Hi i have a 2006 expert van and the brake pedal keeps going hard and the front brakes are getting very hot ,i have just replaced both discs and pads but the problem still remains any ideas please,ray

Pedal, not peddle. First make sure reservoir is full at the brake master cylinder. Then check your brake pads (for disc brakes) and/or brake shoes (for drum brakes). When the pads or shoes are very worn down, you will get a low pedal. If you have disc brakes on the front and drums on the rear wheels, first try just replacing the front brake pads. If you get a good pedal after the front is done, many people tend to let the rear brake shoes go unless they are making noise. These systems are designed to put most of the braking force on the front discs, so the rear shoes do not need changing as often.

most probable cause if the braking action is moderate is warped disc rotors
the warped disc pushes the piston in and out and that is the sensation at the pedal
if it is under sever braking , it will be the action of the ABS loosing and making pressure to stop wheel skid
get a proper diagnosis from an accredited brake specialist shop
if the discs are warped but within machinable limits , that may fix it for a while , otherwise get quality discs

check cylinder brake

Remove wheels.
Remove calipers and caliper mounting brackets.
Remove brake disk.
Replace new disk, being sure to clean it thoroughly with brake cleaner and a clean rag.

Replace caliper mounting bracket.
Replace new brake pads.
Push back caliper piston.
Re-attach brake caliper.

Repeat on other side.

Remove brake fluid reservoir cap.
Pump brake pedal until hard.
**** out any excess fluid from master cylinder reservoir.
Replace cap.
Wash off any excess fluid with water and dry thoroughly.

Road-test

Be sure to keep to a slower speed than usual and keep extended braking distances until new pads and disks are bedded in.

Most often that condition is caused by the rubber hoses that connect the caliper to the "hard" brake lines at the chassis. The hose may appear good but internally it collapses and prevents pressure from releasing. After correcting the problem be sure to replace the front pads as likely they are burned. If the pedal pulsates replace the front rotors as well, or, if they are still in relatively good shape, have them re-surfaced.

Hi,
sound as if you really do have a problem!
From your description I presume that you are confident in doing your own work?
The quickest way to check your system is to use brake hose clamps to isolate each section of the braking system. I would suggest that you rent or buy a set of the clamps.

Put the truck on axle stands and make sure it's safely secured. ]
If possible have an assistant to sit in the cab and depress the brake pedal on your instructions.
Place a brake hose clamp on both front brake hoses and the rear axle hose.
Depress the brake pedal firmly.
The pedal should have minimum movement, and be rock-solid and you should not be able to depress it further.
If the pedal does go down when you apply it, the likely reason is that the Brake Master Cyl is by-passing internally, ie, only one section is active.

You stated that the M/C had been replaced. so we shall presume that the brake pedal is rock hard.
Go to the rear brake hose clamp and release it. Instruct your assistant to depress the brake pedal. If the brake pedal moves a significant distance, then (a) your rear brake shoes require adjustment (b) rhere is a leaking brake cyl, (check for brake fluid in the drum) or (c) you have a "lazy' or a piston (s) which have siezed during a brake actuation. That problem will require removing the rear brake drums for further inspection. Not the problem? Then adjust the rear brakes if required, then depress the brake pedal again. The downward travel should now be noticeably reduced.

If all is well at the rear brakes. refit the brake hose clamp. Go to the passengers side front brake and have your assistant apply the footbrake. Pedal rockhard/minimun movement? Release the brake hose clamp whilst your assist has pressure on the pedal. spin the front wheel by hand, and note if (a) the brake pedal has excessive downward travel. (b) the brake pads are contacting the brake disc, (the wheel will cease rotating and you will hear the pads contact the disc.)

Pedal displays limited downward travel and pads contact disc? Refit the brake hose clamp and go to drivers side brake and follow the same procedure. If the pedal has excessive downward travel then you have found your inital problem.

If releasing both front brake hose clamps results in excessive brake pedal travel, then the problem will be easier to address if you deal with one side first, complete the resolution, test by using the brake hose clamps, then start / complete the other faulty brake.

Whichever side you start to work on, be methodical, boring as it sounds.
remove the road wheel, but before doing so, place a hand on the top and bottom of the tyre and rock the wheel away from you and check the bearing play. If memory serves me correctly, that year Dodge has the discs in one piece with the hub.

You have removed the wheel. Now, have your assistant turn the steering onto full right lock. Before continuing, I would like to remind you that the vehicle is up on axle stands and you have secured it safely, in order to conform with accepted safety parameters, correct?

The steering is now on full right lock and you can see both disc pads. Now, very carefully check the position of the caliper in relation to the disc pads. Is there and equal spacing on each side? Now, have your assistant release the brake pedal and very carefully observe the travel of the disc pad pistons. They should retract and the hub should turn freely by hand. A very light drag is allowed between disc pad and disc, but it should NOT be discernible when you rotate the hub by hand.

With no pressure on the brake pedal, and using an appropriate tool, attempt to have the caliper pistons retract into their cylinders / bores. Completed? Use caution as it is very easy to break / damage a disc by using undue force when retracting the pistons.

