The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Wayne, I have never been able to bleed brakes well enough on my own and I have been bleeding brakes for over 30 years.

First of all. If that is a new master cylinder you HAVE to bench bleed it first as it tells you in the manual. It is the only way to get all the air out of that. You need a couple of short bits of brake pipe with the correct fittings for the MC on one end. I can send you a couple if you need them.

Second. As Eddie says you must start by bleeding the wheel furthest away from the MC and work your way back to the closest.

Loosen the bleed nipple a quarter to one half turn. Get someone to push down on the brake (not too fast but not slow either) and tell them to hold the pedal all the way down while you tighten the bleed nipple back up. Only then can they let the pedal back up. Then loosen the bleed nipple again and repeat until no air bubbles come out.

You have to check the fluid level in the master cylinder every now and again as each time the pedal is raised back up it draws fluid out of the cylinder.
If you do not close the bleed nipple before the pedal is raised back up it will suck air back in through the nipple.

The brake shoes need to be adjusted up to just before they start to cause drag on the wheel. But as the shoes may not be correctly centered when you pop the drum back on it is important to stamp on the brake a few time to force the shoes to self center. Then use the access hole on the back plate to check the adjustment again. Pain in the arse job that as you have to make a tool of some kind (from a wire coat hanger maybe?) to hold the auto adjuster off the start wheel as you pry it around with a screwdriver.

If the brakes drag slightly the drums will get real hot so if any drum does get very hot you need to back it off slightly.

Cheers guys,
I had already done most of what you asked so that a good thing I guess.

Its the same MS havent changed it.

I done the correct bleed sequence from furthest wheel to nearest. Never let the MS run dry.

Done a few stampys for the shoes to adjust.

I guess I need someone to do the brake pedal when I do the next bleed.

To be honest Im not worried about the brakes now as I know its just a matter of a time consuming job now.

Im more worried about my air leak in the air shocks and how to sort that as the car is low at the rear.

Got the first run out of the way today anyway and maybe 5 mins after I parked her back it started to rain...

I know you are on a tight budget Wayne, this cost about $4.50 over here and is available in every auto parts store. It's never let me down, is very easy to use, cheap, prevents a mess, and comes with a few adaptors to fit over almost any bleeder screw. Bleed as Dave suggests, only opening the bleeder screw AFTER the brake pedal has been depressed and tightening it up BEFORE the pedal is released. This is why you need 2 people. Good Luck!

Thanks Eddie, I have a bleeder line and clamp set up already I used it to do the first bleed with the waste end emptying into a half bottle of brake fluid so no air would suck back up the line, I need somebody to do the brake pedal depress and then open the bleeder screw to let the air out and then retighten before they take their foot off the brake you know the deal anyway so thats the next job.


Feckin air shocks pissin me off at the mo...need to find that air leak.

Cool, is the fitting tight at the shock body? At the end where you air them up? Can you hear/see where the leak is?

It was a real quick air fill that I done Eddie cause I knew the rain was a comin so when I filled the air in the shocks it sat up and when I took away the air line she slowly sat back down and I could hear the wizz of air and said to myself yep ...got me an air leak and didnt have time to check the source as I can do that another day.

What my best hope for where the leak is as in what will be easiest to deal with?

the 2 lines for the shocks are joined at a t piece and then to the schraeder valve, prob got a leak at an o ring on one of the joints, piss easy to fix Wayne, if its all deteriated I got a spare line if you want it

There ya go Bro, Ade to the rescue!

Im gonna get a cape for Ade........MOPAR MAN......lol

I will see if the leak is on the air line, maybe its just loose or needs to be cleaned and refit or something..thats for the weekend me thinks...after the next bleed on the brakes of course....

mmm........cape, spandex tights and a mask .......I could just about pull that off

Reminds me of the joke about the two men having a good drink at the bar and when it gets to closing time the first guy says to the other;

"When I get home the first thing I am going to do is rip my wifes knickers off!"

The second guy askes "Why? Are you feeling horny or something"?

The first guy replies "No". "The elastic is really cutting into my legs".

Love it Dave, thats a keeper.

Ok I found the air leak on the air line itself its a pin hole and it appears its an easy fix. all I need to do is put a new connection joint on the line and thats it.

Hey guys I got a great day with the weather so I managed to do some work on the car.
As I was saying the brakes were still a bit spongy so this week

I adjusted the shoes a bit tighter and took her for a rip, the brakes were a lot tighter but they were pulling to the side when I was braking at speed, but the car still braked well enough in the evasive sense.

Im still not 100% happy but they are a lot better and I can driver her if I wish but I want them bang on straight.

Pulling to one side just means they are adjusted up more on one side than the other. Sounds like progress though.

Yea you can stop, do a little adjusting and you will be a stopping guy

Your right to question it Wayne, makeing that car right will only take a little more work
You done real good so far mate, done all the tough shit, don't stop now
May find that as the shoes bed down and the adjusters work that it improves a little

Thanks guys, Im nearly there with this so all is good. Might get over there tomorrow aswell and adjust some more, I checked and rechecked the wheel cylinders and the brake lines, all dry and no leaks. MS is ok also. So some more adjusting and that should do it. Might even have her ready for when craner gets here.

Big thanks to all the lads who helped me on this...you are all top monsters!!!

We are gonna have so much fun at the POD.......

How are ya, Wayne? Get that thing jacked up off the ground. Adjust those puppies to where you can here it scratch a bit. If all is working correctly, find a parking lot where, you have some room to mess around. Back up and stab the brake's. Do this a few time's. The self adjuster's should tighten up and, give you good braking all the way around! I replaced mine last year. It's about time for me to do the same, too. Got disc's up front but, this will be the fix for my rear drum's.