How do I improve braking?

[jspringator]

I have a 2002 Winnebago Sightseer 27c Workhorse.  It doesn't have the problematic parking brake everyone complains about.


The problem is that it takes a LOT of pressue to activte the brakes.  It is almost like it doesn't have power brakes at all.  One odd thing is that the brake pedal rises and efort decreases it I go in a parking lot and do a series of bank ups, followed by pulling forward.  I thought it must have drum brakes because of that but is does not.


I saw a guy at a gas station with my exact motorhome and he claims he changed the master cylinder with a different one and it improved braking performance.


One thing I know I need to do anyway os to replace the rubber hosesto the front and rear brakes.  I ams sure stainless would be best.  Is there a stainless hose conversion kit like there are for motorcycles?

[jspringator]

I had my shop replace all the rubber brake hoses, replace brake fluid with high performance brake fluid, pulled the slider pins and lubed them with some special grease.  The shop also replaced some of the hard line.

Braking is much improved, but it still takes a lot of effort to brake compared to a car.  I don't know how to decrease effort.

[Froggy1936]

One thing that may be being overlooked is, Glazing of pads and rotors, This can happen from a high speed sudden stop. Removing, sanding with #80 sandpaper of all pads (one wheel at a time) And sanding of the rotors , May eliminate your problem ! The brakes designed for your veh should do the job well !  Frank

[BrandonMc]

You're going to want to get a brake bleeding kit, the one with the hand pump. I like the reverse bleed option. Don't settle for doing the pedal pumping operation. Do the brake line full flush. You may want two bottles of fluid. Get the new brake lines as well, and remove the old ones and install the new ones. Jack each wheel up, and start at the wheel farthest from the master cylinder. Bleed the brakes in that order.

While you have the wheels off, then replace the brake pads, shoes, and make sure to buy a hardware kit for drum brakes for each wheel.


or just pay someone a lot of money and have it done.

[Rickf1985]

A car weighs 2500 lbs and a motor home weighs 12,000 lbs., 5 times as much as the car. The brakes are not 5 times bigger, they are the same size as a one ton pick ups brakes. It IS going to take a bit more effort if you are trying to stop in the same distance as you do in a car. You have to look much farther ahead and plan your stops farther ahead. The harder you ride the brakes the hotter they get and the faster they will fade. You can buy more aggressive brake pads but you have to either start with new rotors or have your cut. Bottom line is that if you are hard on the brakes you will glaze the pads and rotors and stopping will get harder.

[jspringator]

Thee guy at the gas station who told me he replaced the master cylinder probably meant he replaced the hydroboost unit.  Thanks to this forum I may be close to solving my problem.

https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?topic=16339.new#new