Swapped brake pads from one 240 to another- Issues with one of them. Help!

[naed240sx]

Ok, so I swapped the brake pads and rotors from one of my s13's to the other. So now 240 #1 has the pads and rotors from #2, and #2 has the pads and rotors from #1. Before the swap, #1's pads and rotors were practically new, while #2's were pretty worn. Both cars were braking fine before the swap. Now, #1 will hardly stop, and the brake pedal travels to the floor with ease.

Is this because the pistons were farther out on #1 to begin with, and now cannot clamp down on the essentially slimmer old pad/rotor combo? I adjusted the rear piston by turning it outwards, but the fronts couldnt really be adjusted. How can I fix this?

[BadMojo]

Have you checked to make sure you don't have a leak at one of your brake lines?

[JeromeS13]

And properly bled. Also, make sure you have each caliper on the correct side of the vehicle. If they're mounted on the wrong side, you can bleed them forever and there will still be air trapped in the top of the caliper.

[naed240sx]

Like I said, #1's brakes were responsive and grabby before. No problems whatsoever. The calipers were not swapped. Only pads and rotors. I have done pad swaps before and not bled, but never from a fairly new pad and rotor to thinner pads and rotors. Is it neccesary to bleed the brakes in this situation? If so, how much do shops usually charge for that?

Thanks for the quick responses btw.

[JeromeS13]

My bad. I totally overlooked that. No, you only need to bleed the lines when they get opened up, i.e. changing calipers, lines, etc.

Hmm... I dunno. Did you check the fluid level and make sure it didn't go too low?

[naed240sx]

No, thats what my stepdad was reccomending. Ill go do that now. However, I just drove the car again, and the problem wasn't so bad. I managed to lock up the wheels when stomping on them. Pedal feel still feels pretty off though.

[SlayerFan]

Did you pump the brake pedal on car #1 prior to taking it for a test drive after you replaced it? Because anytime you replace brake pads, you need to pump the pedal to let the brake piston come out. If you don't do that, the pedal will sink down to the deck when you attempt to hit the brakes. Hope this helps in any way...

[naed240sx]

Yeah I did that, and it made it a lot better. Still doesn't feel quite like it should though.

[naed240sx]

Ok, well I went for a drive today, and all is well. I guess they just needed to be used. Thanks for the help!

[SlayerFan]

Why did you swap the pads and rotors from car #1 to car #2 in the first place?

[Zion8561]

Wish I had two S13's