Trouble w/ my brakes...
Login  | |
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/2/2007 12:16:53 AM
|
|
|
JustBlaze!
Posts: 74
Joined: 5/5/2006
Status: offline
|
This is in reference to the truck you have in your profile correct? How does the brake pedal feel when you step on it, Does it feel spongy? soft? stiff? Does it pulsate? Does the truck stop straight or does it pull to one side? You mentioned that the brakes and rotors where checked, were the rear shoes and drum also checked? How are the fluid levels? The adjusters in the rear brakes are also notorious for seizing up, have those been checked?
_____________________________
1996 Blazer 4Dr 4WD 4.3L
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/2/2007 1:11:58 AM
|
|
|
Chevy Lover
General Tech Moderator
Posts: 3411
Joined: 6/11/2006
From: Vancouver. B.C. Canada
Status: offline
|
Chances are that the brake pads are cheap! You need a good semi-metallic brake pad on the front and I recommend quality brake shoes on the rear. Or make sure you go to the gym so that you can leg press about 600 pounds with your left foot.
_____________________________
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish, and he will sit on a boat drinking beer for a life time
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/2/2007 2:49:39 PM
|
|
|
blazerlt01
Posts: 281
Joined: 1/15/2007
From: Chicago
Status: offline
|
i would def check the brake fluid level and make sure it's clean, if there is air in the line the pedal will be soft and the car will have problems slowing down and even stopping. as chevy lover said making sure there are good pads on the front and good shoes on the rear is key. brakes are something that should be invested in so that they do the job well
_____________________________
LUMINICS JDM YELLOW LOWS & FOGS
265/70R15 YOKOHAMA SUPER DIGGERS
CAI
ALPINE HEAD UNIT
ROCKFORD FOSGATE 1000AMP
2-12" PIONEER PREMIER SUBS IN CUSTOM BOX
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/2/2007 7:59:51 PM
|
|
|
Kordog
Posts: 403
Joined: 10/22/2006
Status: offline
|
I had a '94 Blazer at work not long ago that had a very poor brake pedal, with a recent brake job. What I found was the people doing the job used the cheapest pads, and they did not clean off the coating that comes on new rotors to prevent rust. So I would recommend cleaning the rotors, and putting a GOOD set of brake pads on, also a brake fluid flush would not hurt either. Korey.
_____________________________
Korey
2000 Blazer LT, 30X9.5x15 Dueler AT, Cold air intake, Magnaflow exhaust.
ASE Master Auto Tech.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/3/2007 1:14:02 AM
|
|
|
boulonman
Posts: 15
Joined: 2/17/2007
Status: offline
|
I concur w/Kordog, I have worked in several shops myself, I've seen those exact same short cuts, cheap pads, not de-greasing new rotors which I personally turn 0.005 even if new and always find a low spot or two so I keep turning til they're true and make sure to put a swirling pattern with a air grinder and low abrehisive pad to make a good biting surface, definetly flush WHOLE brake system with new dot 3 fluid and you should get around 50.000 or more miles before it's time again, boulonman ASE auto tech.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/3/2007 9:46:23 AM
|
|
|
MNHawk
Posts: 451
Joined: 10/20/2006
Status: offline
|
alright you have a 94 Blazer, but does it have ABS brakes or not?
with the bad smell to the brakes when applied, that would be a sign of a bad side, could be (bad brake shoes, caliper locking up, foriegn mater being burnt off like oil or other fluid).
I would lean more towards a bad caliper.
_____________________________
74 W200 4x4 360/727/NP205 D44/D60
1981 C-20 Suburban Full Size 4x4 350 4sp manual (newest toy)
91 Honda Accord (daily Driver)
1979 Ford LGT 125
2005 JD L130
95 Blazer 4 door 4x4 4.3 lt vin W(parked selling or parting out)
93 S10 Blazer 4dr 4.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/3/2007 9:52:01 AM
|
|
|
MNHawk
Posts: 451
Joined: 10/20/2006
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: boulonman
I concur w/Kordog, I have worked in several shops myself, I've seen those exact same short cuts, cheap pads, not de-greasing new rotors which I personally turn 0.005 even if new and always find a low spot or two so I keep turning til they're true and make sure to put a swirling pattern with a air grinder and low abrehisive pad to make a good biting surface, definetly flush WHOLE brake system with new dot 3 fluid and you should get around 50.000 or more miles before it's time again, boulonman ASE auto tech.
Either $10 brake pads/shoes or $300 pads/shoes
Does not matter when there is issues with hard peddel and smell of burnt brakes
And for the record, in 20 plus years doing my own and many other brake jobs. I have seen some of the lower cost $10 brake shoes out last the higher end over priced ones. Cost has nothing to do with it. Its the MFG and composit of the brakes.
And the newer DOT 4 fluid is what most brake shops are using unless the system requires different fluid.
Power flushing an older system like this could cause more damage then what its worth. And power flushing is the only way on these older units (outside of full system replacement) to get all the build up out. This also could DAMAGE the brake system if its ABS. ABS systems have a special process to drain and refill and/or flush the system.
