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Soft brakes

29K views 34 replies 18 participants last post by  daveneo 
#1 ·
My 2012 SV has always had rather long brake pedal travel. It was getting worse with worn pads so I did a replacement with new pads. Better but still not sterling. No need to pump them or anything so drastic but still a lot of travel in the pedal before stopping.
Any ideas to improving response?
Thanks
f1jim
 
#2 ·
How many miles were on your originals? They might have needed a fluid flush and good bleeding. Also on the new ones were you able to bleed them pretty good? It's a truck not a sport car, so other vehicles might feel a bit better.
 
#3 ·
Mileage

I had 38,000 miles on it when I swapped the pads. I usually don't mess with bleeding unless I have opened the lines for some reason. Fluid levels were fine.
Thanks
f1jim
 
#4 ·
I notice you live in Pacifica, a very wet, salty and moist climate. Brake fluid absorbs that moisture and it's a sure bet you have some in your system. That moisture will corrode the inside of things like calipers and the master cylinder. I would recommend a fresh brake fluid exchange and bleeding.
 
#5 ·
Generally the first thing to do when an increase in "pedal feel" is desired is to swap the rubber flex line to stainless steel braided brake lines.

My brakes feel like mash potatoes. Only bothers me slightly as everything about the truck is kind of mushy.
 
#6 ·
Most manuals put brake fluid flushes at every 2 years though that's getting longer with new non-maintenance vehicles ('lifetime' fluids, service intervals longer than the warranty, etc). as mentioned, brake fluid does absorb moisture which can freeze or vaporize in the lines along with causing corrosion. Many places suggest opening the bleeders while pushing the pistons in to replace the pads to A. not push dirty fluid back to expensive ABS/TC modules and B. flush the worst of the fluid out and get at least a little new fluid in.

Pumping up is a sure sign they need to be bled. I noticed mine will pump up a little but they are much softer than my other/previous vehicles. I do plan on bleeding/flushing them but I think a lot of it is more leverage (same force from less effort and longer travel) so granny can stop a 6klb trailer without troubling effort.
 
#7 ·
Frontiers have a far softer brake pedal than just about any other modern vehicle I've driven. I'll bet that there is absolutely nothing wrong. The soft brake pedal feel has absolutely no effect on your stopping ability, actually it provides more control of your stopping and you just have to press the pedal a little bit farther for maximum stopping power. A brake flush couldn't hurt though.
 
#8 ·
I am going to second this opinion. Very first impression when I bought my low mileage '11 used was how unimpressive the brakes felt. Drove it a bit and had them checked shortly after taking ownership. Pads were worn but rotors were generally rusty from sitting on the dealer lot or whatever reason. But was told the situation wasn't dire so I kept going. A few months ago I had pads and rotors replaced all around expecting a dramatic change. Nope. Felt exactly the same. They work fine, mind you, but with the decent sized brake setup all the way around I had much higher expectations of some serious stopping feel. But soft seems to be the normal order of things. Perhaps that's a byproduct of some anti-lock braking components being in the mix? Don't know.
 
#11 ·
If you didn't turn the rotors when you replaced the pads you will end up with a pedal that feels softer than when you started. Even if the surface looks flat and smooth there are lots of worn in surface irregularities which cause the new pads to only make contact with the high points. This gives less tractable surface causing you to have to push harder/farther on the pedal.
I would also suggest the brake fluid flush btw.
 
#13 ·
I have a 2011 with 19000 miles. I've noticed lately that I have to apply more pressure to the brake pedal the very first time I press it in the morning to keep it from rolling a bit when I shift from park to reverse or drive. After that it functions like it always has. Does this sound like I might have some air in the lines?
 
