I think Im having issues with the front brakes on my 98 2wd 4-banger, but figured Id ask around here.
Ive noticed a required increase in pedal effort lately, as well as a feeling of the truck pulling right. It doesnt always seem to pull right, but occasionally I catch it doing so (I was originally thinking it was a crown in the road, but it does it in spots that I know arent affected by crowning). I pulled the wheel off, removed the lower caliper pin, and tilted the caliper up. Found a couple things: 1. the pads were REALLY stuck in there. tapped them with a rubber mallet to remove them and 2. the shims were very rusted (one of the inside shims is actually rusted through). The pads themselves have good material left (about 3/4). Unfortunately none of the local parts stores carry any shims, calipers, etc. I put everything back together, and the rotor actually spun freer than it did to start.
Drove the truck around, and Im noticing that on my initial pedal push, the pedal is soft. If I back off and then reapply quickly (same amount of effort, same amount of pedal travel), the truck brakes MUCH nicer.
Any ideas? I was originally thinking bad caliper(s) up front, but now Im not so sure.
first things first. by the sound of things, you need to pull off both front wheels and take both calipers off and clean EVERYTHING! rust and brakes dont mix well. once ALL corrosion is removed, lube the caliper slides with SILICONE GREASE.(not wheel bearing grease) As far as the shims go they will not effect the brake feel, just noise. Also, I would replace both front rubber lines and flush the system if it hasnt been done. Brake systems should be flushed every 2-3 years to extend service life anyway. Hope this helps!
I think Im having issues with the front brakes on my 98 2wd 4-banger, but figured Id ask around here.
Ive noticed a required increase in pedal effort lately, as well as a feeling of the truck pulling right. It doesnt always seem to pull right, but occasionally I catch it doing so (I was originally thinking it was a crown in the road, but it does it in spots that I know arent affected by crowning). I pulled the wheel off, removed the lower caliper pin, and tilted the caliper up. Found a couple things: 1. the pads were REALLY stuck in there. tapped them with a rubber mallet to remove them and 2. the shims were very rusted (one of the inside shims is actually rusted through). The pads themselves have good material left (about 3/4). Unfortunately none of the local parts stores carry any shims, calipers, etc. I put everything back together, and the rotor actually spun freer than it did to start.
Drove the truck around, and Im noticing that on my initial pedal push, the pedal is soft. If I back off and then reapply quickly (same amount of effort, same amount of pedal travel), the truck brakes MUCH nicer.
Any ideas? I was originally thinking bad caliper(s) up front, but now Im not so sure.
Thanks in advance!
-Chris
How's the fluid level in the MC?
DOT 3 fluid can absorb water from the air which can make the pedal feel spongy as well as promote corrosion inside the system (which is why Desert Runner's advice of flushing and refilling the system every couple/few years is a good ideal -- although almost no one does it).
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Jerry
2004 Frontier, King Cab, XE, 4x1, 4-cyl, 5-spd My Frontier Page
DOT 3 fluid can absorb water from the air which can make the pedal feel spongy as well as promote corrosion inside the system (which is why Desert Runner's advice of flushing and refilling the system every couple/few years is a good ideal -- although almost no one does it).
My hats off. Not many people know that dot 3 is hydroscopic. Nowadays anyway! Had a tech work for me once, found a bottle of dot 3 sans cap and when asked why, said it didnt matter. Had to hand him his last check.
My hats off. Not many people know that dot 3 is hydroscopic. Nowadays anyway! Had a tech work for me once, found a bottle of dot 3 sans cap and when asked why, said it didnt matter. Had to hand him his last check.
A better solution to using silicone grease would be graphite paste or antiseize, (the stuff you use on spark plugs), and that sucks you had to fire the tech instead of teaching him the right way. We need more teachers in this world.... Glad I dont work for you.
A better solution to using silicone grease would be graphite paste or antiseize, (the stuff you use on spark plugs), and that sucks you had to fire the tech instead of teaching him the right way. We need more teachers in this world.... Glad I dont work for you.
WELL,graphite technically would work, its a personal choice.
As for the tech I fired,,he wasnt ready for a dealership shop,,,maybe a mom and pop place,,but not here.I allow nothing but excellence in my shop.
My hats off. Not many people know that dot 3 is hydroscopic. Nowadays anyway! Had a tech work for me once, found a bottle of dot 3 sans cap and when asked why, said it didnt matter. Had to hand him his last check.
Most Corvette (especially the '68 - '82) owners, or previous owners like me ('77), know about DOT 3 fluid; at least the one's whose brakes fail while driving do.
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Jerry
2004 Frontier, King Cab, XE, 4x1, 4-cyl, 5-spd My Frontier Page
Brake fluid and alcohol mix with water better than water mixes with itself (literally). I think that the culprit may be the slides sticking, but also the missing/distorted shims may allow the pad to move just a hair and allow for a weird pressure distribution.
Try a local junk yard for the shims and springs. You can ask the local parts store for the part # of your pads and the #'s of several other years of the same truck. If other years use the same pads then the shim kit should be the same too. if you find a good set at a junk yard you might want to go ahead and get any hardware related to the calipers that you can. Compare the old stuff to the "new" stuff and use whichever looks best. throw the rest away or keep for spares.
Ive tracked down a place I can purchase just the shim kit at, I will be ordering a new set (pretty cheap, so its not a huge deal).
The fluid level in the MC was halfway between min and max, I upped it to be 3/4 of the way up from min to max, just to see if it helped (it didnt).
The slides you guys are referring to are the actual pins inside the rubber boots, correct? Looking quickly I didnt see an easy way to remove them without destroying the boots, any advice would be helpful
BTW, funny you mention DOT3 + hygroscopic + 'vette brakes. My dads last Vette was a '72 with the 4 piston sport calipers. Used DOT5 (!!!) fluid. Ultra expensive, but I think its basically pure silicone. But my dad taught me that brake fluid sucks up water, one of the few things he taught me that I actually listened to!
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