Brakes squishy when driving

[GoToGuy]

Pinching or clamping brake hoses is a bad idea. No matter how many times " it works for me " , old hoses age , brittle , cracks, your accelerating a future problem.
Either have the new cylinder for a fast swap, or stuff a plug in it or cap the fitting. Do it right or find the time to do again.
The brake change previous to current set, I installed " speed bleeders " to try out. I had my son watching the fluid level , topping as needed. And did a complete new fluid flush . The tall bottles , Quarts, went through almost 2. Great clean clear brake fluid. I can't guarantee it works for everyone but it worked for me.
So last brake change , September '23, right rear wheel cylinder , ( why am I not surprised) . Ordered two new . Easy bleed , nice hard , firm pedal. I spray a little light oil in bleeder when finished, clears brake fluid, and put grease cap on , keep dirt an junk out.
Since you've driven it around, all the new parts should be " in there happy place" . I would jack the rear and recheck your shoe adjustment. Checked but verify. Completely ensures it's not a contributing factor.
Are you using a two person , open , push, closed method or a hose submerged in fluid method?

 

[1998 K1500 Bubbles]

I had someone push the brakes while I opened the bleeder. I’ve never had problems like this on any other vehicle.

 

[WICruiser-97]

There is a bleed valve located on the side of the ABS unit. When the brake pedal is depressed a pin in the center pushes out. Have someone prepress and hold the brake pedal while you push the pin back in and release. Repeat until you get brake fluid coming out when you push the pin in. Let us know if that helps.

 

[Caman96]

There is a bleed valve located on the side of the ABS unit. When the brake pedal is depressed a pin in the center pushes out. Have someone prepress and hold the brake pedal while you push the pin back in and release. Repeat until you get brake fluid coming out when you push the pin in. Let us know if that helps.

Have you ever tried this? I have, doesn’t seem to do anything.

 

[WICruiser-97]

I did it on my '97. It seemed to take several attempts but it did finally release fluid and that seemed to help the squishy brake pedal issue.

 

[Caman96]

It does at least beg the question “What is it for”?

I did it on my '97. It seemed to take several attempts but it did finally release fluid and that seemed to help the squishy brake pedal issue.

 

[Orpedcrow]

I t

It does at least beg the question “What is it for”?

I think schurkey has mentioned as the combination valve. I was able to get fluid out of mine.

 

[Caman96]

I t

I think schurkey has mentioned as the combination valve. I was able to get fluid out of mine.

He also said it seemed useless as far as bleeding ABS. Maybe fluid coming out is normal. If air in unit, would be better if air came out.

 

[Schurkey]

On my 1998 k1500 I did pads, rotors, drums, shoes, and rear wheel cylinders and now while driving the pedal feels extra squishy

Did you burnish/break-in the pads/shoes?

Did you adjust the rear brakes AFTER applying them a few times, to align the shoes?

Are the rear brakes the craptastic 254mm leading/trailing shoe drums? MOST C/K 1500 pickups are cursed with those disasters. The SUVs got "real" rear brakes.

Yes I bled the brakes,

If you didn't use a scan tool to bleed the ABS, AT BEST you did half-a-job.

If air never reached the abs module then does it still need to be bled?

Probably hasn't been done since the truck was manufactured. Yes, I'd want the crappy, ancient fluid out of there.

There is a bleed valve located on the side of the ABS unit.

No, there isn't. What I've seen on youtube videos, is some guy pushing on the stem of the metering valve, part of the combination valve, which is bolted-to, but not part of, the ABS unit. You might be able to bleed air out of the combination valve (I couldn't get anything--not air, not fluid--when I tried it on my '97 K2500) but you are NOT bleeding the ABS accumulators.