Is my brake pedal high?

[mzsigler]

I just picked up this truck as a project. I don't have anything to compare it to, and I haven't driven a truck like this in maybe a decade or more, so I'm just checking before I start chasing a problem that isn't there.

The brake pedal seems insanely high to me. The brakes are also SUPER weak, like, if I stomp the life out of them they will eventually lock up the tires a little, but there's what feels like 12" of very spongy travel first. i drove it back from picking it up leaving like 15 car lengths between me and the nearest car because the brakes were downright scary to me. Also, I found a NAPA receipt for a master cylinder the in the glovebox, so the previous owner was obviously working on the brakes too.

Like I said though, it's been a long time since I drove one of these and my current weekend fun car is a 96 Miata with aftermarket pads, so maybe I'm just not used to 35 year old truck brakes.

Here's a pic of the interior where you can at least kinda see the pedal position. I turned up the exposure to make it visible.



I can take better pics and measure on Tuesday when I'm back at the shop, but I was wondering if anyone can tell me if this is abnormal just based on this picture so I can do some research while I have downtime.

I'm short, 5'6", and I have to like fully bend my knee to raise my leg up high enough to hit the brake pedal. Seems F'ed to me. What do you guys think?

[rich weyand]

Hard to tell for sure, but it looks right to me. Brake pedals were much higher back in the day compared to now.

Sounds like when the PO replaced the master cylinder, the lines weren't bled properly. There's a trick to it. Longest line first.

[mzsigler]

Originally Posted by rich weyand

Hard to tell for sure, but it looks right to me. Brake pedals were much higher back in the day compared to now.

Sounds like when the PO replaced the master cylinder, the lines weren't bled properly. There's a trick to it. Longest line first.

Yeah the photo isn't great, it wasn't at all taken to illustrate the height, I just thought about asking and that's the only photo in which you can even kinda see the pedal height.

I guess I'll get to bleeding and try to remember not to try to heel and toe it

[nonstop]

Does it have power brakes? What does the RPO sticker say for code for brakes? it looks like either the pedal was changed or the truck was originally a 3 on the tree, possibly meaning the truck was originally a low optioned truck with manual brakes. There could be a mix and match of brake parts going on..... causing odd braking

[mzsigler]

Originally Posted by nonstop

Does it have power brakes? What does the RPO sticker say for code for brakes? it looks like either the pedal was changed or the truck was originally a 3 on the tree, possibly meaning the truck was originally a low optioned truck with manual brakes. There could be a mix and match of brake parts going on..... causing odd braking

[hatzie]

It's a YE9 Silverado optioned truck. It would be very unusual to have three on the tree.
That pedal looks normal.
You should bleed the master then bleed the rest of the system.
I hate the pump the pedal bleeding method because it occasionally leaves small air pockets and if you're not very alert you can run the master cylinder dry.
Some folks like using a mighty vac to bleed the brakes but I've had mixed results with this method.
I'm a fan of pressure bleeders like the Motive Products units that push brake fluid from a tank to the Master and through to the wheels. This is the most consistent method I've found. You can build your own or buy one.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by hatzie

It's a YE9 Silverado optioned truck. It would be very unusual to have three on the tree.

CF321315 = 1982 model year ("C") built in Flint ("F"). My guys probably put the fenders on that truck...



SPID shows MX1, which is the three speed automatic trans. Heritage Center docs indicate a 5600 lb GVW (based on the tire selection) which means Power Brakes J50 (JB3) are standard.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf

Pedal height looks correct to me, too.

K

[Dead Parrot]

Before bleeding, get yourself a throwaway turkey baster and suck all of the old fluid out of the master cylinder and replace with new. That way, when you are done bleeding, you will have replaced most of the old nasty fluid with new fresh fluid.

Another vote for petal height looks correct.

Once you fix the soft brake problem, there is probably some adjustment possible assuming that is a power brake setup. The rod from the petal to the booster should have screw thread setup that will allow some petal height adjustment. Just be sure to make a matching adjustment in your brake light switch. Don't get too wild in lowering the petal. That space between petal and floor comes in handy when you have several hundred pounds of stuff in the bed + the 19' boat in tow.

[cadillac_al]

There is a stopper (?) thingy that the pedal rests on in the up position. It can't go any higher than that.

[Shugalou]

I Second Hatzie's recommendation on building a pressure bleeder...He urged me to and it worked out great.

Have you also checked the prop valve is working correctly and that the ebrake cable is adjusted properly?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Shugalou

... and that the ebrake cable is adjusted properly?

Or - to expand on that thought - that the rear shoes are adjusted out appropriately?

K

[mzsigler]

Originally Posted by hatzie

It's a YE9 Silverado optioned truck. It would be very unusual to have three on the tree.
That pedal looks normal.
You should bleed the master then bleed the rest of the system.
I hate the pump the pedal bleeding method because it occasionally leaves small air pockets and if you're not very alert you can run the master cylinder dry.
Some folks like using a mighty vac to bleed the brakes but I've had mixed results with this method.
I'm a fan of pressure bleeders like the Motive Products units that push brake fluid from a tank to the Master and through to the wheels. This is the most consistent method I've found. You can build your own or buy one.

Yeah I'll likely go with that method, the brakes need a full overhaul. I'm waiting for two more packages from Western Chassis, might as well do it while I'm installing the lowering kit.

[mzsigler]

And you guys are absolutely right btw, I'm at my shop with the truck and the pedal isn't near as high as I remembered, just spongy. I'll dig into the brakes this weekend.