Community Forums

raycyn778 · 04-08-2014, 11:37 AM

Hello all, has anyone else had issues with soft brakes on an F-53 chassis? I traded a Georgetown on an F-53 for an 2014 Adventurer on the same chassis and the difference in the brake feel is considerable. dealer says it's OK but as a CDL truck driver with over 750,000 miles and over 15 years of driving experience in trucks of all classes including the F-53, the feel is way to soft. i can practically press the pedal to the floor if I push hard enough. ( like I would in an emergency stop situation). anyone else??

Ray

homeless · 04-08-2014, 11:59 AM

I have a Pace Arrow 1990 that may not be anything like yours, but its a Ford chassis, and has some kind of break boost that has to do with power steering. It feels soft and even seems to have to have more pressure on it at a stop sign. As it bleeds down. My guy tells me its how they are, "Normal", I have not had an o shi moment yet. But I have got use to it....

jimlaurielucy · 04-08-2014, 03:55 PM

We have a 2013 Adventurer model H. I had the same issue and they told me it was normal. I have gotten use to it but sure do look ahead for stopping.

Hikerdogs · 04-08-2014, 04:23 PM

Our 2013 Adventurer on the F53 chassis is just the opposite. The brakes are far stiffer than the ones in our 2001 motorhome on the same chassis or the brakes on our 2010 Ford truck.

It takes more pedal effort to stop the new motorhome. The pedal isn't soft or spongy.

Ray,IN · 04-08-2014, 09:43 PM

Hydro-boost brakes do feel that way, and yes with continued hard pressure you can push the pedal to the floor at a stop sign.

Hikerdogs · 04-09-2014, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Hydro-boost brakes do feel that way, and yes with continued hard pressure you can push the pedal to the floor at a stop sign.

The F53 chassis uses a different system than the one described in the article you linked. The Ford system is similar but not the same. In addition to hydraulic pressure assist from the power steering pump it also has a backup electric motor driven pump. The motor driven pump provides hydraulic pressure if the engine is off, or it senses low hydraulic pressure as in the case of a broken power steering belt. If you go down to the "Perform Basic Test" portion the first instruction is:

1. Engine (pump) off, depress and release the brake pedal four times to deplete all hydraulic pressure from hydo-boost.

Pressure can't be bled off the system unless the motor is disabled. It's a built in safety system so the brakes will continue to work if the engine dies.

The pump will also engage when the engine is running IF it senses low hydraulic pressure. There are several steps in the diagnostic procedure that either do not apply or cannot be performed on a vehicle equipped with a Hydro-Max system.

raycyn778 · 04-09-2014, 12:00 PM

One of the reasons I think there is a problem is that I can pump them up coming to a stop. With the older hydraulic systems, if you could pump them up, there was a problem. Not sure about this system.... Anyone??

Thanks
Ray

cgarv · 04-09-2014, 01:35 PM

I am not confident in the brakes on my 2013 Suncruiser either.
I am concerned about stopping in an emergency, had the local Ford Dealer check them out and they said they were fine.
My previous motorhome, a class C Itasca Cambria's brakes were like a sports car compared to this.

artgpo · 04-10-2014, 04:43 PM

I had the brakes checked on our 2013 Sunstar. The dealer said they were perfectly normal. I have adjusted my car driving habits when in the Itasca and am now comfortable with the brake pedal. I allow a lot of stopping distance.

Elf111 · 04-10-2014, 05:05 PM

I have an older f53 that will put you in the windshield if I choose to. I don't think I would accept anything less if you have to pump the pedal to get it stopped your going to be the first one to the scene of an accident not the dealer. Take it to a truck shop and get it checked out. It really sounds like it just has air in the system and needs to be bled very simple procedure that wouldn't make much money for a dealer. If it turns out that's the problem I think I'd have to go back to that dealer and have a long talk with someone.

