Help with Bleeding the brakes

Just replaced everything in the front brakes and bled them, however they feel a little spongy still. The pedal has some play in it before the brakes start to grab. The car stops good, but I want to be safe, after all it's the brakes. Anyone have any good tricks on how to bleed the brakes.

Bleed right rear, then left rear, then right front, then left front. That way you're working the air bubbles closer to the master. If you bled the short lines first, then air bubbles probably traveled into the long rear lines. You just replaced calipers, right? No master cylinder?

Yes, just the calipers. no master cylinder. This is exactly how I did it, using the old tube from the bleeder valve into a container of Brake fluid. One person job and it worked perfect. Thanks!

if have 2 people, do u need tube on a container still?

if have 2 people, do u need tube on a container still?

Yes, you will want the tube and catch container to minimize the mess. The drawback with the one-man method mentioned above is on some car air can be sucked back into the braking system via the threads on the bleed nipples.

Do we need to bleed it every time we change the brakes? I need to do my rear ones, and I'd rather not. Front don't need it, and the back ones are a big enough job anyway.

Yes, you should bleed the brakes. Bleeding the brakes is part of the job. Brake fluid attracts moisture and should be changed every couple of years. Bleeding the brakes just takes a few minutes and is the easiest part of the job. I don't understand why you would want to skip that step.

Yes, you should bleed the brakes. Bleeding the brakes is part of the job. Brake fluid attracts moisture and should be changed every couple of years. Bleeding the brakes just takes a few minutes and is the easiest part of the job. I don't understand why you would want to skip that step.

It's probably because most vehicles with ABS have a special procedure on how to bleed the brakes.

It's probably because most vehicles with ABS have a special procedure on how to bleed the brakes.

Read the manual and find out what the procedure is. Again I don't understand why someone would skip the easiest step in repairing their brakes.
I have never found anything difficult about bleeding ABS brakes.

Yes, you should bleed the brakes. Bleeding the brakes is part of the job. Brake fluid attracts moisture and should be changed every couple of years. Bleeding the brakes just takes a few minutes and is the easiest part of the job. I don't understand why you would want to skip that step.


Well, because I've never done it before, and a mechanic I know said you don't need to do it every time. I had no idea it was the easiest part of the job. If I did, I obviously wouldn't skip it. However, thanks for your opinion.

No need to bleed brakes if you are just changing pads or shoes!

No need to bleed brakes if you are just changing pads or shoes!

Ok, you say no need, others say why not? Should I or shouldn't I? How often should it be done?

Ok, you say no need, others say why not? Should I or shouldn't I? How often should it be done?
Changing pads or shoes doesnt require opening the hydraulic system. I'd only bleed the brakes if the pedal wasnt hard. Maybe change the fluid after 10yrs and bleed then.

incase you don't already know, your going need a C-clamp to squeeze the brake caliper in, so that the new thicker pads can be installed.

incase you don't already know, your going need a C-clamp to squeeze the brake caliper in, so that the new thicker pads can be installed.

Thanks, got one. I've changed brakes before, but just have never bled the lines.

A bit of trivia:
The opinion on changing brake fluid varies a bit but the best explanation I heard was that brake fluid lasts a long time as long as someone doesn't keep opening the cover to look at the level.

Every time the cover is opened, new humid air (compared to the former interior air which has been dehydrated by the fluid previously) is allowed to replace the dryed air in the reservoir and the fluid begans to absorb the water all over again. Many reservoirs are translucent so that checking them can be done without opening them but some mechanics feel that they must look each time the oil is changed. Evidence that not looking is good is the fact that when additional fluid is needed, every info I have seen says to use a new UNOPENED container. Any alcohol or brake fluid left standing to the open air will absorb water until it reaches max.

I recently changed front pads on my wifes Impala and I did look because I couldn't see the level through the plastic. But the reason I couldn't see the level turned out to be that it was so low that I thought the dark line was part of the master cylinder. I needed to know because it is recommended to remove some fluid when compressing the wheel cylinders so as to not overflow the reservoir. Her Impala had apparently never had any added as the level dropped with pad wear. I didn't have to remove any and when the job was done with new thick pads taking up the slack, the level looked good ...through the translucent reservoir.

Bleeding braks is easy: takes 2 people... unless your smarter than me.

One guy pumps the pedal, the other guy works with the bleeder valves on each brake caliper.

The guy at the caliper opens up the bleeder, and tells the other guy to push down on the pedal.

break fluid with air bubbles in it squirts out.

The guy on the pedal holds it down until the guy at the caliper tightens the bleeder, and tells him to let the pedal up.

Just repeat over and over again until no more air bubbles come out, and all 4 calipers are blead. Don't let the master cylinder get so low on fluid that it sucks in air, or you'll have to start all over again.

Bleeding braks is easy: takes 2 people... unless your smarter than me.

One guy pumps the pedal, the other guy works with the bleeder valves on each brake caliper.

The guy at the caliper opens up the bleeder, and tells the other guy to push down on the pedal.

break fluid with air bubbles in it squirts out.

The guy on the pedal holds it down until the guy at the caliper tightens the bleeder, and tells him to let the pedal up.

Just repeat over and over again until no more air bubbles come out, and all 4 calipers are blead. Don't let the master cylinder get so low on fluid that it sucks in air, or you'll have to start all over again.

Thanks, that's some good info.

It's easily done by one person with a long enough hose and a plastic bottle.
There are simple devices sold at the stores for doing it alone too.