_____________________________
74 W200 4x4 360/727/NP205 D44/D60
1981 C-20 Suburban Full Size 4x4 350 4sp manual (newest toy)
91 Honda Accord (daily Driver)
1979 Ford LGT 125
2005 JD L130
95 Blazer 4 door 4x4 4.3 lt vin W(parked selling or parting out)
93 S10 Blazer 4dr 4.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/3/2007 11:14:00 AM
|
|
|
Kordog
Posts: 403
Joined: 10/22/2006
Status: offline
|
Yaeh $10 pads probally will out last the better ones,but that is because they won't stop the vehicle. I average 2 brake jobs per DAY. And have found that when you skimp on the pads you have come-backs. This is really true on the heavier vehicles. Like Neons, Cavaliers, etc, you can put the cheapest ones on them, because they are so light that dragging your feet on the ground will stop the car just as fast. I recently tried out 4 sets of pads on my Blazer with the best rotors possible short of cross drilled/ slotted, and my pedal would get better as the grade of pads got better. I now am using ceramic pads all the way around, and even with my pop-up behind me it stops on a dime. And the bad smell could be the coating on the rotors that has been burned on there if they never cleaned it off, or the other brakes just having to work harder to stop the truck. So if it was my own vehicle I would clean the rotors very good, and instal a high quality set of pads, no cheapos, flush the fluid, because if the fluhing causes somthing to fail, it was already failing anyway, and clean and adjust the rears and see where that leaves me. If that does not help, then you may want to go to a shop and have the hydraulic system checked for proper operation. IMHO Korey.
_____________________________
Korey
2000 Blazer LT, 30X9.5x15 Dueler AT, Cold air intake, Magnaflow exhaust.
ASE Master Auto Tech.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/4/2007 12:00:35 AM
|
|
|
BobTheBlazer
Posts: 892
Joined: 2/15/2007
From: Crossville, TN
Status: offline
|
WOW, So many responses I don't know where to start. Sorry, forgot to mention that my Blazer is ABS equipped. No pulling to either side...just not working well, and stinking. Don't really know how to describe the way the pedal feels. Feels kinda like you gotta push it clear to the floor to get it to work.
Something I noticed today, my ABS light is on and the ABS does not seem to be working. My husband made a quick stop last night and the wheels locked up...this doesn't happen when the ABS if functioning properly, correct?
I guess when we get home from vacation we'll have to look into it, just wish I knew what was wrong so I don't have to dump a bunch of cash into it.
< Message edited by BobTheBlazer -- 3/4/2007 12:06:15 AM >
_____________________________
"Bob The Blazer" - Being parted out...WAAAHH!
"Shebby" - ''90 Dodge Daytona Shelby, the love of my life!
"Superman" - Blue and red ''90 Toyota pickup
''88 Mazda RX-7 - gonna kick ass soon!
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/4/2007 1:23:58 AM
|
|
|
Kordog
Posts: 403
Joined: 10/22/2006
Status: offline
|
Well a good set of pads, cleaning the rotors, flushing the fluid, and cleaning/adjusting the rear brakes if you do it yourself, won't cost much, I would think about $80 at the max. Then at least you will know exactly where you stand (hopefully with a nice high pedal with a truck that stops great!!). Korey.
_____________________________
Korey
2000 Blazer LT, 30X9.5x15 Dueler AT, Cold air intake, Magnaflow exhaust.
ASE Master Auto Tech.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/4/2007 1:50:10 AM
|
|
|
MNHawk
Posts: 451
Joined: 10/20/2006
Status: offline
|
Korey,
yea ceramic pads are suppose to be the hype of top dog in brakes. But it still falls down to the users choice. I have replaced under warranty 3 sets of ceramic brake pads on my Honda alone. As long as they keep replacing them due to (what ever they call it) Defective product, I will run them. But I sure as heck wont put them on my big trucks (Chevy 1/2 ton and Dodge 3/4 upgraded with 1 ton setup).
If they keep busting and failing on a light weight Honda, yea on well. And yes, they are quality made ceramics not some cheapos off of Ebay.
BobTheBlazer:
Back to the ABS. They might not be working (common issue) is that the lines that are for ABS sensors at the wheels might have broken. They are not that bad to replace. The other most found common issue is that too much rust builds up between the sensor and the axle shaft.
Even with ABS, YES you can lock up your brakes. This is a very misunderstood thing about ABS. They don't keep the Wheels from locking up, they just help PULSE the brakes to aid in normal braking. Another thing to check on your brakes would be the Vacumme line to the brake booster. If you are not getting the right vacumme to your booster, this could cause hard peddel also.
Down side to not having the vehical to visually inspect and test. Leaves a lot of unknowns open.
I would suggest if you can get the codes read for the ABS I would do that before going and trying to replace this that and the other thing. There might be an issue with the ABS system that would be causing your braking issue. I also would suggest if you do flush and fill the brake fluids, you have this done at a shop over do it yourself. Like I stated above, ABS systems are picky and require special steeps to get done correctly.
