Spongy brakes after brake job

I have a 2005 Crysler Town and Country - 4-wheel disc brakes. I just
replaced the front discs and rotors (new rotors - not turned). The new
disc pads are Morse ceramics (to avoid brake dust). After changing the
pads, the brake pedal is very spongy and is only normal after pumping
it a few times.

I don't know how it would have happened, but could air have gotten into
the system somehow? In order to install the new brake pads, I pushed
the calipers to their original positions to accomodate the new, thicker
pads. I can't see how air would have gotten into the system though.

Any other thoughts? Comments?

 

I can't think how that could have gotten air in the system, but your
symptoms are certainly consistent with that having happened. You
might look for leaks -- maybe overstressed a brake line while doing
the change?

 

When you pressed the calipers open, where did the displaced brake fluid
go? Did the resevoir overflow or leak? Are there drips under the car
or around the calipers?

Sometimes new rotors need to be cleaned more than you think. There is
alot of oil on the rotors to keep them shiny in the package. Oily
rotors contaminate the pads and require alot of pressure to stop the
car.

 

Diddo on the rotors I did a break job on the Ram this weekend and before
installing the rotors I wiped them down with Xolene.
Coasty

 

did u get the pads seated correctly in the calipers ???
did u clean and lube the slides for the calipers??
im seeing alot of complaints about those pads and replacing them with
stardard pads to match the rotors

 

Sometimes what happens with calipers is the part of the piston that is
extended
out from the caliper gets a bit of corrosion on it. Then when you put new
pads on and push the piston back into the caliper, this area of corrosion
(which
has a bit of pitting) will end up right on the caliper seal, causing a small
leak.
Once that happens as the brake moves around it will suck air into the
caliper.

This is only a year old vehicle so all of this is unlikely - unless you like
driving
around in streams or flooded roads or some such - but you can check for
brake
fluid seepage around the caliper piston seal. Top priority of course is a
complete
bleed of the system to see if that fixes the problem. If it does then you
definitely
had air in the system. If the problem comes back then you definitely have a
leak
in the hydraulic system somewhere and you will need to start looking for it.

Ted