2005 sport trac soft brake pedal

[msc66]

I'm usually on the VW forum because of my wife's pos Passat but I recently bought a used 2005 Sport Trac. Got it tagged today and decided to pull the wheels and check the brakes before I started driving it. Probably could've gotten away with the fronts for awhile but decided to go ahead and replace them.

So rotors cut, new pads, done it a hundred times before only this time they won't pump back up. The pedal is real soft and keeps going down as long as you hold pressure on it until it stops about 1/2 inch from the floor. I bled the fronts and topped off the fluid but no change. Any help would be great as I haven't even driven it yet.

[shorod]

Prior to bleeding the brakes, did you have the system open to compress the calipers or otherwise? Does the pedal pump up when the engine is shut off?

-Rod

[msc66]

Hey Rod,

I use a pair of c-clamp vise grips to compress the caliper. I hold pressure on them while opening the bleeder, squeeze the pistons in then close the bleeder before releasing the clamp.

Haven't tried pumping them up with the engine off.

Mike