99 2500 Brake Questions

[Wolfden]

I purchased a 99 2500 with a 7.4L engine about 4 months ago and the brake pedal seems soft. I was driving a Ford Taurus until I purchase this suburban so I have no idea if this a common problem with the Suburban.
I had the front & rear pads replaced and had the drums & rotors turned at the same time. but the pedal still goes more than half way down before I feel any type of resistance (My Taurus would only go about 1/4 way down before feeling resistance).
I bought this to tow a 23 foot travel trailer which has electric brakes on it (~6-7,000 lbs). I want to make sure that the brakes are working fine so that I can safely enjoy the trailer.

Any suggestions would be great.

I also noticed that there is some thing called a brake guard system that has been installed between the master cylinder and the brake lines. (I have done a little research on the net about this but still not sure how it works or what adjustments could be made to it) Could this cause soft brake pedal? If so what is the best way to uninstall it and readjust system to original specs?

[amac209]

make sure the rear brakes are correctly adjusted

[Vadar-Frank]

check all your vacume hoses. also check for leaks under the actual master cylinder resevoir. they are known to leak here.

[Wolfden]

Thanks I found a slight crack in one of the Vacume line as well as a leaking gasket on the back side if the resevior. Didn't notice and drips in the garage but one I fixed it I have very little play in the pedal.

Thanks again.

[HomeshopWrencher]

Normally, I expect to feel braking when the pedal is depressed about 1/4 of the way (about 1 1/2 inches).

Soft...what exactly do you mean?

If you mean that they feel spongy then you may need to bleed the brake lines. You can check this by pushing down on the brake pedal and holding it...it should feel firm at some point. If not, you probably need to bleed the brake lines.

If you mean that there is just alot of travel in the pedal then it is probably the adjustment of the rear brake pads. If you haven't checked them in a while it would be worth your time and effort to pull the drums off and give the shoes and drums a check before pulling a trailer. If you find they are worn...this could be the cause of the excessive travel that you get in the pedal.