Brake Problem Solved

[Dann757]

Thanks for all the help with my seized caliper problem!
I freaked out when a new caliper bound up on a new rotor. I got new brake hoses all around, new slaves for the rear brakes and took everything apart, cleaned it all up and put it back together. This truck is really clean for its age so no problems disconnecting brake line fittings.
I bleed brakes by running clear tygon tubing into glass jars with a hole punched in the lid. As per advice, I bled and bled until the fluid was clear and bubble free.
When you run the tubing into a jar, you see when you put the pedal to the floor a lot of fluid comes out, when you release it, some does go backwards up the hose, but not as much as comes out. So with the hose under fluid in the jar, eventually all the air gets bled out. This is a way to do it "one man".
I have also cut a 2x4 in the past to fit between the pedal and the seat so as to be able to shut the bleeders and come back and release the pedal. Too much work though. This way worked out good for me. I also put never-seize on the bleeder screws to make the threads air tight while bleeding and to prevent them from corroding up over time.
Brakes working good now, but I still don't understand how new hoses solved the problem, the old ones didn't look that bad at all to me; no cracks and still relatively flexible.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

over time, the interior of brake hoses deteriorates, causing chunks of rubber to break loose. sometimes a "flap" will peel away from the inside of the hose, creating a sort of check valve which lets pressure to get to the brake caliper, but doesnt allow it to return to the master cylinder when the pedal is released. the end result is a caliper that has pressure to it at all times.

 

[Mark_88]

That's interesting...mine did the same thing and I had a heck of a time trying to figure it out...brakes would seize at every stop light and then loosen up if I pumped the brake pedal (sometimes)...I smoked a few sets of brakes with that same problem...

Good to hear you got it fixed though...

 

[JamesC]

A lot of people like to use hose pinchers on the flex brake lines to keep them from dripping while they change calipers and such but when you do this it sometimes ruins the inside of the line and so the brakes apply then fluid can't return after the pedal is released.

 

[Mark_88]

Yeah, the instructions that came with my flex lines said to be careful handling the lines and not to bend them too much as this could damage the line...but I didn't really appreciate why until this thread came up...it's something you really can't wrap your mind around until you understand the reasons...