tell them you want to ride along with them. I bet they are not doing an actual panic stop.
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Gas 2500 spongy brakes and other issues
- Thread starter troverman
- Start date
Doolies with max tow have bigger rear brakes.
That seems hard to believe - after all, the dually trucks only get 17" rims. How much more rotor and caliper can you stuff in there? Can anyone corroborate?
1/4"
Not sure what to do at this point. The dealer’s conclusion is that the mushy, unconfident brakes that don’t stop all that well are normal. I’m driving an older truck today towing my usual trailer, and it’s night and day how much better the brakes are in the old truck. It shouldn’t be this way.
can you find a similar truck to test drive? From what you describe yours are messed up so be interesting to see if another same year same model truck feels the same to you. If there is a difference make them drive both and brake in both in your presence..
Yeah I would agree that the dealer should at least be trying to bleed your brakes. Maybe you can try another dealer with a better service department. I drive 30 min for a certain dealer if I need any warranty work, and we have a dealer 10 min from us. I don't trust that one though.
My 2019 6.4 had exactly the symptoms others are describing - excessively long pedal travel and mushy once the brakes did engage. Double-tapping - quick press, let off, then press again - made the brakes feel much better. I I did an ABS system bleed on my , using AlphaOBD, and also ran the "Calibrate Brake Pedal" function; it made the pedal feel much better and more consistent - first press now feels just like the second. Highly recommend having the dealer or any competent service shop with a scan tool to cycle the ABS do this.
THEN I upgraded the front brakes with SSBC fixed 8-piston calipers and Napa Fleet Premium rotors and am finally happy with both the pedal feel and braking power (though still going to upgrade the pads that came with the calipers to Raybestos Element 3 pads with a GG friction rating - very high rating both cold and hot!)
SSBC "Barbarian" calipers here.
SSBC "Barbarian" calipers here.
I have Alfa OBD so I may try the brake bleed myself. The redneck approach is to bleed the brakes, then go get on a dirt road and get the ABS to engage. This will move the air out of the ABS block and into the lines. Then do another bleed.
If you report back any success I might try this myself
^^Will do. I just got my truck back from the dealer and was able to speak to the tech. He told me he drove another brand new 2500 Hemi and the brakes "felt the same to him" and applying the brakes firmly caused the truck to "stop hard." I asked if he did a panic stop from 30-40mph, and he said no. He said the ABS should not engage during a panic stop...I stated if the calipers gripped the rotors hard enough, then ABS is inevitable. If they cannot grip hard enough, the brakes aren't that good. I mentioned the full bleed job; he didn't believe that would improve the brake feel or performance at all.
If nothing else, they have it on record and the tech was not a jerk. He did state he was the only one to drive the vehicle, so the service writer was not being totally honest about that.
If nothing else, they have it on record and the tech was not a jerk. He did state he was the only one to drive the vehicle, so the service writer was not being totally honest about that.
So has anyone gotten a dealership to actually fix the problem. I read the other posts and this one as well and it seems people who do not have the problem are trying to tell us others that there is no problem. it is 100% a noticeable problem. I ahve taken it to the dealer ship, the first time they bled the brakes and it still happened, the 2nd time they replaced the booster.I have a 2020 PW, it only happens at very low speeds. Like when I am backing into a parking spot. I can press my pedal all the way down to the floor board and nothing happens I have to pump it 2 more times for it to engage and actually start to brake. If nobody has gotten an actual fix from the dealership has anyone made a BBB complaint that I can add to or should I just make my own.
The way you describe your brakes working is definitely a problem. My brakes work just fine but have a slightly softer feel then say a 4th gen Ram HD. It just took a little getting used to, but if anyone is experiencing more then a slightly different feel they should probably get their brakes looked at.
FWIW I recently did an ABS bleed on my brakes using AlfaOBD and experienced no change in pedal feel.
I have just lived with it. My truck has about 7500 miles on it now. The brakes are not confidence inspiring. I've actually had a close call, not towing anything but with a one-ton pallet of wood pellets in the bed, coming down a small hill to a stop sign. The car in front of me did not go when I expected him to, so I needed to brake harder to stop in time. I had the brake pedal to the floor pushing as hard as I could and the truck just barely stopped inches from his bumper. He flipped me off when he went...nothing I could do, lucky I didn't hit him. Most of the time its OK, or I've just gotten used to a very mushy pedal and a truck that cannot stop hard.
H3LZSN1P3R
You're doing it wrong
Thats not good. I wonder if the rod that goes through the firewall can be adjusted there is no reason you should be able to push the pedal that far. When unloaded can you lock up the wheels enough for ABS to kick on?
In my earlier posts I could not get ABS to engage with an empty truck and slamming on the brakes from 40mph on dry pavement with nobody around. I haven't tried it since. I have driven the truck in snowy conditions, and the ABS works perfectly well, but the pedal never feels better. I'm not going to say the truck is un-driveable because obviously it has 7500 miles on it. For everyday casual driving its fine coming to a smooth stop. It just simply won't, or at least doesn't always, stop hard...and the pedal is always mushy.
Glad I found this post. This is my biggest complaint on my 2023 Hemi. The brakes suck - especially in slow speeed parking lot situations. I have scared myself silly just about running in to cars or walls because my brake pushing was not enough. What can we do???