1996 Dodge Ram Poor Brakes,What is the fix?

Question

Anyone had any experience with making the braking better on this truck
It's a weak spot with Dodge that Im tired of living with
Im living in the City now and really notice how poor they are
I didn't use the truck much before moving here so i just lived with the braking.
Im capable of repairing my self.
Wanted some info on trouble shooting from those who had tackled this before i dove in.
Read a post on the proportioning valve causing some issues.
Any info?
Thx

Answer 1

It depends on what your pedal feels like. If it's feels hard you may have a brake booster problem. It's the part that your master cylinder is bolted to. If it's mushy...You have air in the lines and should be bled.
If the pedal feels like its low to the floor when they start to work get the rear drum brakes inspected, Or inspect them your self.
And last but not least get your rear brakes adjusted properly. The rear brakes when the brakes are applied contact the drum first. When pressure in the lines builds up a little a proportioning valve opens sending fluid to your front brakes
If the rear brakes aren't adjusted correctly your brake pedal has to be pushed down farther to make up for the distance the rear shoes are away from the brake drum.

Answer 2

I've got one here and the brakes are fine. Here is my suggestion: Replace the pads with the softest compound you can find. These are usually cheaper than the hard, long lasting ones, but are quieter and tend to not glaze the rotors, which may be your problem. If the rotors are not warped and you don't want to resurface them, rough them up with some emery cloth to break the glaze. Also make sure the system is free of air bubbles. Good luck