brakes feel mushy and steering feels loose

[oh dam]

OK i just finished bleeding the brakes and they feel really weird. Like if i press the pedal all the way down it doesnt lock up my brakes and takes some time to stop. so i am not sure if the MC is going out. what are the signs of that happening?

and i just installed new:

600LB maier racing coils

195LB 5leaf reverse eye grab-a-trak

Addco 3/4" rear sway bar

Grab-a-trak 1 1/8' front sway bar

and grab-a-trak weld on subframe connectors

so before i welded on the subframes i took it on a drive with the other parts installed and they car did not feel any different than before, but when i do some hard turning the steering wheel felt stiffer.

now after the subframes installed and a toe adjustment (i dont think it was a correct spec) i drove it and the steering wheel felt extremely loose, really responsive, did not return when done turning, and when turning hard sounds like the rear tires are squealing. And now i can feel everything on the ground, which was expected. and also there seems to be a warping (as described by my girlfriend) coming from unknown place at higher speeds.

any ideas why??

and how did anyones car feel after their suspension upgrades??

 

[72HCODE]

Wheel not returning to center not enough caster. Not enough caster makes steering feel loose.

Can you press the pedal all the way to the floor?

If you press the pedal almost all the way and hold it, do you feel the pedal slowly get soft.

Possible problems front calipers are reversed making the system impossible to bleed.

Prop valve internally clogged but that would effect the rear drums.

Vacuum booster not working, making you think you are pushing the pedal as it gets very stiff but your actually not pushing the pedal that far.

Incorrectly adjusted star adjusters on the drums. That makes the rear drums take allot of fluid to engage and reduces the brake system overall.

Incorrect pads on front missing spacers if the front pads are too thin it will also take longer to engage or they may not fully engage.

Master is bad. Rubber lines need to be replaced as they have gone spongey.

OK i just finished bleeding the brakes and they feel really weird. Like if i press the pedal all the way down it doesnt lock up my brakes and takes some time to stop. so i am not sure if the MC is going out. what are the signs of that happening?

and i just installed new:

600LB maier racing coils

195LB 5leaf reverse eye grab-a-trak

Addco 3/4" rear sway bar

Grab-a-trak 1 1/8' front sway bar

and grab-a-trak weld on subframe connectors

so before i welded on the subframes i took it on a drive with the other parts installed and they car did not feel any different than before, but when i do some hard turning the steering wheel felt stiffer.

now after the subframes installed and a toe adjustment (i dont think it was a correct spec) i drove it and the steering wheel felt extremely loose, really responsive, did not return when done turning, and when turning hard sounds like the rear tires are squealing. And now i can feel everything on the ground, which was expected. and also there seems to be a warping (as described by my girlfriend) coming from unknown place at higher speeds.

any ideas why??

and how did anyones car feel after their suspension upgrades??

 

[oh dam]

Wheel not returning to center not enough caster. Not enough caster makes steering feel loose.

Can you press the pedal all the way to the floor?

If you press the pedal almost all the way and hold it, do you feel the pedal slowly get soft.

Possible problems front calipers are reversed making the system impossible to bleed.

Prop valve internally clogged but that would effect the rear drums.

Vacuum booster not working, making you think you are pushing the pedal as it gets very stiff but your actually not pushing the pedal that far.

Incorrectly adjusted star adjusters on the drums. That makes the rear drums take allot of fluid to engage and reduces the brake system overall.

Incorrect pads on front missing spacers if the front pads are too thin it will also take longer to engage or they may not fully engage.

Master is bad. Rubber lines need to be replaced as they have gone spongey.

If i press it to the floor it doesnt feel like it gets softer.

and i didnt have any problems before unlike recently. I have had that brakes system for about a year and just last month i started having issues. and i have newish steel breaded lines all around and steel hoses that been replaced about 1 year ago

and i have another question. So i changed all the parts and of course it changed my alignment. And the stupid alignment shop wouldnt do my alignment again. So one tire was toe out so i had to adjust it. i believe the front of the tires measured 59.25 inches

and the rear (still front tire) measured 59.5 inches

and literally about about 30 miles later, the inside of my tires are balder than the outside. like you can see just each section decreases. That means that the toe is really really bad. but can it effect it that fast? these are brand new tires maybe 100 miles on them and now i may have to replace them again.


and i am thinking of getting these since my UCA bushings are crap..are these good?

http://www.cjponyparts.com/control-arm-upper-1967-1973/p/UCA2/

 

[73mach1]

I think I would replace the upper control arms,then align the front end. You might try your toe in at 1/8.You'll probably need check your caster and camber since you put lowering springs in it.On the brakes,have you tried bleeding them?If you do check and make sure your getting fluid out of each caliper and wheel cylinder .I had a master cylinder go bad on a truck and it was doing what your saying and I could pump the brakes and they would eventually get some pressure and feel normal.Of course I had another truck doing the same thing and it was just air in the line.

