# Brake soft and squish and first press after changing drum brakes

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** kia\
**Created:** [February 19, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882 "2020-02-19T23:11:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![quentinsmithphone\_162532](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7cd45c/32.png) [@quentinsmithphone\_162532](https://community.cartalk.com/u/quentinsmithphone_162532)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/1 "2020-02-19T23:11:01Z")

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I recently changed both rear drum brake cylinders and brakes themselves as well as bled the brake lines, but it seems the brake is soft on the first press, but it still is effective i just need to push it in more. A second press is much more firm. Is it possible I need to bleed the brakes again? What could be wrong?

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/2 "2020-02-19T23:12:26Z")

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> [@quentinsmithphone\_162532](#):
>
> Is it possible I need to bleed the brakes again?

Yes.

Tester

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**Author:** ![tcmichnorth](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tcmichnorth/32/25126_2.png) [@tcmichnorth](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tcmichnorth)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/3 "2020-02-19T23:22:45Z")

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Did you adjust the shoes?

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**Author:** ![quentinsmithphone\_162532](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7cd45c/32.png) [@quentinsmithphone\_162532](https://community.cartalk.com/u/quentinsmithphone_162532)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/4 "2020-02-19T23:27:08Z")

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Yeah at first they were actually way too lose so I tightened them to be pretty tight so I still feel i can definitely reliably stop it’s just the first press feels soft about half way to the floor, but then feels normal and stops ok.

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**Author:** ![quentinsmithphone\_162532](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7cd45c/32.png) [@quentinsmithphone\_162532](https://community.cartalk.com/u/quentinsmithphone_162532)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/5 "2020-02-19T23:27:43Z")

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Is this the most likely issue for this? Thanks for the reply.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/6 "2020-02-19T23:28:20Z")

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Yes.

Tester

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**Author:** ![rrappel8\_158848](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@rrappel8\_158848](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rrappel8_158848)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/7 "2020-02-20T00:22:35Z")

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Bleed the brakes, all of them, front and rear.  
If not that, you might suspect the brake master cylinder, and/or the power brake booster (??)

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**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-soft-and-squish-and-first-press-after-changing-drum-brakes/158882/8 "2020-02-20T01:12:58Z")

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It sounds like you still have air in the system. If there’s an independent mechanic you know and trust, ask him if he has the equipment to pressure bleed the system, and then ask him to do it.