#14 ·
No, that sounds like the rotors or pads are rusting ever so slightly overnight and you need to clean off that layer to get good braking performance. air in the lines won't just 'go away' like that.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I also have a 2011 that the brakes just suck on. Truck has 22k miles on it. I've replaced the brakes all around with crossdrilled/slotted rotors and upgraded pads. Didn't even seem like I did anything. Maybe a 10% improvement. Going to try flushing the fluid next, but from what I've read on here that doesn't really sound promising as a solution. Are there any upgrades possible for calipers or master cylinder? I'd be interested in seeing the cost/performance increase for anything from doing brake parts from a Titan or even going with a wilwood aftermarket setup.

Really sucks, I like everything else about the truck, but I wouldn't let my wife drive it at this moment due to how the brakes feel. They still stop the truck, but have zero confidence with pedal feedback.
 
#19 ·
drilled/slotted rotors increase cooling at the expense of surface area. less surface area=less friction=higher effort required. You also have to be careful how they're made, whether the holes/slots are cast in or cut (cut blanks can crack around the cuts with wide heat cycling). Performance pads are anyones guess, depends on what you're coming from and EXACTLY what you're going to. you probably won't notice THAT much of a difference from a different pad compound and depending on what you go to, if it's a sports-oriented compound, may need to be warmed up before it's any improvement. Unless you go to a really high end performance compound (name brand and probably expensive) you probably won't have more than a 10% difference.
 
#18 ·
My 2015 with less than 1000 miles has the absolute smoothest, well balanced brakes of ANY vehicle I've ever driven. I'm assuming this is due to the EBD. The flip side is that there is absolutely no road feel and the pedal IS soft. I hope my input is helpful.
 
#20 ·
I have owned a few Nissan's over the years and my best best friend is a Nissan nut and has been a BMW mechanic for 23 years.

We have found that Nissan seems to use "so-so" master cylinders in all but their top tier vehicles. (like the 370Z) They work ok but the ones other manufacturers use are better. Neither of us have bought a used Nissan that didn't need a new master cylinder
 
#25 ·
I haven't tested any of them on my truck but in shop and school time I haven't seen any OE style aftermarket brand be better than stock (or even as good as). Typically they make the replacement parts as close to the OE spec as possible. As I mentioned before, I think a lot of it has to do with the design of the system as a whole, leverage, etc. you'd have to physically alter it (change pedal lever arm length, piston diameter, etc) to make much difference assuming they didn't do something really annoying like put an accumulator on the base brake hydraulics in the ABS/EBD/ABLS (TCS!) unit.
 
#29 ·
I have a brand new 2019 Frontier Crew Cab with way too much brake pedal travel and a very soft feel. Never driven a vehicle with this much brake travel. BTW I have been driving for 64 years. Gonna take it back to the dealer and see what they say. Feels unsafe to drive. I test drove a different truck as the one I wanted was in the showroom.
 
#34 ·
I did the Pathfinder V8 front brake upgrade on my 2006 Pathfinder LE-V6 about a month ago. This can be done on V6 D40 Frontiers, Suzuki Equators and WD40 Xterras. You must have at least 17" wheels to do this. I'll be doing a "How-to" with pics when I get time. It's all bolt-on and gives you a 1" larger diameter rotor and better stopping power. For the upgrade, you just need the front brake rotors, pads and calipers w/ mount bracket from a 2008-2012 Pathfinder V8. Some at TheNissanPath.com have used generic parts from Rockauto.com and noticed a significant improvement. I went a little further and went with ProStop powder coated calipers, Goodridge braided SS brake hoses, EBC slotted/dimpled rotors with EBC "yellow stuff" brake pads....front and rear. So far, I really like the improvement in brake feel; you can really feel them start to grab as you apply the brakes! It does come at the cost of increased brake dust on the front wheels, however.

314357
 
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#35 ·
Frontier OEM stock brakes are absolutely fine IMO. Doesn't mean they don't require routine maintenance and more frequent checking/maintenance if they have undergone some harsh conditions/use. Nothing wrong with upgrades though; any vehicle can get improved braking with some of the high end stuff out there. Just not necessary IMO. fwiw.
 
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