Soft Brake Pedal

[Leaping Deer]

Okay so last night I am driving in traffic and the woman in front of me slams on the brakes for no reason at all. So I have to do the same and the truck didn't stop like it normally does if you slam on the brakes. For some reason after that the brakes don't seem quite right. They still seem to stop but just not as well. So I am thinking the following:

Brake booster. How do you check one?

Possible leak from a wheel cylinder. I will have to pull the rear drums off to check. Which isn't a bad idea since I haven't cleaned adjusted or even inspeced them since I bough the truck used. I've had it for about 50k.

Rotted out lines. Had an old hilux in which the lines rotted in the rear near the gas tank where it collects all the dirt and junk.

The trucks is a 97 Tacoma ex cab 3.4 with 5speed. Anyone have suggestions of what to look for?

 

[CHWTOY]

My first guess wouldn't be the master cylinder or a leaking wheel cylinder. More likely would be a stuck caliper or wheel cylinder, just look for even pad wear. Another thing to check for is a bad rear wheel bearing causing gear oil to get inside of the drums, just look for wet stains on the bottom of backing plates.

Could also be just too much water in the brake fluid. Over time the fluid will absorb water and can affect braking.

Most brake shops will do a free inspection that might catch something, but I wouldn't take what they say as gospel and I wouldn't have them fix it (they charge entirely too much money for relatively simple work).

 

[Leaping Deer]

Thanks for the input. I have had heard a strange brake noise coming from the front wheel when wheeling (usually after going though water or mud). Looked around but didn't seen any issues.

 

[5vzfe]

What kind of brake pads do you use? I had carbon metallic brake pads on my tacoma and when i would first use my brakes in the morning it would have a squishy feeling to it and it would take longer to stop. Also this happened when i was driving for a while on the freeway and didn't use my brakes for a while. these type of pads need to warm up in order for them to bite, but after they are warm they bite hard. For that reason i switched to ceramic pads, because i had more than one scare with those carbon metallic pads. Also check your brake lines, i replaced mine with SS braided lines because i wanted better pedal feel.

 

[CHWTOY]

I have had heard a strange brake noise coming from the front wheel when wheeling (usually after going though water or mud).

Sounds like a stuck caliper, look at your front brake pads, they should all be the same thickness. If one side is worn more than another check that caliper.

 

[Leaping Deer]

I'll be checking it this weekend. I will post up what I find. Thanks.