Brake Calipers Leak!

[jeff in co]

Just venting! Truck pulls a little while braking hard so decided to change the calipers (warranty exchange at O'reilly's). Worth a shot I figured.

Nice straight across exchange, bolts right up....then the leak starts at the banjo joint. I tighten, loosen, tighten. Change bolts and washers back old ones. Finally get passenger side sealed up but drivers side just keeps leaking. Try another combination of bolts and washers...still leaks!!

Out of frustration, I go get another caliper and exchange it out. Notice the bleeder valves are all different wrench sizes so get a matching pair (2nd set) of calipers with same bleeder valve size.

Get those new ones one....now passenger is leaking like a sieve! Try and try...still leaks.

Finally, put the first new caliper back on passenger side, tighten, and it stops. Driver's side now is dry too. Bleeders are different sizes but both don't leak. Finally, fixed!

Man that was frustrating! Just needed to vent.

Also tried new pads "Wagner Quiet Stops" because the "Yellow Stuff" pads throw so much dust. Two rounds on the Wagners, and they just didn't do as well as the Yellow Stuff ones. Put the old pads back on and will return the Wagners.

Well, that was a waist of time!!

 

[diesel4me]

I had an issue once when I got rebuilt calipers from AutoZone,--after I got both bolted on I discovered one had a 10MM bolt hole and banjo bolt thread,my original hose had a 7/16" hole and SAE thread.....

Had to bum a ride back to the store,and then found out "we'll have to order 2 more,those were the only ones we had in stock"..

I could have changed the brake hoses I suppose,they had the metric ones in stock,but I'd have had to buy new banjo bolts too--they had ONE in stock,and I also would have had the steel brake line get ruined in the process...I decided to just get the "right" calipers..

Usually when calipers have larger bleeders they were either later versions with metric bleeders,or they had busted bleeder screws in the core and they had to drill them out and use oversize ones..

I like the large bleeders,so far they have not failed to open when I bleed the brakes 10+ years after I replaced the calipers..

I use plenty of anti-seize on them...hate the puny 1/4" thread bleeders on the rear wheel cylinders,those almost always snap off on me..

I have noticed the cheaper "organic" non metallic pads tend to stop better than the super hard ceramic or metallic pads do --they wear out much faster,but I'd rather have it stop faster than have to stand on the pedal--I've had some high $$ pads act like no brakes after they got glazed over..

I also learned to use only organic pads on vehicles with manual brakes--my van has manual brakes,after I put on the "best" Bendix metallic pads ,I went to a mountainous area in NY state and almost ended up going over a cliff when I couldn't apply enough pedal pressure to slow it down on a long grade..I was literally standing up off the seat and couldn't even lock up the front tires..they also squealed like crazy despite putting the anti-squeal liners and goop on them..

After I got back from vacation a Bendix rep showed up at my work and I told him "their pads SUCK",and he wrote them up as "defective" and told me "here-put these organic pads on it ,never use metallic pads on manual brakes--you do not really need them on any vehicle with rotors 11" or larger anyways.,after that I could lock the wheels at any speed with hardly any pedal effort..

 

[jeff in co]

Yea, bleeders were all various sizes. 4 calipers and 3 different sizes. The new "second set" were both matching and larger in size. I was hoping it would work, but I just couldn't get the passenger side to stop leaking. I ultimately had to use the "first set" passenger caliper and "second set" drivers caliper.

Figured no leaks are better than matching bleeder sizes.

At the end of the day....truck still pulls to one side when braking hard...so nothing really improved.

 

[diesel4me]

That is a common trait in many GM trucks,both 2WD and 4x4's..

The 4x4's have the drag link get pulled on when you apply the brakes,a steering damper might help that if that is the cause (but probably wont completely eliminate it)..

Another thing that can do it is a restriction in one of the brake hoses or lines,which applies less pressure to one side than the other..usually the brakes will drag after letting off the pedal if this is happening too,at least to some degree..if you notice one side had more pad wear than the other,this might be the cause..

Also GM had some calipers with different sized pistons for different GVW ratings,its important to make sure you have a matching pair,not one larger,and the other the smaller version..both bolt up the same and use the same brake hoses,externally they'll look identical by eye..

Wheel alignment or a tire with a belt issue can cause pulling to one side during braking too..

Out of all my GM 4x4's none had that pulling issue,maybe I'm just lucky..but I had a '79 C-10 that would put you in the passing lane if you applied the brakes fast and hard in a panic stop situation..never did find a cause or a cure for it either..

I suspected the a-frame bushings,they were original and all cracked,but you couldn't make any play in them show up prying on them with a bar with it jacked up..maybe it didn't have enough positive caster--I never had it aligned because the front tires never wore on the edges and assumed it was spot on,it never squealed around corners,etc..

 

[jeff in co]

I was hoping it might help, but it doesn't really feel like it. New rotors and bearings (5 months ago). Replaced front hoses with SS ones about a year ago. Steering stabilizer is probably 4 years old.

I've check the toe on alignment....but not the rest. I was thinking about getting an alignment next month to see where everything sits. I know the Caster/Camber?? (rotation of axle) was off after lift. Mine was around 6.5/6.7 and spec says 8.0. Probably time to check it out again.

 

[jeff in co]

Found my last alignment sheet....