Brake pedal travel adjustment?

[shima]

Hi all,

I am just curious whether or not it is possible to adjust how far the brake pedal travels in a car before the pads make contact with the rotors...

In my girlfriend's Ford Focus, the pedal travels a pretty "standard" length before the driver starts to feel the car braking. I say it is "standard" length because it feels about the same in our other cars. This morning, she asked me whether I knew if it was possible to shorten that distance so that the brakes would engage earlier in the brake pedal stroke.

I don't have an answer for her, and the Google results I'm getting are sort of all over the place. What do you guys think?

 

[Bent77]

Confirm there’s not a issue with the pads or master

Is she having trouble reaching the pedals? Typically the brakes start engaging on movement

 

[Justin V]

If it it a rear drum brake car, those might be out of adjustment causing a deeper pedal as well...

 

[sweetk30]

If it it a rear drum brake car, those might be out of adjustment causing a deeper pedal as well...

x2 on this . adjusters dont self adjust anymore i dont care what they say .

and as said check pad / shoe life . if low = lots of extra travel . and old nasty brake fluid will feel extra squishy and give low pedal . 1 had this first hand years ago . my 1 atv had hardly no pressure at the brakes . all i did was flush the fluid out and BAM she had brake till sunday . that old nasty fluid was the problem .

 

[shima]

Confirm there’s not a issue with the pads or master

Is she having trouble reaching the pedals? Typically the brakes start engaging on movement

If it it a rear drum brake car, those might be out of adjustment causing a deeper pedal as well...

x2 on this . adjusters dont self adjust anymore i dont care what they say .

and as said check pad / shoe life . if low = lots of extra travel . and old nasty brake fluid will feel extra squishy and give low pedal . 1 had this first hand years ago . my 1 atv had hardly no pressure at the brakes . all i did was flush the fluid out and BAM she had brake till sunday . that old nasty fluid was the problem .

@Bent77, no trouble reaching the pedals - I replaced her rotors and pads in the front last week, and she expected the pedal travel to decrease as a result of that job. Thinking now that those rear drum brakes need adjustment / new shoes.

@Justin V @sweetk30 yep that seems to be the case. Her rear pads / shoes in those drum brakes may have as many as 140k on them.

I guess I'll look into working on drum brakes. Never done that before. If replacing the parts there doesn't help much then I'll bleed her system - I've done that before, at least! Thanks all of you!

 

[sweetk30]

dont be surprised if u just need a good clean and adjustment for drum rear .

 

[shima]

Hey guys - I got out in the garage today and swapped the brake shoes and hardware on Aimee's drum brakes in the rear.

The pedal feels fine, pretty much same as before. But her e-brake doesn't really work. From what you all have told me and from what I have read, I am guessing that I need to go back in and use the self-adjuster to push the brake shoes closer to the drums. Does that sound right?

A side question too - when are self-adjusters supposed to self-adjust? I am guessing they are supposed to self-adjust when you hit the brakes?

EDIT: F*** the self-adjusters on the Ford Focus!!!