_____________________________
74 W200 4x4 360/727/NP205 D44/D60
1981 C-20 Suburban Full Size 4x4 350 4sp manual (newest toy)
91 Honda Accord (daily Driver)
1979 Ford LGT 125
2005 JD L130
95 Blazer 4 door 4x4 4.3 lt vin W(parked selling or parting out)
93 S10 Blazer 4dr 4.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/4/2007 4:07:19 AM
|
|
|
fernandoh
Posts: 51
Joined: 12/29/2006
Status: offline
|
Ceramic pads may go unsafe. My experience in a fast winding downhill road with my Neon (yes I was speeding) was terrific: no brakes at the end with no warning. So I remove the ceramics (Ceramikools in fact) and put back the good old OEMs. Prior to that the ceramics were fine but a few fast stops and the problem was there, luckily I had the room to stop with the rest of the ceramics and a pedal hard as a rock.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/4/2007 9:07:35 AM
|
|
|
drperry
Posts: 3901
Joined: 1/12/2007
From: GP AB CA
Status: offline
|
Like MNHawk said, check the ABS codes, though, I don't know if a fault in the ABS computer can cause a hard pedal issue (I don't like ABS myself, lol), but if it can't then it's something mechanical, either your brake booster isn't getting the vacuum it needs, a caliper is frozen, or your fluid is borked... Though, I did notice that sometimes, when my e-brake is on, and I hit the brake pedal, it's really stiff...
Try jacking up one wheel at a time, and see if they spin freely... Make sure to block the other 3 wheels, especially when you're checking the rears...
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/4/2007 10:24:46 AM
|
|
|
MNHawk
Posts: 451
Joined: 10/20/2006
Status: offline
|
When jacking up the rears, put a wheel chuck on each side of the front wheels. Front and Back/Left and Right. This will aid in safety so that it does not roll on you. And for those that think they cost too much, $10 for a good set of 4 is not that much when it comes to the safety of yourself and others around you.
Seeing as the rears have to be out of park and both sides up, Make sure you leave your jack under the pumpkin and jack stands on both sides.
_____________________________
74 W200 4x4 360/727/NP205 D44/D60
1981 C-20 Suburban Full Size 4x4 350 4sp manual (newest toy)
91 Honda Accord (daily Driver)
1979 Ford LGT 125
2005 JD L130
95 Blazer 4 door 4x4 4.3 lt vin W(parked selling or parting out)
93 S10 Blazer 4dr 4.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 3/5/2007 5:35:19 PM
|
|
|
BobTheBlazer
Posts: 892
Joined: 2/15/2007
From: Crossville, TN
Status: offline
|
Codes, I hear you all talking about checking codes. Is this possible with these vehicles? I've always owned Mopars before and you can easily check codes yourself with those...but can I do it with my Blazer? If so, how?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Trouble w/ my brakes... - 6/2/2008 9:30:42 AM
|
|
|
boulonman
Posts: 15
Joined: 2/17/2007
Status: offline
|
Unfortanely you need a scanner to check and erase codes, they can be had for 300$ although there is one for sale in the classifieds here for 100$ and it sounds like a sweet deal, you can also adjust various parameters, ****ft points, top speed limiter..odometer calibration if rims and tires are aftermarket etc....So it can pay for itself in long run (are you towing when this happens?)
However in your case, you wanna check ECU memory (If it hasnt been fully erased) for any old brake related codes (The scanner comes with a code description book or you can google it.) You most likely have 4 wheel disc, so it's not shoes, but it could be cheap pads or warped/hot spots on rotors, were they turned as they should be during the brake job? If they are new rotors, in my years as a certified mechanic I always turn them once to take off the minimum material to be truly sure they are true, also you may have sticky calipers, raise one wheel at a time and turn it (in neutral, no E-brake on) there should be none to very very slight equal resistance in all 4 wheels, if you find one that is harder to spin that the others, you found your culprit, with motor off press down your brake pedal, if it bottoms out you got a bad master cyl. If you want conveniance take your blaze in to a reputable shop and let them inspect it, (Sears does it for free) Chances are they will tell you you need a brake job even if you dont that's the catch, but cheap pads or bad master or unturned or worn beyond specs rotors are first thing that come to mind, if you have access to a infra temp gun, check temp of all 4 caliper-rotors after hard run, they should all be similar temp. ABS code would mean car is braking automatically when not needed put you would feel pulsation or pull or shutter in pedal, regardless there should not be any of the symptoms you describe if complete system is ok, it's a matter of going through diagnostic tree, go to a reputable specialized brake shop or dealer if you are a novice. good luck! boulonman 
_____________________________
alanwautier@cox.net, 01 Blaze LS, 2dr. 2wd. shaved embems, SS throttle plate, c.a.i, exhaust in the works,sheepskins, 21" chrome rims, mettallic champagne, sweet ride.
|
|
|
|
Blazer Forum .com is not affiliated with or endorsed by Chevrolet Motors Division or General Motors.
|
Printable Version
