WELL I'LL BE A MONKEYS UNCLE.....I just bought an 07 and have the same issue with the soft brake pedal. Took it in last week service dude said thats just how they are. He'll be seeing my truck again ASAP. I'll prolly even email him this thread!
THANKS RMS8....you're my new best friend!

Shane

 

THANKS SHANE !!! Glad it may help you out!

 

Next time I go to those outlets in Aurora, maybe I'll have an appointment scheduled for Fox Valley. It would probably be easier than trying to talk my dealership into it.

If the truck is under warranty, would this cost me anything?

 

If it is under warranty, then no, should not cost a dime.

 

My truck is under warranty too but I decided to do it myself to avoid the hassle of trying to explain it to the dealer. Plus I would have to leave the truck there all day,get a ride home,blah blah blah. Took me all of 30 minutes to just do it myself. Its very easy.

Andy

 

Great job Andy!

 

ttt

 

This is in no way a slam on the originator of this thread, but I really feel compelled to respectfully disagree with the advice that you do this yourself. I have worked for a major OEM brake manufacturer for over 20 years in the R&D aspect of the business. While what he is suggesting could quite possibly correct a problem you may possibly have, this is not a procedure that should be done by "feel" and suggesting that you simply use some standard method of lengthening the booster output rod by a turn or two is not safe practice.

There is a stack up of dimensions that come into play with each master cylinder/booster assy that can be different from vehicle to vehicle. The setting of the interference of the booster to the master cylinder should only be performed using the proper gaging and set to the proper spec. Having this dimension off by as little as .015 can cause not only dragging brakes, but also accelerated seal wear in the master cylinder due to the seal being in the wrong position in relation to the compensation ports in the bore. Adjusting it too short can result in increased pedal travel and loss of braking effectivness.

In short, take it to the dealer and let them use the proper tools to set the pushrod to the factory designed tolerances.

I do NOT work for a dealer and am just offering a point of view based on facts I know to be true.

 

No offense here, but after direct experience with countless "certified" techs at many dealerships, I disagree. I've had my truck into 4 dealerships to address the mushy brake issue, with no satisfaction. Many of the techs I wouldnt trust them to change my oil, much less diagnose a brake problem. Im not saying that all Ford techs are not sharp, only the ones Ive had experience with. The only reason I even have taken the truck into the dealership was because it was under warranty. But for a simple fix such as this, I trust myself over any Ford tech Ive taken the truck to, and its much more convenient for me to do the work.

Now I realize that this is a precise adjustment, but we're talking about something that isnt extremely complex that most any common sense do-it-yourselfer cant handle. In other words, the average diy is just as capable as most any "certified" Ford tech out there.

 

Are there any dealership techs on here who can tell us what the process is for adjusting the rod? Do the dealership techs have a written procedure for this?

 

Dave, I have ALWAYS advocated having this done by the dealership for vehicles which are still under warranty. Be that as it may though, this solution is hardly brain surgery. Your argument could be debated over ANYTHING one would ever happen to do to a vehicle themselves. Every single screw that gets turned is part of some formal procedure somewhere, but that doesn’t imply that a DIY’er couldn’t do it.

For instance, you could argue that one shouldn’t set the lash on their valves since they could over tighten them and send a valve through a piston. You could argue that one shouldn’t install a new intake manifold since they might ….. or one shouldn’t degree their own cam because they could possibly… You get my point? All that is being done is lengthening the rod by less than a tenth of an inch. We’re not suggesting to hone a cylinder, or turn a crank. It’s really straight forward.

Worst case scenario is if one adjusts the rod too long, the brakes drag or worse are locked up, in which case their truck won’t be moving. If one adjust the rod too short, then the spongy pedal is now even spongier.

If anyone takes the time to read all my entries in the thread, you will see time and time again I reiterate that you need only make the absolute tiniest of adjustments. I have said over and over that a mere 1/16” is a very considerable amount given the fact that the ratio of pedal travel to piston displacement (actuated by the rod) is NOT linear.

The simple fact is that all those that have made this minor adjustment after reading this thread have resolved a lingering issue which their respective dealers have yet to crack. I have done this very same procedure on my race car, but never put two and two together to think that this might have an affect on my brand new truck. Who would have ever thought? In hind sight it make 100% sense! It did on the Stang, and it does on the truck.


If you feel uncomfortable doing this yourself in your garage, then simply let the dealer do it. If you were to tackle this yourself, it would only take about 30 minutes of your time and a few simple tools. Heck, silverbullet5.4 even went to the effort to outline the few steps it took for those less mechanically inclined. Thx, BTW.

 

Thanks for working this issue.

I would take mine into the dealer, but I'll probably wait until there is a TSB or more info available to the service deptartments.

BTW, thats a great looking Mustang you have.

 

Thanks ozcar2! As far as a TSB being issued, don't hold your breath

Perhaps if people from this forum were to take their affected trucks in and demand that this rod be checked, a pattern might be observed!!!! (by Ford)

 

Yea, A TSB is probably wishful thinking.

Do you know if the service departments already have a written procedure available to them on the rod adjustment? Maybe this adjustment is something that technicians already have a procedure available in whatever repair documentation the factory provides them?

I'd feel better taking it in to the dealer if the techs had something to refer to rather than taking my chances with an inexperienced tech just going wild on my brakes with random adjustments and changes.

 

ttt