There is now an obvious gap between disc pads and disc (or rotor..sorry) Now, carefully check that the pad guide pins are not deformed and that the pads ride easily on them. if a pad jams when the brakes are applied, then, when the piston retracts, when force is removed from the brake pedal. There is an appreciable gap to close, upon the next application of the brakes!

Some types of disc pad retaining /guide pins are a tight fit, and it is very easy to tilt a pad when fitting the pins, causing the disc pad to fail to retract fully, and again, displayed by a brake pedal with excessive travel.

When the brake pedal is applied, the brake fluid has to fill the caliper piston bores, then exert pressure on the piston to force it against the disc pads, and they in turn are forced into contact with the disc. If the piston has to move an appreciable distance before contacting the disc pad, that takes more brake fluid to fill the bore of the piston, and the master cylinder piston has to travel further,resulting in a brake pedal that displays excessive travel .

I notice that you did not mention the type of effort or number of applications of the brake pedal which resulted in a firm pedal.

If you fitted replacement calipers, can I presume that you fitted new guide pins to the calipers?
Last but not least, (a) are they the correct calipers for the vehicle as regards piston bore size? The brake Master cyl will not be able to fill the bores of the calipers with enough fluid to drive the pistons out to apply the disc pads, if the bores are oversized. The pedal will also display excessive travel.
(b) If the brake master cyl is overfilled, when the brakes are applied, the master cyl will force fluid to the calipers, expand the caliper pistons, but will be unable to release the application to the pistons due to the fluid being unable to return to the master cyl as the allotted reservoir space has been filled with static fluid. When the brake pedal is depressed again, the Master cyl cannot service the caliper pistons on the first stroke as the pistons are locked at full stroke / travel in the bores, resulting in the brake pedal going to the floor, or giving that impression.
HOWEVER, that condition, if the vehicle is driven any distance, will result in the obvious odor of overheated disc brake pads, and the vehicle struggling to display any state of acceleration.
(c) Are they in fact the correct disc brake pads? It would be wise to remove a guide / retainer pin and check for free movement of the pad on the remaining pin. All ok, then refit the pin which you removed and test again. The pads have to be free to move on the pins, and thus align themselves with the face of the disc / rotor when the brakes are applied. Some people coat the pins with never-seeze or hi-temp grease when fitting them, others prefer them to be dry.

In closing, I would recommend that you check the full travel AND RETRACTION of the caliper pistons in their respective bores. It is not unknown for re-built / new parts to be defective.

It would be interesting to hear if any of the above proved to be beneficial in resolving your problem.

Installing new brake pads on toyota camry solara 2006 front rotors and pads and rear pads. Steering wheel would shake while breaking on 50+ miles per hour speeds. All fixed now.

i do believe you mean the service brakes, and when pushing the brake pedal the truck shakes?

Pad transfer will cause uneven brake discs with humps on em. Every time you then step on the brake pedal you'll feel the pads going over the humps, causing the shakes.

The best way to get rid of this is to replace the disc brakes with new discs.
Remember to change the pads too.

The hard part is pressing the caliper piston abck into the caliper so you can get the new, thicker pads over the rotor. A large C Clamp works best.

SECTION 206-03: Front Disc Brake 2001 Villager Workshop Manual
REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION Pads —Front Disc Brake Removal

1. Remove the wheel and tire assembly. For additional information, refer to Section 204-04 .

1. Remove the front disc brake caliper bolts. torx bit. T20?

1. Support the front disc brake caliper from the front strut and spring assembly using mechanics wire.

1. Remove the front disc brake pads.
   1. Remove the outboard front disc brake pad.
   1. Remove the inboard front disc brake pad.

Installation

1. CAUTION: Make sure the master cylinder reservoir does not overfill and spill brake fluid while retracting the front disc brake caliper piston.
   NOTE: It is necessary to fully retract the front disc brake caliper piston in the bore before installing the front disc brake pads.
   Install the front disc brake pads.
   1. Install the inboard front disc brake pad.
   1. Install the outboard front disc brake pad.

Caution. The outer pads are left and right. put left on driver side.

1. Position the front disc brake caliper on the front-wheel knuckle and install the brake caliper pin bolts.

1. WARNING: It is necessary to depress the brake pedal several times to position the front disc brake caliper piston before driving the vehicle.
   

It's normal for new pads and rotors to have a "wear-in" period but only for say 50-100 miles of average driving... Disc brake DO get pretty hot, especially after prolonged or hard braking... (going down long hills or a lot of hard stops)... also front brakes actually supply 60% of stopping force... If they aren't to hot to touch the wheel or smoking you are probably OK... One thing to make sure of is that the pedal has "free play"... usually a fraction of an inch before the brake push rod actually pushes the master cylinder piston. Without this free play the brakes WILL drag all the time and wear prematurely... but unless you replaced the master cylinder or the locknut on the push rod adjuster has come loose it's rare to have that problem... The only other cause of this would be a malfunctioning ABS unit and you would feel a definite pulsation... Hope this helps...;-)