suspension and brake confusion

Post by **Defender110** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:03 pm

I'm watching this thread with interest as I too struggle bleeding the back brakes on my TGD. I took the wheels off to ease getting at the bleed nipples and rested the hubs on big wooden blocks to simulate the car being on the ground. When I released the nipples virtually nothing came out, I was trying to bleed the trapped nitrogen bubbles out of the system to stop rear end rise and I did get a bit out before an extremely slow trickle of LHM, in fact tricle is a bit strong more like a slow seep????

Nat · Post by **Nat** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:09 pm

well, seems the callipers were blocked in one direction or something, swapped them to other side of car and one is now bleeding fine and working, the other is still blocked and wont bleed, but it does now work with the callipers travelling in against the disc, just nothing coming out of the bleed hole

seems there must be something blocking that hole somewhere

I do get a very high flow rate now, especially with wooden blocks under the wheels.

Just went to do a little fine adjustment on the height corrector and found it leaking. Assuming it to be problem with one of the joins I reached up to tighten just as the rubber end cap popped off and oil poured out of the seal. Not so impressed with this reconditioned part... hummm time to try and fix the old one

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:50 pm

sounds to me like you are clutching at straws, as its very unlikely the callipers would be blocked,

regards malcolm

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:32 pm

Defender110 wrote:I'm watching this thread with interest as I too struggle bleeding the back brakes on my TGD. I took the wheels off to ease getting at the bleed nipples and rested the hubs on big wooden blocks to simulate the car being on the ground. When I released the nipples virtually nothing came out, I was trying to bleed the trapped nitrogen bubbles out of the system to stop rear end rise and I did get a bit out before an extremely slow trickle of LHM, in fact tricle is a bit strong more like a slow seep????

Did you have the engine running at the same time?

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:34 pm

citronut wrote:sounds to me like you are clutching at straws, as its very unlikely the callipers would be blocked,

regards malcolm

I've never known the calipers block either. But the nipples get blocked to the point where I've had to clear them out with a drill bit.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:10 pm

Interesting thread, i didn't have any probs bleeding paul296's rear brakes, plenty of flow. I wonder if Ken has hit the nail on the head with regard to a blocked up bleed nipple?

Post by **Defender110** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:24 pm

ken newbold wrote:
Defender110 wrote:I'm watching this thread with interest as I too struggle bleeding the back brakes on my TGD. I took the wheels off to ease getting at the bleed nipples and rested the hubs on big wooden blocks to simulate the car being on the ground. When I released the nipples virtually nothing came out, I was trying to bleed the trapped nitrogen bubbles out of the system to stop rear end rise and I did get a bit out before an extremely slow trickle of LHM, in fact tricle is a bit strong more like a slow seep????
Did you have the engine running at the same time?

Yes, i'll have to check the nipples but thet appear almost like new and undid very easily.

Nat · Post by **Nat** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:42 pm

I put two new bleed nipples in because the only way to get the old ones out was with a drill

but finally the car is back together, just in time for the MOT tomorrow :S will see what I forgot to put back together when they come back tomorrow with a long list of problems no doubt hahaha

oh well, hears hoping to success

its driving nicely again though although I noticed a very small hole blowing on the exhaust so may need some welding, bit annoying as I got a stainless fitted last xmas and the tiny bit of mild left at the front developed a hole

will see what they say.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:56 am

fingers and kniples crossed for the MOT then

regards malcolm

Nat · Post by **Nat** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:36 pm

well all my work got through the MOT. Maybe I should have got round to welding up the jacking points earlier

they got through last year so assumed they'd be ok again hahaha, oh well. just a little welding to do.

philhod · Post by **philhod** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:37 pm

I have 2 long plastic pipes that run from the nipples to the reservoir.
I always follow this procedure and have never had any trouble bleeding the rears on any of the 5 cars I've had over the years.
Start up handbrake on, put in high, crack open nipples and attach pipes. drop to normal open nipples a further turn. place 3x2 stone flag in boot.
Get someone to sit in and keep foot on brake. You can then watch the flow of green being delivered back to the rese
After letting it flow for a couple of minutes or 3, into high, nip up the nips, remove pipes and hold up to drain into rese. Finally top up if nec and back to normal.
Switch off job done, not forgetting to remove said 3x2 flag from boot.

The only problem I ever had with the rear brakes is swelling of the joint where the calliper bolts to the arm, due to corrosion, which pushes the calliper out of line with the disc, causing wedge shaped pads. Removal thorough clean and refit with coppaslip between cures all.

Dickster665 · Post by **Dickster665** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:53 pm

With the method outlined by Philhod doesn't some of the antique fluid that has been sitting unchanged in rear brake dead legs end up in the fluid reservoir that you have recently refreshed with new LHM? Or is the quantity so small in volumetric terms that it doesn't really matter?

This post is not intended to be inflammatory, I have seen this method outlined before and wondered about the point I have made.

Post by **Defender110** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:55 pm

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:39 am

Knowing Phil, it's unlikely to be that old in the brake lines, but I would imagine that the volume is insignificant. Although I don't like the idea of dirtying fresh fluid either!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 7:55 am

Nat wrote: Maybe I should have got round to welding up the jacking points earlier they got through last year so assumed they'd be ok again hahaha, oh well. just a little welding to do.

the answer to this would have bin never use factory jacking points to lift the car

or let micky moooouse tyre shops just blindly sling a jack under the car not knowing what they are jacking on

regards malcolm