Checking the position of the brake pedal

The correct position of the brake pedal in the free state and when pressed to the stop (pedal travel) serves as one of the criteria for checking the health of the brake system. At the same time, the position of the pedal largely ensures the correct operation of the system. If the pedal is at a distance from the floor that is greater than the standard, the wheels may not completely release when the pedal is released (there is usually no free play of the pedal). If the pedal is too low, there may be reduced brake performance due to reduced pedal travel. Adjustment of the position of the pedal is not provided, it is provided constructively with the serviceability of all parts of the brake drive. In case of deviation of the nominal position, check the condition of all parts and components of the drive and replace the faulty ones.

You will need a ruler.



1. Press a brake pedal against the stop and measure distance from an overlay of a platform of a pedal to a floor.

Note. The ruler must be installed perpendicular to the plane of the floor.

2. Release the pedal and re-measure the distance from the pedal pad to the free floor. This distance should be 140 mm. The difference in dimensions obtained as a result of two measurements is the full stroke of the pedal, which should be 55 mm.


3. Check the free play of the brake pedal, for which move the pedal by hand until the pedal stops moving without resistance. Determine the value of the free play on the ruler, it should be 3–8 mm. The discrepancy between the free play and the specified value can be caused by the following reasons:

• increased play in the connection of the pusher fork of the vacuum booster and the pedal. This may be due to wear on the fork pin;
• jamming of pistons in the main brake cylinder;
• jamming of the plunger in the brake booster.

4. If the pedal travel is greater than the value given in paragraph 2, then this indicates the presence of air in the hydraulic brake drive or the wear limit of the brake pads, brake discs or drums. Bleed the air from the hydraulic (see ««««Removal and installation of a brake drum»).

Attention! If the pedal is pressed all the way down and held in this position gradually moves to the floor, this indicates a fluid leak from the hydraulic drive or a malfunction of the brake master cylinder. These malfunctions are very dangerous, so find the leak immediately and fix it or replace the brake master cylinder!