Air in the brake line(s) is the most common cause of a soft/spongy brake pedal. If air gets into the brake lines, it can prevent brake fluid from flowing properly, causing the brake pedal to feel spongy or soft. If the brakes are soft or spongy, this is a good time to change or flush the brake fluid.
How much play should brake pedal have?
It should move about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch before it starts to engage the brakes. If the pedal has no free play then it is constantly engaging the brakes, causing them to drag and wear prematurely. If there is too much play the brakes will feel soft and mushy.
How much free play does a brake pedal need?
Push on the brake pedal with your fingers and note how much free play there is in the pedal. It should move about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch before it starts to engage the brakes. If the pedal has no free play then it is constantly engaging the brakes, causing them to drag and wear prematurely.
How much do you push on the brake pedal?
Push on the brake pedal with your fingers and note how much free play there is in the pedal. It should move about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch before it starts to engage the brakes.
How are brake and clutch pedals supposed to be?
In order to drive safely, it’s imperative that your brake and clutch pedals are sitting at their proper height. You can test this by measuring something called free play, which is the distance between the pedals when not depressed and the point at which they begin to engage when you press them with your foot.
Where does the brake pedal reserve come from?
Brake Pedal Reserve is a measurement from the floorboard of the vehicle to the TOP of the brake pedal when the brakes are applied.
When to check brake pedal free play and pedal reserve?
Too much is rarely a problem as long as there is still plenty of pedal reserve (distance to the floor while brakes are fully applied). Free play should be checked any time the master cylinder is replaced. It should also be checked if the Power Brake Booster has been replaced.
When do you knock back a brake pedal?
Knock back only occurs when the vehicle is moving. A pedal that has good pedal reserve with the vehicle parked, but a low brake pedal while driving should have the rotors and wheel bearings inspected for lateral runout. Show all of Phil Krolick’s web pages .
What should be the distance between the brake pedal and the floorboard?
Make sure there is room between the brake pedal and the floorboard with the brakes applied. Not all manufacturers specify a pedal reserve distance however there should be at least 2 inches of travel before the brake pedal hits the floor. Many factors affect pedal reserve.
How is free play on the brake measured?
Free-Play is measured with a ruler or tape measure. Too little free play is not good! Too much is rarely a problem as long as there is still plenty of pedal reserve (distance to the floor while brakes are fully applied).