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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: squierjosh on April 16, 2008, 08:33:25 AM
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I have an 87 1/2 ton Silverado 2 wheel drive. The brakes seem shot. If I drive normally and give myself time to stop normally, they work ok, but a little soft. If I need to stop quickly, or approach a stop sign too fast and stomp on them, they go all the way to the floor and don't seem to lock up enough to stop the truck quickly. There's no screeching or anything, and the brake fluid is full. Is this just bad pads? Can anyone tell me what type of brakes this beast has, and what I would need to buy to fix this?
Thanks, Josh
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Sounds like the booster is on its way out. or the master cylinder. As far as brake hard parts your best bet is to go to an auto parts store and tell them the year. If they have more than one option take it apart and meassure or bring old stuff to them for copare.
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That doesn't sound good. :-[
Sounds like the booster is on its way out. or the master cylinder. As far as brake hard parts your best bet is to go to an auto parts store and tell them the year. If they have more than one option take it apart and meassure or bring old stuff to them for copare.
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First thing I would do is disconnect the battery cables.
A truck that wont run wont kill you !
A truck that wont stop WILL kill you !
Then start repairs to the brake system.
Most auto parts stores sell a master cly booster as a unit. Check them for prices.
Also remember your truck is 20 years old (young) and may need some other items replaced like the calipers,
rotors and wheel cly's.
How long have you had this truck and what type of repairs have been made to the brake system in the last 5 years.
We all like to see photos, Show us what you got.
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I've only had it since last August, of which it sat from November until last week, so I'm still getting to know it. I think I have a coupon for a free brake inspection somewhere, so I'll just bring it in there and see what they say and what they quote me on price.
First thing I would do is disconnect the battery cables.
A truck that wont run wont kill you !
A truck that wont stop WILL kill you !
Then start repairs to the brake system.
Most auto parts stores sell a master cly booster as a unit. Check them for prices.
Also remember your truck is 20 years old (young) and may need some other items replaced like the calipers,
rotors and wheel cly's.
How long have you had this truck and what type of repairs have been made to the brake system in the last 5 years.
We all like to see photos, Show us what you got.
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I would expect to see a leak at the back of the master cylinder if it's bad, but that's not always the case. Can you crawl under the front to look at the pads on the disc brakes and see if they're thin? Even if you take it to the repair shop, ya still want to do a bit of troubleshooting 1st to make sure you don't pay for repairs not needed.
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It's pretty dry under the hood, around the master cylinder. I'll take a look at the pads tomorrow. It's not like the brakes don't work at all, they're just really really soft.
I would expect to see a leak at the back of the master cylinder if it's bad, but that's not always the case. Can you crawl under the front to look at the pads on the disc brakes and see if they're thin? Even if you take it to the repair shop, ya still want to do a bit of troubleshooting 1st to make sure you don't pay for repairs not needed.
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I would think that the booster going out would make the brakes really hard? I would recommend avoiding those brake places and going to a regular mechanic shop. They can do the same work as those brake-only shops.
It sounds like maybe you need to bleed the brakes, you may have a place where air is getting in.
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You need to check your rear brakes and adjust them.
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Just my .02, but if there is a place air is getting in then there should be fluid getting out in the same spot!
I have had a bad booster years ago, if you held the pedal for an extended period it would slowly drop to a point that the truck would all of a sudden start to roll. after that no matter how hard you pushed there was no brakes until you picked your foot up, let the pedal come back up and then re stepped on it, then they were right there again.
My ex and my best friend took it one night to pull a friend of his out of a snow bank in his driveway. They didn't know about that little quirk. He was holding the brake waiting for the guy to get into the car (crawl across form the passenger side ). He didn't notice the pedal was fading as he was turned looking out the back window. Next thing you know the truck rolled away and destroyed the front of the Ford Escort. 8' channel iron rear bumper, with a pintal hitch makes for allot of damage when it slides over the hood of a compact car. the diff cover was bashed in on my truck from the front edge of the hood. the pintal hitch was buried in the windshield. I got home they were there but my truck wasn't? I had to go up and drag my truck off the car, and the car out of the bank. When I dragged it off the car it ripped one of my rear brake lines off, what a mess!
Anywho a bad brake gone bad story for ya, so get them fixed. it might be your old lady driving or someone else when they crap out completely!
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My wifes car did something similar no leaks so I checked everything I found a compression fitting on the rear brake line I figured it was letting air in but wasnt leaking. Cut it out and did it right and brakes were fine
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I guess question number one is, is this a new problem... or has it been this way a while? Did you just buy this truck, and it doesn't have good brakes?
Are you losing fluid from the master cylinder ( is the level ok? does it stay there?)
If you are not losing fluid, you are not drawing in air. The vacuum caused when you release the brake is nowhere near the pressure exerted by the fluid when you apply the brake.
I agree that if you are not losing fluid, you have a problem with either the booster, master cylinder, or rear adjustment.
The exception to this is if you purchased the vehicle with the brakes this way. If this is the case, you may have air in the brakes due to improper bleeding by the last owner.
Good luck!
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Yeah, I just bought it last September, and didn't drive it most of the winter, so I'm not that familiar with it. The brakes have been so-so since I got it, and going downhill the last couple weeks or so. I dropped it off at a mechanic today to get a free inspection. We'll see what he says.
I guess question number one is, is this a new problem... or has it been this way a while? Did you just buy this truck, and it doesn't have good brakes?
Are you losing fluid from the master cylinder ( is the level ok? does it stay there?)
If you are not losing fluid, you are not drawing in air. The vacuum caused when you release the brake is nowhere near the pressure exerted by the fluid when you apply the brake.
I agree that if you are not losing fluid, you have a problem with either the booster, master cylinder, or rear adjustment.
The exception to this is if you purchased the vehicle with the brakes this way. If this is the case, you may have air in the brakes due to improper bleeding by the last owner.
Good luck!
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If that is the case, it may just need to be bled. Otherwise, the self adjusters may not be working, causing the back brakes to become out of adjustment.
Hope he has good news for you!
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The mechanic inspected all the brakes. The front brakes are at about 50%, so they still have some life. He adjusted the rear brakes, and there is a difference, but it's not what I'd like. However, it dawned on me this morning as I drove my tiny Kia Rio to work, that maybe I'm just used to driving a car with a more modern braking system that weighs next to nothing. It probably just stops better than the old beast.
If that is the case, it may just need to be bled. Otherwise, the self adjusters may not be working, causing the back brakes to become out of adjustment.
Hope he has good news for you!
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When I bought my '80 the brakes were horrible, they went almost all the way to the floor before slowing the truck. I thought I had a bad MC but a new one only helped a little. Well it turns out the seal on the front of the booster that fits around the rod that moves the MC piston was cracked! I found a seal on a junkyard booster and put it between the old seal and the MC and my brakes are MUCH better. I couldnt afford to replace the booster at the time and havent had any issues since so I just left it as is.