TeJay · 04-13-2014, 08:12 PM

I'd have to agree with Elf111, Several have responded with, "I've got a lot of driving experience and this just does not seem right." There are two power brake systems out there in common use. The standard vacuum assist and the hydraulic assist. Both are designed to multiply your foot pedal force by about 10-X's to give you power assist. In either system if the pedal is spongy then something in the system is compressing and that something is either water turned into steam or air. If pumping the brake pedal gives you a firmer higher pedal it's the same either air or water turned into steam.

Just because you've gotten used to a spongy or lower than normal pedal does not make it right.

Maybe it's time to have your brake fluid flushed. Old fluid will have absorbed some water. I started teaching automotive repair in HS in 1971 and retired in 2006. It wasn't until about 15 years ago that I started hearing about flushing brake fluid as a regular service procedure. It is recommended that it be performed about every 3-4 years. WHY??? Because brake fluid will absorb moisture over time and that moisture rusts the internal parts.

It should not be an expensive procedure and most DIY guys can do it at home. It's take about 3-4 quarts of fluid and a vacuum pump. Google brake fluid flush and I'm sure you'll see a lot of stuff on it.

TeJay

raycyn778 · 04-14-2014, 07:04 PM

TeJay thanks but it is a 2014 model!! Definitely not yet time to flush !! The 2012 Georgetown on an F-53 that we traded in for this unit had much firmer brakes..on top of that, I have 17 years of CDL truck driving experience and these feel soft!

Ray

Hikerdogs · 04-16-2014, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raycyn778

Hello all, has anyone else had issues with soft brakes on an F-53 chassis? I traded a Georgetown on an F-53 for an 2014 Adventurer on the same chassis and the difference in the brake feel is considerable. dealer says it's OK but as a CDL truck driver with over 750,000 miles and over 15 years of driving experience in trucks of all classes including the F-53, the feel is way to soft. i can practically press the pedal to the floor if I push hard enough. ( like I would in an emergency stop situation). anyone else??

Ray

We just brought our 2013 Adventurer back from storage yesterday. While driving it home I remembered your post and paid close attention to the braking. Here's the way the system works in our coach.

First of all there is very little free travel on the pedal. When the brakes are applied the pedal only moves a couple inches at most. The pedal is stiff compared to the one in our 2001 Adventurer (both on the F53 chassis). There is no way the pedal can be pumped more than once without planting your face in the windshield.

I believe you either have air in the system or a defective master cylinder. If you had a braking system installed for your towed vehicle it's possible the installer didn't bleed the brakes properly. We use a Roadmaster 9060 braking system that has a proportion sensing valve in the main brake line. The valve senses the amount of pressure you're putting on the pedal and lets a proportional amount of air go to the cylinder installed in the towed vehicle.
The valve comes with standard SAE fittings. However the F53 chassis now uses a hybrid metric fitting. The new style fitting has the standard SAE style double flare but has metric threads on the coupler.
If you attempt to use either a standard SAE fitting or a standard Metric fitting the system won't seal properly. You can either be drawing in air when you release the pedal or pushing fluid out the coupling junction when you step on the pedal.

If you have this type of braking system it's worth checking out. There are vendors that make the proper fittings. They're fairly common on race cars.

wa8yxm · 04-16-2014, 07:27 PM

I have seen people talk about how the pedal is good till they start the engine then it gets "Soft" and goes half way to the floor (Or so it seems)

That is Hydrobost with a bad electric boost

Hydrobost works one of two ways, and I suspect one of those MAY be optional.

Normally the booster is powered by the power steering pump and it very quickly boosts the brakes, the boosted brakes on my W-22, feel much like the vacuum boosted brakes on my NEON in fact.

But if the engine is not running,, or if the serp belt breakes, or the power steering pump fails. There is a flow switch which, when combined with the brake switch, starts an electric pump.. I SUSPECT not all manufactures include this pump and it is possible it's .. Defective.

This pump when I hit the brakes they are very hard... then they go more slowly down as the electric pump is not nearly as powerful as an 8.1L Vortec driven power steering pump. (or a V-10 Triton driven one either for that matter).

Good system though.. when it works, which so far has been every time.