the brakes are pissing me off

[Keepinitoldskool]

Best way to adjust?

People say to put it into reverse and tap the brake pedal.....

Or am I doing it wrong?

Get it up to about 10 mph in reverse and press down on parking brake. You may have to do it several times.

 

[superdave]

The best way to get your initial adjustment is to pull the wheel and the brake drum and adjust the brakes out with the star adjuster. It's a bit of a pain, but the only way. Adjust out, and put the brake drum back on to check. Repeat until you get where you want to be. You want just a slight drag.

 

[poncho62]

The best way to get your initial adjustment is to pull the wheel and the brake drum and adjust the brakes out with the star adjuster. It's a bit of a pain, but the only way. Adjust out, and put the brake drum back on to check. Repeat until you get where you want to be. You want just a slight drag.

I agree......at least with this method, you know where you are at.

 

[superdave]

Well, the e-brake not working is good indication that the adjustment is way off and need to be manually adjusted. You said you changed the rear end, and I'm assuming a used unit. Did you do swap in an entire unit (including brakes) or did you pull the brakes off your old rear end and transfer over? Just curious.

 

[mrnapolean1]

I used most of my brake parts.
Yes the head unit I bought from a guy who was parting a truck out. Gave $100 for it because he accidentally cut the E brake cable.
I just used the E Brake cable from my old rear end...

 

[mrnapolean1]

Drove the truck home from the shop it was in.
It has brakes only if you bury the brake pedal in the floor.

Rear end is working great though.

 

[1997]

similar problem on mine when i replaced a leaky rw cylinder.
Up until the rw cylinder leak, everything good, after replacing wheel cylinder, bleed many times, brakes worked when buried to the floor.

ended up taking it in to GM, they replaced the master cylinder and power bleed the brakes, everything good now.

 

[mrnapolean1]

Looks like I know what I have to do now.

 

[21Actual]

I doubt the abs pump is trapping any air. Never, ever have i had to cycle and abs pump with a scanner to bleed brakes.

For adjustment on rear, do it manually. Like someone else said, pull the drum and dial it in by hand.

If your going to replace the master cylinder, I highly recommend upgrading to a master from NBS Chevy. I got one for a 2001 Z71. Its a bolt on upgrade, and firms up the brake pedal. It has a larger bore piston and gives the braking system of a GMT400 a bit of much needed help. You will need an adapter for the rear brake line. Any parts store should have one. Here is a part number for what you need. BLF-26C

 

[mrnapolean1]

What about the resivor? It looks bigger.....