Brakes are extremely loose

[Flushcb]

My brakes are to the floor and I have to pump them a few times before they make friction. I've bled it over and over and I've gotten no where. While bleeding I noticed the wheel hub wiggles a lot and that the brake pads have very little clearance. What could cause this? Slave and master is fine, no leaking. Help./:

[Mike1357]

Is your car an ABS equipped car? How many times did you bleed each caliper and did you bleed the longest brake line first and so forth?

Your wheel wiggling may be a bad wheel bearing, but there shouldn't be much clearance between the pads and the rotor. In fact, hardly any at all.

The calipers themselves are the "slave cylinders" in this situation so your wording is a little confusing. It's possible that the calipers are leaking behind the dust boots causing loss of pressure but no sign of a leak.

[Flushcb]

Yes it is, we've bled each caliper 10 times each and air stops coming out after the 8th time. I knew there shouldn't be any clearance in the brake pads, it seems like that's the only thing that's making it wiggle. If it's a wheel bearing I have two newish wheel hub assy. I can use, which had new bearings put in it. What do you mean the longest brake line first? We did the passenger side first, then the drivers side lol. That's how I've always done it./:

[Mike1357]

Well, I take that back, it could either be a bad ball joint, hub assembly or tie rod end. Give the wheel a shake and peek your head back there to see what it is that is actually wiggling.

I've always bled the longest brake line first. The brake lines all start at the master cylinder then go down one side of the car and back across to their respective calipers. Sometimes, depending on the car, you have to use a zig zag pattern. So rears then fronts.

Is the soft pedal something that has gradually appeared or did it happen after a recent repair?

[Flushcb]

When I shake it and look back, the ball joint doesn't move. Nor does the entire assembly, it's just the hub./: I have 3 more cb7's and compared this one to them and the others are stiff. No play. And this happened after I let it sit for 3 weeks, due to a snapped axle. I've only bled the front, never the back. I haven't thought about bleeding the back lol, I'll give that a try tomorrow, I'm not losing any brake fluid though.

[Mike1357]

Then yeah, it's probably your wheel bearing. Whenever you bleed you brakes, you have to bleed the whole system, not just one caliper or one side.

[sonikaccord]

Yep. Bleed the caliper farthest from the master first and work your way up. Your wheel bearing may be done too. How does it feel or sound when you turn the wheel? Which wheel is it?

[Flushcb]

There's kind of a grinding sound like metal on metal when driving. Almost sounds like the dust shield is rubbing on the wheel hub. I've checked and it isn't it. When bleeding the brakes the hub will not shake or move but that's probably because the caliper is pressing onto the hub but when they aren't being pressed there's clearance from the rotor and brake pads and it wiggles. /:

[illinois_erik]

you can skip the ABS part, use a turkey baster to empty that reservoir and refill with fresh fluid. Other than that its like bleeding any other car. Are you sure youre doing it right? Have someone pump till the pedal stiffens up (dont go all the way to floor) keep pressure on the pedal and crack open the caliper. then close it. Repeat till no more air bubbles come out. about 3 times is my average. (keep an eye on the main reservoir so it doesnt run dry) then move onto the next wheel, repeat. If you can afford it I highly suggest speed bleeders, then you can do it all by yourself in about 10 minutes.

[Flushcb]

Yeah that's most likely where I'm messing up. I've only been bleeding the fronts. It took us around 8 times for air to stop coming out, and we kept watching the reservoir making sure it didn't run dry.

[illinois_erik]

Yeah that's most likely where I'm messing up. I've only been bleeding the fronts. It took us around 8 times for air to stop coming out, and we kept watching the reservoir making sure it didn't run dry.

did you do any other work, sounds like air is infiltrating somewherez..but see the diagram our brakes are diagonal system all that air could have been coming from the rears too. you might just have to bite the bullet and do it correctly all 4 corners...

[Flushcb]

I shall do this when the sun rises. I think I just lucked out bleeding just the fronts on my other cars...

[Flushcb]

I bled the brakes in the right order, and I took it out around my neighborhood and after about 5 minutes the pedal sunk to the floor. Then it gained pressure. I'm leaking somewhere but I cannot see any fluid?/:

[oyajicool]

To me, it sounds like the master cylinder that has internal leak, which does not build pressure, due to worn piston seal.

[Flushcb]

It builds pressure very slowly. Then it's all lost. I stopped at the red light fine. Had pressure too. I pulled off and had to stop for the second red light and when I pressed the brakes it went to the floor. It has a little resistance but it still went to the floor with hardly any effort.