Brake help again!

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bradjh
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Brake help again!

Post by bradjh »

After finally getting completely fed up with the squeaking that i hear from the drivers front that i hear when i drive, i decided to take off the front wheel and caliper pads and rotor clean everything and grease up slide pins. After everything was assembled i pumped up the pedal then started the truck, the pedal does not seem as firm as it was before i worked on it.. How do i get a firmer pedal? also i guess if i hear more squeaking then i will need a harware kit how do you put that on? Brad
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HenryJ
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Post by HenryJ »

Changing the fluid will help firm a pedal. Have someone help you bleed them thoroughly after replacing as much of the fluid in the master cylinder as you can.

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Post by bradjh »

whats the best way to bleed brakes
what brake fluid should i use synthetic?
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HenryJ
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Post by HenryJ »

Brake fluid needs to be changed periodically.

Brake Trouble
HenryJ wrote:Brake fluid is hygroscopic. It seeks and absorbs water. It does need to be changed. I will admit I fall short in this respect too. When I do a brake job I suck out as much brake fluid from the reservoir as possible. Then compress all the calipers and get all that I can sucked out again. Then fill the reservoir with new fluid from a sealed container. Why sealed? It absorbs water from the air. If it has been exposed to air it has absorbed water.

What does the water do? It lowers the boiling point of brake fluid. It compresses more. This is why you get that spongy feel. It also corrodes the internal components.
DOT 3 and 4 fluids are good in that they do absorb water. The more they absorb the less that can puddle in the wheel cylinders , master cylinder and calipers. That is where the rust and pitting come from.

DOT 5 fluid is silicone and does not absorb water. Those systems must be flushed periodically to remove contamination. It stays firm , but the components seem to suffer when neglected. Systems that are compatible with silicone use special seals. The other fluids are not interchangeable or compatible with a silicone fluid system. The Military used to use silicone systems. Some racing uses it and street rods do occasionally since it is paint friendly.

I am not familiar with the specific properties of the synthetic fluids , but I would say that look for one that is comparable to the affinity for water that DOT 3 has. If you maintain a regular replacement regiment, or endure high heat braking regularly DOT 4 would be my next choice. DOT 4 is less hygroscopic, therefore is not as long lived as DOT 3.
I think the "best" way is a pressure bleeding system. I have one because it is an easy one man way to bleed any system. Not an option for most.

Have a friend hold pressure on the pedal. One the bleed screw and close it when the pedal reaches the floor. Start at the farthest wheel (RR) and finish at the closest (LF) bleed each caliper until you get clean clear fluid.

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so what about the hardware kit?

Post by bradjh »

does anyone know how to put the hardware kit on?
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Post by F9K9 »

It's merely replacement parts for what is already taken apart for a brake job. That is how I replaced my rear slide pins that were so corroded.
I recently went through allot of research on synthetic fluid when trying to firm up the heep's brakes. You really do not want to go synthetic unless it is a all new system. Some newer more exotic cars require it but, the main emphasis seems to be for bikes.
You'll need to find out the correct size but, picking up 4 speedbleeders can make it a one man job for about $20 plus the cost of new fluid and following Brule's suggest on start at passenger rear.............

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Post by killian96ss »

The speed bleeders shown above are the best available right now. I have their stainless steel speed bleeders on my 96 SS, 05 ZR2, and 88 S10. They make fluid changes and bleeding the brakes very easy to do by yourself. The stainless steel version is much stronger and they will not rust up like most steel bleeder screws. Even if you can't afford the SS version, the steel bleeders are still better than the bleeders offered by Russell or Earls. :wink:

Speed Bleeder

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Post by bradjh »

got harware kit but how do i get rubber boots off caliper hanger?
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Post by bradjh »

new brake fluid , lubed slide pins, still squeaking on drivers front. bought a hardware kit and cannot figure out how to get it on.. Also tried to bleed brakes but could not get bleeder screw to break loos on any calipers.. :?
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Post by killian96ss »

Spray some PB Blaster or other penetrant on the bleeder screws and wait a day or two and then try to break them loose again. The bleeder screws are steel and tend to get rusty because they are exposed to water and salt from the roads. DO NOT use heat to get the bleeders crews out because you will damage the seals inside the calipers. If all of the bleeder screw are stuck you might want to consider installing new screws once you get the old ones off. :wink:

I have found that the most common squeek on all vehicles is caused by the brake pads fitting loosly in the calipers. The brake pads have small "ears" on them which can be bent a little to prevent pad movement inside the caliper. If you look closely at them you will see what I mean.

I would also coat the backside of each pad with an anti squeek compound made specifically for brakes. DO NOT put this compound on the swept surface that makes contact with the rotor! :wink:

Unless something is broken with the hardware currently on your calipers there is no reason to replace anything.

Steve
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Post by bradjh »

nothing is broke i will try bending the tabs on the brake pads.. does any one know what size wrench the bleeders take? i think 10mm ? I was told a hardware kit would stop squeak. slide pins and clean and well lubed, rubbers boots are not torn or dry rotted but as i drive i constantly hear brakes squak but it stops when apply brakes