soft brake pedal after replacing ball joints?

[John G]

The shop replaced my 14-year-old ST needed ball joints, upper and lower. Only 69k miles, but I suppose the grease dries up eventually. Afterwards, the brake pedal seemed a bit softer, becoming firm only if I pumped the pedal. It didn't go to the floor or anything close to that, it just seemed like an extra half-inch or so of softness when I push the pedal.



I took the ST back to the shop, they claimed there was nothing they could have done to cause that, but at my insistence they bled the brakes anyway.



But the brake pedal still seems a little soft. Is it possible that I'm just imagining this? Any ideas?

 

[Keith S]

In the time that they had your truck were you driving another vehicle?

 

[EddieS'04]

One thing I think of. Is did they damage one of the front brake hoses. Might be internal damage, as so the fluid is not compressing well. If the hose has a leak and sucked air. You should see signs of a fluid leak.....



They would have to take the caliper off. As so it would be out of the way...

 

[John G]

Keith, I drove no other vehicle the same day. You're probably thinking that if I had driven a car with firmer brakes that would have trained me to expect that, and that is good thinking. Seven hours passed while I was at work nearby, but I moved about only on foot.



Eddie, I suppose they could have damaged a brake line. I haven't looked yet.



The manager at the counter claimed they did no work on the brakes, so I pointed out that they must have removed the caliper. He replied yes, but no brake lines were disconnected., which sounds right. I then asked if the mechanic could have let the caliper dangle (I was thinking of the ossibioity of damage) and he said no. He offered to bleed them at no cost, so I agreed, but I didn't sense much difference.



So I am still wondering if I could be imagining it.

 

[Mark Price 2]

Check the rubber brake hose line leaving the caliper to the steel brake line for a "twist". I believe the hose has grooved lines running parallel along it to aid in this check. The grooved lines should not wrap around at any point. Easy mistake if your not paying attention I guess. May not be your issue but worth a check.

..also try a couple of slow "emergency" stops-activating the ABS. Sometime this helps.

 

[Todd Z]

Maybe from moving the calipers and what not they dislodged an air bubble or piece of rust..



Bleed the brakes or flush the fluid.



Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

I don't see any real connection? If their replacing the ball joints caused a problem with the brakes, it was something cooincidental that already existed, and just waiting to happen?



If they bleed the brakes, I would think that they did everything they could do to provide you with peace of mind that they did not do anything wrong. Most shops would not even go that far.



It's very common for people to have work done at a shop and have some complaint that something go wrong that is totally unrelated to the service performed.



Perhaps they did something but unless you can verify that they did something wrong, like twisting the brake hose, etc, then all you can do is not use them again. I hope you don't go that route since they were willing to bleed your brakes even after insisting that they did not do anything to your brakes that would have caused your problem. They sound like an upright and honest shop.



...Rich

 

[Dean Hedin]

Its a coincidence. My pedal went soft around 74K miles (2003). I replaced the master cylinder ($45) and was good to go. My lower ball joints went around the same time, in fact, just before I did the master.