Finally finished my winter project...1991 Club Car DS

[itsapassion]

looks great !!

[littlecarguy]

Electric cart with lightning. Appropriate and way cool!!!

[wwford]

Hi Impalass88. I've just finished installing Jake's Front Disc Brake kit. You can see it here: http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...tml#post695832

I noticed after putting the calipers on the discs that the brake pads just seem to rattle around inside. Is that what yours looked like? I haven't attached the brake fluid reservoir and rubber line yet, nor started stepping on the brake pedal yet.

[impalass88]

wwford, your installation looks fine. My pads had a small amount of play, just enough to keep them from rubbing. You have to install the whole kit, then pump up the brakes and top off the fluid to take up the slack. The kit advertises that you don't have to bleed them but I found that to be untrue. I had to bleed mine to get them to operate properly. They have worked awesome ever since. Be prepared, they will lock up the front wheels if you hit the brakes hard. The really stop your cart well.

[wwford]

Thanks for that info! Makes me feel better. Were the rotors and mounting bolts kind of floppy against the hub prior to putting on the wheel? Nothing seems to be holding them snug without the wheels on there.

And hey, while I've got the mike open, the instructions call for 2 DOT brake fluid, which in my town is like the Loch Ness monster. Is 3 DOT compatible with what's already in there? The Internets have conflicting answers.

How precisely did you bleed the system, by the way?

[impalass88]

Putting the wheels on will tighten everything up. The studs are sometimes a little loose and putting the wheel on and tightening the lugs will pull them tight.

DOT 3 will be just fine. It is just a better grade than DOT 2. I used DOT 3 in mine. Good Luck!!!

[Brushpup]

Dude, that is a very slick paint job! I love the Lightning. How about some pics of the work on the inside? Would love seeing that too. Very nice!

[wwford]

Finally put the reservoir on the master cylinder. I let the brake fluid run free through the tube as I pushed the tube onto master cylinder. After all is done, the brakes don't do much, so I guess I need to bleed them? When I push on the brake pedal, you can feel the calipers move a little, but not enough to squeeze the discs.

Can you tell me how to bleed the brakes? Much thanks.

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by wwford

Finally put the reservoir on the master cylinder. I let the brake fluid run free through the tube as I pushed the tube onto master cylinder. After all is done, the brakes don't do much, so I guess I need to bleed them? When I push on the brake pedal, you can feel the calipers move a little, but not enough to squeeze the discs.

Can you tell me how to bleed the brakes? Much thanks.

hey Bill,
Here is all you ever need to know about hydraulic brake bleeding.
http://www.chtopping.com/StreetRodder5/

And my favorite 'brake bleeding for dummies'
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...ur-brakes.html

[wwford]

Thanks Scotty; I read those, and tried the Manual Method. Put a little box wrench on the bleeder valve on the calliper, then a clear tube. Had my daughter mash the brakes, I released and re-tightened the valve, then she'd release the brake. Air bubbles and brake fluid would push out each time I loosened and retightened.

Repeated this process until just clear fluid came out. I'd say we pushed/released about twenty times on each of the four valves. There are two valves on each calliper.

After all that, no real improvement. The callipers still won't close enough to grab the discs. I loosened up the rear brakes, and we are getting a nice long movement on the lever into the master cylinder, but just a tiny little squeeze on the callipers.

What would the next step be? I'm going to keep manual bleeding.

I'm sorry, just realized I highjacked your awesome thread. I've moved my question over to:

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...sc-brakes.html