Spongy Brakes Even After Upgrade

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joesstripclub

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What would that solve?
Rubber lines can expand under braking pressure causing the spongy feeling.

I've used a vacuum bleeder on my truck to change brake fluid without issue so it sounds like your mechanic is doing something wrong or like others have said there is some air trapped that is not getting removed.
 

Scottly

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What would that solve?
Read the OP statements.... "So I had a spongy brakes feeling, wheel the pedal sinks before I can feel the brakes engaging and the truck stopping...I decided to work on the brakes and replace the stock ones with Power Stop Z36...the lines were bled but upon testing we still have the spongy brakes pedal feeling....We decided to replace the brake master cylinder with a manufactured part, but we still have the spongy feeling..."

The spongy feeling was there..."The problem". He threw parts at it, none of which address a "spongy' feeling. All the replies given were in reference to air being in the lines. Why would there be air in the lines before the system was ever busted open? Answer: There probably wasn't. The guy's truck is 10yrs old and who knows how many miles. The rubber brake hoses wear and stretch, which causes a spongy feeling. Hell, my RAM breaks are spongy when new...Braided steel brake lines stop brake hose expansion, leaving little else in the system to give a spongy feel. I suspect what the OP feels as "spongy" is not what others here define "spongy" as being.
 

pacofortacos

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Rubber lines are not a problem, if your rubber hoses are expanding then they have failed and need to be replaced - replacement hoses are fine, no need to reinvent the wheel.
They have used rubber lines forever.

Water in the brake fluid can boil off and just having water in the fluid will make the brakes feel spongy as it compresses more than brake fluid.

I agree throwing pads for a spongy feel isn't going to fix it.
 

KansasArt

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Agree with pack’s statement above…there’s literally hundreds of thousands of vehicles with > than 200K miles running on the original rubber lines. The amount that they would expand/contract is minuscule. Not enough to cause spongy brakes in a DD. Can definitely see using SS lines in a track care where you’re braking/accelerating/braking.
 

Jeepwalker

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SS brake hose isn't the answer. Not the cause of your spongy pedal. Sure they are great for a race car in a 3hr race. But they're controversial and have reliability issues using for DD's (do a web search). Which is why virtually no cars/PU's come with them, not even the TRX or Raptor.
 
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Dodge 1500 4X4

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Bad brake flex hose will give you a caliper that doesn't release when you take your foot off of the brake the hose is collapsing from inside of the hose, it will not give you a spongy pedal, air or ABS problems will.
 
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La Ramie

La Ramie

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Bad brake flex hose will give you a caliper that doesn't release when you take your foot off of the brake the hose is collapsing from inside of the hose, it will not give you a spongy pedal, air or ABS problems will.
This is what I saw when I was reviewing YouTube trying to find the issue and a solution.
One was saying, even though there is no ABS alarm light on the dashboard, there could be an issue with the ABS module.
 

DodgeDude99

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SS brake hose isn't the answer. Not the cause of your spongy pedal. Sure they are great for a race car in a 3hr race. But they're controversial and have reliability issues using for DD's (do a web search). Which is why virtually no cars/PU's come with them, not even the TRX or Raptor.

I ran braided hoses on a lifted 2nd Gen for 10+ yrs not one issue. They are also commonly swapped out on modern muscle as well and daily driven with out issues.

If they are DOT approved and have a vinyl covering on the braided part(which 99% of them do) you’re not going to have any issue on a DD.

Saying otherwise is I heard it from a friend who read it on a forum so it must be true.


OP, get yourself a Motive pressure bleeder and bleed the brakes that way. I have this and the vacuum, & the pressure works 10x better hands down.
 

DC Tradesman

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It could be the master cylinder Leaking internally & filling the booster diaphragm. You would notice a fluid drop. If not than its air in the ABS. You need a mechanic that has an ABS pressurized brake bleeding system. I had the exact problem after replacing my calipers.
 

Sherman Bird

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So I had a spongy brakes feeling, wheel the pedal sinks before I can feel the brakes engaging and the truck stopping.

Since I’m working on the engine and transmission, I decided to work on the brakes and replace the stock ones with Power Stop Z36.

During installation, the lines were bled but upon testing we still have the spongy brakes pedal feeling.

We decided to replace the brake master cylinder with a manufactured part, but we still have the spongy feeling.

Now, the mechanic is telling me and due to the larger disc and caliber, I have to find a larger brake master cylinder.

I need your help here. Is the mechanic full of it? Or do I really need a higher performance and larger master cylinder? Is there such a thing for Ram? If so, can you please help me with the vendor or part number?
The mechanic is a Jethro.
Burla makes a great point.
 
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La Ramie

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It could be the master cylinder Leaking internally & filling the booster diaphragm. You would notice a fluid drop. If not than its air in the ABS. You need a mechanic that has an ABS pressurized brake bleeding system. I had the exact problem after replacing my calipers.
We did try to bleed the ABS using an OBD tool, but that didn’t work. Thinking of doing the old school bleeding of each corner one at a time. I just need to go back in the weekend.

The mechanic is a Jethro.
Burla makes a great point.

You have the option of doing a automated bleed with a scanner, or in many cases, I've just put the car/truck in reverse, go backwards about 25 or so feet to about 10-15 mph and slam on the brakes, thus engaging the ABS. This has worked in many many cases for me.
TBH, I had a thought of doing this while doing the brakes break-in. Either it would solve it or nothing.
 

Dusty

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Even if you purge the air out, like the other guy said you need a scan tool to fix the abs. Air in brakes is always number one cause of any spongy brake, use the internet there are some other things, but those things mostly cause air that causes the sponge. Honestly, any mechanic worth 1/2 a **** would suggest so as well. You might want more oil psi ie master cylinder upgrade with newer upgraded calipers, but that would likely be a less visceral feeling then spongy which is flat dangerous.
1. A scan tool IS REQUIRED to purge the system of air if the ABS module has lost pressure.

2. My oldest installed a set of brake pads that had some crazy, go-fast-then lock-them-up, break-in procedure. I thought he said they were Power Stops.

3. Use extreme caution taking opinions from that particular "mechanic" in the future.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 80656 miles
 

edb1

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Try changing to stainless lines. I installed Power Stop Z36, pads and rotors, and still had a squishy pedal on hard stops, especially when loaded or pulling a loaded trailer. After instaling the Pro Comp lines, beautiful braking control.
 
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La Ramie

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Try changing to stainless lines. I installed Power Stop Z36, pads and rotors, and still had a squishy pedal on hard stops, especially when loaded or pulling a loaded trailer. After instaling the Pro Comp lines, beautiful braking control.
if I was to take your advise and the others, changing the brake lines, even if it’s a factory style rubber, on a 9 year old car with more than 300k miles might help solve the issue.
 
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09SilverRam

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How old is your brake fluid? When you get the dealer to purge the ABS go ahead and have them ompletly replace your brake fluid if it hasn’t been completely replaced in more than 5 years.
 
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