Brakes dropped

YJTITAN9504 · 11-07-2009, 10:26 PM

Anyone ever had this happen in the Titan:

I was driving in cruise control when the light turned yellow so i hit the brakes harder than normal (not hard enough to lock em up) but the brake pedal felt like it went mushy and dropped close to the floor.

It was similar to the feeling you get when the brakes werent bled properly.

I drove very cautiously after this but the brakes feel fine now.

Is this done on purpose???

THanks!

BTW its a 2004 Titan 4wd.

TitanZ04 · 11-07-2009, 11:14 PM

My 2004 4x4 did the same thing last week when I had to do an emergency stop in order to avoid a near accident situation. Definitely, it was not a comfortable feeling. I took it to the Nissan Service Center and was told that this is normal for ABS and 5,000 lbs of Titan to get to a screeching halt. LOL

I have my doubts and reservations, but the brake behave fine at this time. I have a set of stainless steel brake lines I need to install soon. I would hope the SS lines help to give the brakes a firmer feel.

I'd appreciate any and all feedback as well.....

titanss · 11-08-2009, 06:05 AM

My 04 does the same thing.

mdemeglio · 11-08-2009, 06:12 AM

I'd swear I've read a post or two before about the Titan's rubber brake lines. Is there a known problem with them? Has anyone done the stainless steel lines with a noticeable improvement in pedel feel?

YJTITAN9504 · 11-08-2009, 07:25 AM

yea it did feel like it kicked into a power mode where you could reeeally lock those things up. I had to let off so it wouldnt lay rubber ha.

Got me concerned though. Now im a little weary of lifting it and putting bigger tires on!

gary748 · 11-08-2009, 07:25 AM

If you guys haven't done so already, you may want to flush and bleed your brake system. The recommended interval is every 2 yrs. If your brake fluid looks like Coke in the MC then start with bleeding and a flush. You may also want to have your MC checked for leaks.

As we all know the Titan has the brake system of a Sentra, so the extra maintenance is required to keep them performing as good as "Fred Flinstones" brakes... LOL

The SS lines will help a little...

The firewall is thin and when we use extra brake pedal force it flexes, adding to the mushy feel. Stillen makes a MC stiffener but IIRC there are some issues with fit on certain models...

titan14 · 11-08-2009, 07:02 PM

maybe this is the "electronic brake force distribution" or whatever they call it that is a safty feature on most new cars.

kings treat · 11-08-2009, 08:06 PM

It's called "Brake Assist", all Titans have it. It forces you to keep pushing on the pedal, and let the ABS do it's thing! You don't have to modulate brake pressure to avoid skidding, like in the old dayS. Brake Assist encourages you to keep pressure on the pedal, and steer around the collision.

titan14 · 11-08-2009, 08:42 PM

sounds stupid. As long as the ABS is working, why do u need a spongy pedal? I guess people were lettign off the pedal to early

**Kronos1965** · 11-08-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titan14

sounds stupid. As long as the ABS is working, why do u need a spongy pedal? I guess people were lettign off the pedal to early

It's normal-scary but normal if you're not prepared for it.

That's why they don't want you pumping the brakes like you were told to do for non-ALBS cars.

Traction over skidding to a stop...

titan14 · 11-08-2009, 09:05 PM

Ive used ABS before without having a spongy pedal. no problems here. Works great without the pedal sinking to the floor

**Kronos1965** · 11-08-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titan14

Ive used ABS before without having a spongy pedal. no problems here. Works great without the pedal sinking to the floor

As Kings Treat pointed out, the flooring of the brake will happen when you're in a too fast and low traction situation that also engages VDC on our trucks.

Besides SS lines, you can also get the Stillen brake booster stiffener.
STILLEN : STILLEN Brake Master Cylinder Stiffener

titan14 · 11-08-2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kronos1965

As Kings Treat pointed out, the flooring of the brake will happen when you're in a too fast and low traction situation that also engages VDC on our trucks.

Besides SS lines, you can also get the Stillen brake booster stiffener.
STILLEN : STILLEN Brake Master Cylinder Stiffener

I guess i should clarify. Im not talking about the titan, but using ABS in vehicles without "brake assist", and my point is i find brake assist to be unnecesarry as ABS works fine without it.

**Kronos1965** · 11-08-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titan14

I guess i should clarify. Im not talking about the titan, but using ABS in vehicles without "brake assist", and my point is i find brake assist to be unnecesarry as ABS works fine without it.

Ah. I think I understand...

YJTITAN9504 · 11-09-2009, 06:39 PM

well i sure have never experienced this brake assist feature or heard of it. Im used to driving my Jeep wrangler on 35s which i disconnected the ABS on.

My main question is should i be concerned about the brakes getting spongy and the pedal dropping or is this a good thing? I sure stopped fast! coulda put me through the windshield... i also couldnt believe the tires didnt lock up for how fast it stopped on its own!