Hi all I have a few quick questions about my 2000 tahoe. It has the 5.3L with 4x4. I just changed my brakes last night, which should of been done 1.5 months ago but couldn't cause I didn't have the wheel lock from the kid I bought the truck from. Anyway finally got the wheels off and changed the brake pads and rotors. And yes I did bleed the brakes when I was done. My issue is I didn't get any brake fluid come out of the tip of the bleeder on either rear caliper it ended up coming out from around the bleeder threads. Went to go drive the truck and it doesn't seem like the rear brakes are working just the fronts. Anyone have any ideas, on if the bleeders could be clogged or if the caliper itself is bad.

 

sounds like the bleeders are clogged, bleeding wise doesn't matter if it goes through or around the bleeder its still coming out. For starters you could take the bleeders off and clean them out with a pick or blowing compressed air through them then bleed again.


Depending on how you did the brakes you don't even need to bleed them if you're just doing pads and/or rotors

 

I will give that a shot as soon as I can. I definitely don't think I got all the air out of the back two cause you can feel all stopping power is in the front, and when you have to hit the pedal hard or push hard it's firm halfway then gets a bit softer the further you compress the pedal. The kid I bought the truck from mickey moused a bunch of stuff on it so there could of been air in them from before I got it cause I thought the brakes felt the way they did just cause they were worn. And I drove it until there was literally the pad bracket on rotor cause I couldn't get the wheels off cause the kid put a lock on every single lug.

 

some builds require a special tool to open the proportioning valve. but yeah...if you didn't open the system...no need to bleed for pads and rotors.




AutoParts2020 :: Performance Tool ABS Proportioning Valve Depressor


| Repair Guides | Hydraulic Brake System | Bleeding | AutoZone.com figure 4

 

Yea never opened it but one of my first cars I did brakes on always had spongy brake pedal if I didn't bleed them so guess I just got use to doing it all the time.

 

Often times the Bleeders just get a clog in the discharge tube, from mud/dirt over time. I've taken a drill bit and by hand twisted it in the tube, which cleared out enough debris to allow a flow.

 

so bleeding the brakes might be my issue too then? i know the rear pads and rotors and calipers were done last october, and was told the fronts needed to be done. the rotors are meh but the pads have plenty left on them. i bought new pads and rotors for the front, but havent put them on yet. for me, it seems like i have no brakes except for the rear unless you put the brake pedal to the floor. pedal is squishy and if im braking from 40mph it feels really weird. brake fluid level is fine, and no leaks. ive been driving it like this for a few months (bad i know). hopefully i get a chance to take the wheels off and look at them this saturday. ive got a laundry list of things to do to my suburban but im getting lazy and thinking about buying a newer vehicle.

 

when driving, if pumping the brakes firms up the pedal feel, its quite possible air is in the system and bleeding will help resolve this. if pumping the pedal does not firm up the pedal, bleeding probably won't change a thing.

 

pumping the brakes does absolutely nothing. probably stuck calipers then

 

Unless you can do it yourself, repairing/reconditioning the Clappers often cost more than just buying a rebuilt one.