I did the 8.8 Swap and my brakes don't feel right. I don't have enough braking force. Any suggestions on what it could be? I replaced the rotors and pads when i did the swap as well as bleed the brakes multiple times.

 

Found this about the 8.8 axle disc brake swap.

"Bleed all four brakes, starting with the one furthest from the master cylinder working towards the closest. (Right rear, left rear, right front, left front). Be absolutely certain that the fluid level of the master cylinder does not get too low.

After the brakes have been bled, remove the 9/16 nuts that mount the master cylinder to the power brake booster. (Do NOT loosen any brake lines). This will expose the pushrod for the master cylinder. In order to maintain a good pedal feel after the conversion, the rod must be adjusted to push further into the master cylinder. With the closed end of a 9mm box wrench, hold the pushrod, and with a 7mm box wrench adjust the nut on the end of the pushrod. This procedure is trial and error and will require you to test drive the vehicle in order to get a desired pedal feel."

 

Do you have a link to where you found that excerpt, Ron?

 

Looked but can't find it again, had pictures as well.
It was an Explorer axle swap to Ranger.

 

I did the swap last fall and had some issues getting the brakes to bleed as well. There was some air in the rear lines that just did not want to come out. I finally bought a vacuum bleeder that hooked up to an air compressor to bleed the brakes and that did the trick. It sounds like to me that you still have some air in the system. I did not have to adjust the rod on the master cylinder like Ron posted.

 

I was thinking I might need to swap the proportioning valve over from the explorer. I might try the vacuum bleeder first. I took it to a shop after I had no luck bleeding it myself and they couldn't get it fixed either.

 

Chris what did you do for parking brake lines. the ones on the axle I got were not the right length and didn't fit.

 

in order to completely bleed the air out of brake lines / hoses

you must pressure bleed them

find a large plastic container , fill it 1/3 full of water , run a clear hose to the container bottom , then to the bleeder nipple.

remove the master cylinder cover , top up brake fluid , just slightly open the bleeder valve.

so that only a very small amount of fluid escapes , then slowly pump the brake pedal until the fluid level drops in the master cylinder , then top it up

have another person watch as the bubbles escape down the clear bleed tube to the container
( the water prevents air from being sucked back into the wheel cylinder / brake caliper )

 

Two things the rear brakes need extra pressure for disc-brakes vs shoe brakes and a good complete bleeding the brakes is required, get all the air out.

The extra pressure can only be achieved by adjusting the existing proportioning valve, which I do not think can be done, or replacing it, hopefully with an adjustable unit.

The tool I use for bleeding brake after a brake jobs is a hand vacuum pump.
You need to maintain the fluid in the master and you need to do it by the system mentioned in earlier post, further away first.

 

I already bleed the brakes the correct way (someone pumping the brakes and the tube going into a container of brake fluid) a few times and had a shop gravity bleed them. That is why i'm stumped as to what's going on because I haven't read were swapping the proportioning valve was necessary with the swap.

 

Proportioning valve replacement is only if all else fails and you need more pressure out back
OR if you want more control over your rear brake pressure; sometimes good in off road situations.

Try out what you have, see how it works.
If the pedal feels spongy, then there is air in the system, could also be a bad Master.