2001 Dodge Ram Brake Problems

Try your front yard!

Be sure the matser cylinder and all wheel cylinders are bled. Start with the right rear, then left rear, then right front, thrn left front. Be sure the master cylinder is bled last to remove any air left after bleeding the wheel cylinders.

If you have bled all the wheels, not run the master cylinder dry at any time, can't find any leaks and the brakes do not work properly when the truck is running and you have ABS brakes, I would suggest using a scan tool to see if there are any error codes that involve the ABS. The other thing I would do, even before doing a scan is to read a reliable shop manual on bleeding YOUR truck's brakes. There seems to be some controversy on the forums about proper bleeding procedure for Ram trucks and the definitive answer should come from Dodge. If you have a truck that needs to have the ABS working to bleed the system properly, the manual will tell you how to do it.

good luck and I hope you find the problem!!

What has changed since the vehicle worked correctly? Did the brakes go "bad" all at once? Did they just gradually get "bad"? How well does the parking brake work? The rear self adjusting brakes will adjust less effectively as the rear shoes wear. If the parking brake is at, or almost at the floor, there is a good chance that your rear brakes are warn, and the rear brake pistons must travel further to take up the slack.

Are the front wheel bearings in need of adjusting or replacement? If the front wheel bearings are loose, the wheel will lean in, and push the front brake caliper pistons in.

Both of these conditions become more noticeable with the addition of power assist.

I still think that you have air in the system somewhere, but there are other possibilities. Was the master cylinder the correct one for the year and weight rating of the vehicle? Small bore master cylinders will have longer travel than ones with larger bores. The bore size can change with or without power assist. Also with different weight ratings. Try using your vehicle serial number to have dealer, or an auto parts store that deals with automotive repair shops more so than just the DIY trade look a master up, and then see if the last one you purchased is the same bore size. Good luck.

Did you purge the new master cylinder before you installed it? If not, you have a lot of air trapped inside.

Don't even consider delaying the repair. They fail without warning as well, and you've been warned. Don't let a collision be the impetus for making the repair.