VE SS-V Redline - Spongy Brembo Brakes

[chamst]

HI Guys,

I have a 2010 VEII SS-V Redline Sportwagon which I bought new from a Perth Dealer in MAy 2011.
I took out the extended factory 6 year warranty on purchase.

I have noticed from day one the brake pedal is really spongy and the brakes don't seem to pull the car up well unless you really hit them hard.
It seems crazy considering how big the Brembo brakes are on these redline VE's.
I have friends with Falcon XR-6's with brakes that put y ou through the windshield when you barely touch them.

I took the car to Brian Gardner Holden in Peth for one of the services last year and complained about the issue.
The brake fluid was due for replacement anyway so I figured it would get the bleed etc it needed.
(I suspected air in the brakes from the beginning)
They were told I was unhappy with the brake performance from the purchase of the vehicle.
Anyway it came back with slighly better performance but still these brakes are nothing like they should be.
(Although I haven't driven another redline to compare with.... I just know the XR-6 brakes are MUCH better)

Does anyone with a VEII redline concurr with my experience, and if so, did you manage to get the problem sorted.

Any information appreciated.

Chambo

 

[Michael-08-VE]

Hey mate, as far as I know brembo don't make anything below very good brake set ups so there's something wrong, I'd get a mechanic to take it for a drive with you in the car and talk him through the problem.

 

[brasher]

No issues with mine, jump on the anchors and you will crack your head into the windscreen!

 

[Benboy]

1. Bleed brake system (possible water present or air in lines)

2. If that fails, inspect rotors and pads. Perhaps someone has installed ultra hard pads - they require some heat to perform best !!

3. If any of the above is 'foreign' to you, suggest a visit to a Brake Specialist.

 

[TAS1981]

Have you tried your friends Ford brakes yourself? Also just in case, there is a difference between overly servo'd assisted brakes like you might find on a small hatch meant for low experienced drivers...i.e. you touch them and face plant the windscreen, the point is there is no feel and they are not progressive.... Having said that if the Brembo brakes are not inspiring confidence and you have to stand on them to get them to really operate then there is clearly something wrong. I'd be checking the setup myself and bleeding with the help of a friend the old fashioned way, checking for fluid loss or leaks, is the system pulling the car one way or the other under braking?

What's the condition of the fluid in the reservoir?

 

[Loaded Dice]

no problems with mine.

 

[Thumpin]

Chambo,

Soft pedal normally indicates air in the fluid. Dealers or service centres sometimes just vacuum out the fluid in the resouvior and refill with clean fluid and don't bleed the actual system at all.
I replaced my front calipers with the Brembo's and after bleeding them properly I got a firmer peddle than with the stock calipers. There is a method to bleed brembo's correctly to ensure all air is purged. The method applies to all dual opposed piston calipers. If your dealer didn't perform it correctly then there could be a chance of trapped air giving you the soft pedal.
BTW, VE brake pedals do a reputation of being soft but with good modulation. It would be good if you could drive another car to compare feel.

Best bet is to get all four calipers bleed properly and see where you are at.

 

[bradizle]

s2 ve redline ute here... mine are awesome.. still running stock pads.... getting new pads soon cant imagine what its going to be like! eeekkk!!

 

[chamst]

Brembo Brakes

Thanks Guys to all who posted replies...


I can tell you the brake pads are standard factory and the fluid should have been changed and brakes bled at the dealership about 5,000 kms ago.
(Unless the dealership pulled a swifty... not unheard of)
The fluid in the reservoir looks clean as.

Brakes don't pull the car either way.
They work well when applied with reasonable force, its just the pedal is very soft and it takes a fair bit of travel before really kicking in.
A safety concern really as it adds somewhat to the reaction time in an incident.

Anyway, I will be getting an OTR CAI, Full Exhaust inc Headers and Mafless tune in about a month at a performance centre in Perth,
I might get them to have a look at the brakes, and failing that will take it to a good brake specialist.
I used to bleed my own brakes but I thought they did power bleeds with specialist equipment these days, but maybe that is a misconception on my part.

I used to do most of my own work on my cars, but one tends to get a bit 'scared' with modern cars due to the technology.
Probably unfounded in some instances as they are easier to work on in some regards.
(ECU can report problems via OBDII interface etc)
I wish I had that with my old cars!

Anyway, thanks again.


Chambo

 

[TAS1981]

Sounds like a good plan to get it checked if you are taking it in. They'll know instantly.