 

[Don C]

Any bad suspension or steering components, like UCA bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, idler, strut bushings, etc make it impossible to align the front end. Every time you hit a bump or turn the steering wheel toe in, caster, and camber change. The wear on the inside of your tires can be caused by negative camber or toe out and yes, it can happen in just a few miles.

 

[Widowmaker00]

Why wouldn't the alignment shop do your alignment?

 

[Qcode351mach]

OK i just finished bleeding the brakes and they feel really weird. Like if i press the pedal all the way down it doesnt lock up my brakes and takes some time to stop. so i am not sure if the MC is going out. what are the signs of that happening?

and i just installed new:

600LB maier racing coils

195LB 5leaf reverse eye grab-a-trak

Addco 3/4" rear sway bar

Grab-a-trak 1 1/8' front sway bar

and grab-a-trak weld on subframe connectors

so before i welded on the subframes i took it on a drive with the other parts installed and they car did not feel any different than before, but when i do some hard turning the steering wheel felt stiffer.

now after the subframes installed and a toe adjustment (i dont think it was a correct spec) i drove it and the steering wheel felt extremely loose, really responsive, did not return when done turning, and when turning hard sounds like the rear tires are squealing. And now i can feel everything on the ground, which was expected. and also there seems to be a warping (as described by my girlfriend) coming from unknown place at higher speeds.

any ideas why??

and how did anyones car feel after their suspension upgrades??

Your lost in the sauce :-/

You don't have a matched system..Maier springs in the front..grab a tracks in the rear..2 different sway bar manufacturers. Plus you installed everything with out changing the upper control arm bushings lower arm bushings ? Ball joints ? strut rod bushings ? Tie rod ends ? Idler arm ? Shocks? All those things should be new too before you install new springs. Personally If i was installing Maier frt springs I would also be using their rear springs..same for the sway bars shocks etc. A matched system.It's why I like to buy a complete system from 1 manufacturer they've done the hard work & figured it out.. .A lot of variables come into play when you start lowering changing springs ride height..It's a balancing act..You need to find a alignment shop who is willing to deviate from stock numbers..But with out changing out the other stuff first your gonna have a hard time getting it to ride steer correctly..

 

[oh dam]

Well the reason why i have a mismatched system is because i am on a budget. Basically everything suspension wise is done and replaced except for cam bolts and UCA componments (excluding the ball joint), and strut rod bushings. The car has a really bad alignment and got it checked out and fixed now the car handles good again. So next on my list is the UCA.

I think I would replace the upper control arms,then align the front end. You might try your toe in at 1/8.You'll probably need check your caster and camber since you put lowering springs in it.On the brakes,have you tried bleeding them?If you do check and make sure your getting fluid out of each caliper and wheel cylinder .I had a master cylinder go bad on a truck and it was doing what your saying and I could pump the brakes and they would eventually get some pressure and feel normal.Of course I had another truck doing the same thing and it was just air in the line.

Ya i checked everything. The only thing left is the MC. Going to pull that off and have it tested.

Any bad suspension or steering components, like UCA bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, idler, strut bushings, etc make it impossible to align the front end. Every time you hit a bump or turn the steering wheel toe in, caster, and camber change. The wear on the inside of your tires can be caused by negative camber or toe out and yes, it can happen in just a few miles.

Surprisely the alignment hasnt been knocked off by driving despite the UCA going bad. But the inside of my tires "feathered" because the toe was really bad

Why wouldn't the alignment shop do your alignment?

my guess is they dont want to be liable for an accident.

 

[73mach1]

I would go ahead and replace the strut rod bushing(with rubber bushings) and eccentric bolt when you do the uca.The first time I rebuilt the front end I replaced everything but the strut rod bushing.Guess what I was replacing real soon after when they went bad.

 

[oh dam]

I would go ahead and replace the strut rod bushing(with rubber bushings) and eccentric bolt when you do the uca.The first time I rebuilt the front end I replaced everything but the strut rod bushing.Guess what I was replacing real soon after when they went bad.

That is also on my list. after that my front end will be majority rebuilt.