Brake Trouble on 96 Z71

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Bad_Luck_Club

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So, when I first got the truck the brake pedal was soft ,but it stopped alright. I had the ABS light on ,but I wasn't too worried. The fuse had been pulled so I replaced the fuse and the light was still on. I remember the previous owner saying something about a sensor in the rear that needed to be replaced ,but I have no idea if his word is any good or not. So a couple of months later I went to service the rear diff and noticed that the fill plug was stripped out so a hundred and twenty bucks later I had a Perfect Launch diff cover. I ended up breaking the rear brake in the rear so I decided well, it's probably time to service the drums anyway. So I serviced the drums and put new wheel cylinders in and bled the rear with a one man bleeder. I ended up getting a red brake light. Today my father and I put new calipers on in the front. I did the front brakes with new hardware, rotors, and pads. We bled those and it had an incredible amount of pressure coming from the calipers. It was like a geyser of brake fluid. The pedal felt better ,but I would still occasional get the red brake light and the truck stopped ,but it was a very slow stop. I decided to wait it out at my father's house until around 10 when the roads would be clearer to make my way home. I noticed that the brake light only came on at hard stops and my gas gauge would dip down as well. I'm not sure if those are related ,but hey I figure all the information I can give you guys the better. I crept home and on some back roads close to my house I decided to try and test the brakes some more to see what I've got going on. I did a few hard stops and the brake light that had stayed with me for about 20 miles at this point went away and the pedal felt better ,but it wasn't the rock hard pedal I was used to in my K20 I used to own and my C10. I also noticed that my hazards/brake lights don't work. I'm not sure if the relay has anything to do with my pedal feel. Removing the ABS fuse made no difference either. I'd like to delete the ABS unit (a Kelsey Hayes unit) and use the proportioning valve from a 81 K series truck. Would that be a viable solution for me to try? I heard way too many horror stories about the ABS units acting up in this truck and causing people to get into accidents. I also did try bleeding the ABS unit from that little nipple with the rubber cap ,but no fluid was coming from there.

What's the best course of action here? I'd like a rock hard pedal and I'm not looking for the cheapest option per say ,but I know those ABS units cost quite a bit and I don't have a tool to bleed it if I got a new one. Thank you for looking at my thread.
 

94burbk1500

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The best option for bleeding the ABS is to get someone with the correct scan tool to do it. The brakes on these trucks are known to be ******, even when in proper working condition. If your brake and master are fine, it's gotta be a sensor or air in the ABS controller. I'm not sure what sensors the ABS uses in these trucks, I know my S10 uses the speed sensors at the front wheels, but idk if these trucks do.
 

df2x4

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As mentioned, take it to a shop with a GM Tech 2 or comparable scan tool that can command the ABS module to stay open during bleeding. Otherwise you're going to have a really rough time getting all the air out of the system.
 

Bad_Luck_Club

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The best option for bleeding the ABS is to get someone with the correct scan tool to do it. The brakes on these trucks are known to be ******, even when in proper working condition. If your brake and master are fine, it's gotta be a sensor or air in the ABS controller. I'm not sure what sensors the ABS uses in these trucks, I know my S10 uses the speed sensors at the front wheels, but idk if these trucks do.
I'm not even sure what's wrong with the ABS system. Should I try to remove the ABS system?
 

Bad_Luck_Club

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As mentioned, take it to a shop with a GM Tech 2 or comparable scan tool that can command the ABS module to stay open during bleeding. Otherwise you're going to have a really rough time getting all the air out of the system.
I don't think the ABS even works. I've had a ABS light the entire time I've owned it. Should I just remove the ABS?
 

df2x4

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Personally I'd get it fixed but it's your truck and your decision.
 

94burbk1500

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I don't think the ABS even works. I've had a ABS light the entire time I've owned it. Should I just remove the ABS?
Most parts on these trucks aren't that expensive and there's literally millions of them in junkyards, I would fix it.
 

98 Nitro

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Ya the brakes on these trucks are weird. My 94 k1500 has good brakes and pedal but my 98 c1500 does not despite all new parts. Maybe the abs on the 94 does not do much or the rear adjusters are working I'm not sure but both are jb5.
 

Bad_Luck_Club

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Ya the brakes on these trucks are weird. My 94 k1500 has good brakes and pedal but my 98 c1500 does not despite all new parts. Maybe the abs on the 94 does not do much or the rear adjusters are working I'm not sure but both are jb5.
Yeah I think the newer stuff has too much going on with it. I like the styling of the interior of the earlier 90s trucks. I just don't like the gauges on some of them.
 
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