Brake Calipers

[Donnie Yukonie]

Ok Im trying to Diagnose a Pull in my steering the Truck Pulls harsh to the left after about 10-20 miles of driving , at First drive its hardly if even noticeable and gets worse the longer I drive. I discovered that my Brake fluid was black and had a sludge build up after this idiot (me) didnt service them for over 4 years . I sucked what i could out of the Resivour and cleaned it . I filled it back up and today Im hoping to finish Flushing the system However Im doubtful this will fix the issue .

Brakes are fairly new R1 concepts D/S rotors with ceramic pads , No visual signs of uneven wear or scoring .

Also no visible signs of any leaks .

Ive heard that taking the Slide pins out and greasing them can fix this issue however Ive never done it , while it looks easy enough . If I have the funds to go ahead and replace them should I ?? If so what Calipers do you guys run?

Im thinking ACdelco as always however Ive seen the "cardone" brand go for half the cost $22 bucks to be exact .
thoughts?

 

[mfdrookie516]

If it's the pins sticking, some sandpaper to remove the rust and some slide pin grease will fix it. I'd go that route before buying new ones, even if they're only $20 or so.

 

[SunlitComet]

You should always lube the caliper pins when replacing the pads but if they are just binding up don't bother with just a pin/bushing kit. It is easier to get a remaned caliper where they are all fitted in for you and the piston seal and dust boot are also replaced. Delco, A1 Cardone, Raybesto or Bendix ones are fine. Make sure that the machined surfaces of the caliper and the anchor plate where they contact each other are clean and smooth. However do a thorough inspection and adjustment of your rear brakes. They will will effect braking pull easier then your front disc will. If you do have sludge in the system you may have also clogged a line under the right circumstances. I highly recommend you take it to a shop who can clean out the MC and pressure bleed the entire system. It is best to bleed out the entire system, perform the ABS cycling function and bleed out the entire system again if you had any moment in the last few years where the ABS module had to activate under lock-up conditions. And Any remains of the old stuff is just going to contaminate new fluid. I would do this before replacing parts to ensure that the lines are free flowing.

---------- Post added at 07:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:26 AM ----------

If it's the pins sticking, some sandpaper to remove the rust and some slide pin grease will fix it. I'd go that route before buying new ones, even if they're only $20 or so.

Do not ever attempt to polish off corrosion off the pins. Especially with sandpaper. You are inviting the pins to jamb up in the bushing.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Do not ever attempt to polish off corrosion off the pins. Especially with sandpaper. You are inviting the pins to jamb up in the bushing.

That's interesting. The first time I've ever seen someone recommend against it. This is how I was taught in diesel school, and have always done so when changing pads on my vehicles without any issues. I'm sure (based on what I've read of your posts on here) that you know what you're talking about, I've just never seen this happen.

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

x2 ^ , And Sun the ABS on my truck is Disabled , The module was acting up and causing the ABS to activate when the brakes were no where near Lock up , for "safety" reasons I unplugged it. You mention bringing it to a shop who can Pressure bleed them. Does the traditional method not work as well?

 

[_Dylan_]

greasing the slide bolts are a piece of cake.

you with need a 3/8 allen wrench to remove the calipers.

That's interesting. The first time I've ever seen someone recommend against it. This is how I was taught in diesel school, and have always done so when changing pads on my vehicles without any issues. I'm sure (based on what I've read of your posts on here) that you know what you're talking about, I've just never seen this happen.

sand paper and polish would work fine, but like sunlit said a new caliper is a better fix. Calipers for these trucks are cheap as hell anyways. $16 each from advance.

 

[SunlitComet]

Safety my ass. You could have had a dealer recalibrate the ECMB for the tire size to get the ABS to work properly if the tire size was the issue. Not the same as redoing the pcm for speedo stuff. Pressure bleeding does a faster and more complete flushing as opposed to the two-man method. With pressure bleeding you can force the whole line to clean fluid really fast and that helps carry the garbage out. With the two man method you can only move so much fluid at a time. If your fluid is trashed out with solid sludge in the MC, it is best to suck it out pour some new in there and stir it up a bit and clean it out again until no more debris. Then under pressure push out the nasty.

---------- Post added at 10:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:10 PM ----------

Dylan, did you happen to notice a snowball flying across you suv in your sig pic? Just curious.

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

Yes for safety , to be honest the ABS in the truck was junk IMHO , Either that or my brakes are junk , I can probably make the Grill guard nose dive into the ground before the tires lock up , with the bigger tires I've never locked them up .

 

[SunlitComet]

And unless you you have bigger braking system on the vehicle with those bigger tires you likely will not, unless you panic slam a good functioning brake system on a gravel road. The existing brakes just can't do it on pavement. Especially if not maintained properly. Whether you can make your nose dive down into the ground before the tires lock-up is irrelevant. Abs is there to prevent uncontrolled skids and increase steering control when needed. The fact that you can not lock them up can be a sign of weak brakes. At any rate if you have to brake rather suddenly in wet or muddy weather or a oily road surface your are very like going to have a bad day. I would suggest to get the system cleaned up, fix the abs calibration and get some brake upgrades going on.