brake issue... i think...

[noremac]

so.. 1983 c10...

what would cause the brakes to not fully disengage? when rolling they squeak horribly, but even the lightest pressure to the brake pedal stops this.

thats what it sounds like to me, but any insight to something else causing this?

help would be much appreciated

[dman1982]

front brakes? or rear?

[noremac]

sorry... front disk brakes

[dman1982]

im not a brake expert by anymeans, but ive had issues with the rubber brake line that goes down to the caliper, sometimes they will collapse, causing your brakes to stick. might want to go check them out to make sure they still good. they should feel really solid all the way through. not spongy or dry rotted

[noremac]

brake lines are fine. just ran out and checked em. they are firm, not spongy or any signs of dry rotting.

[dman1982]

could be the master cylinder or calipers...any number of things...ill let someone else chime in man....like i said before, not a brake expert,....one more thing, have someone press the brake pedal down and see if the brake line expands or collaspes...forgot to mention that before.

[irishman999]

Sounds like worn out caliper guides.

[noremac]

as in... what? replacing the calipers?

[spudz]

Originally Posted by noremac

brake lines are fine. just ran out and checked em. they are firm, not spongy or any signs of dry rotting.

you cant tell by looking at them, the inside restricts fluid from leaving the caliper, kind of like a one way valve.

[spudz]

also are you sure your pads arnt down to the metal? look at the inside pad too.

[po_bird]

If its coming from the brakes its probably caliper pistons seizing or guide pins are not allowing them to depress. Calipers are usually around 15 to 20 bucks at the parts store with exchange. If you have the funds you should just replace them. Clean the bolts and use caliper grease on them. A bottle of caliper grease is about $10. I would buy that instead of little $2 package their gonna try to rip you off for.

[noremac]

ok. i guess taht will be a weekend project, and probably needs done anyways... thanks for the help guys

[irishman999]

Originally Posted by po_bird

If its coming from the brakes its probably caliper pistons seizing or guide pins are not allowing them to depress. Calipers are usually around 15 to 20 bucks at the parts store with exchange. If you have the funds you should just replace them. Clean the bolts and use caliper grease on them. A bottle of caliper grease is about $10. I would buy that instead of little $2 package their gonna try to rip you off for.

The calipers i got from autozone were 14.99, they came with new hardware so you can replace the whole thing. When i say hardware i mean the caliper guide's which also fasten the calipers to the truck. This is a k10 by the way.

[motornut]

before cracking it open be sure you have pads left and the squealer is not hitting the rotor or rust around the outside.if you remove the pads check if worn flat or curved/pistons seizing guides not right.you can bend the squealers back to try and see if the noise goes away too,but then no warning when totally worn out

[noremac]

i think i am going to buy new calipers.. no reason not to when they are less than 20 bucks a peice. i will probably go ahead and replace the lines that run fromthe hard line to the caliper too. i know those are like 10-15 bucks for the set.

maybe that will at least elminate the possibility of those causing the problem...

[noremac]

another question... how do i tell if i have jb1, 3 or 5 brakes??

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par.../N-ikkzmZ8knro

[rob67]

I agree with everyone else. It sounds like the caliper pins don't have any grease on them. I always sand mine and coat them with white lithium grease. If they get rust or any buildup on them, the caliper can't move like it is supposed to.

[rob67]

And as far as replacing the calipers, you shouldn't have to if the rubber boot around the piston isn't cracked.

[noremac]

what about the jb1,3,or 5 brake systems? how do i tell?

[silvereagle07]

I found this post from captkaos on another site that may help you.

JB1 BRAKE, MANUAL, DISC/DRUM, 4300 LBS
JB3 BRAKE, POWER, DISC/DRUM, 4600 LBS
JB5 BRAKE, POWER, DISC/DRUM, 6400 LBS
JB6 BRAKE, POWER, DISC, DRUM 7200 LBS
JB7 BRAKE, POWER, DISC, DRUM 8400 L85
JB8 8RAKE, POWER, DISC, DRUM 10000 LBS

You could always look at your build sheet to determine what brakes you have. It's located in the glove box or under the passenger seat. Here is a reference website to show you what the codes mean, just like the above post.
http://www.73-87.com/chevy_ids/rpo-hk.htm#rpo-j

[noremac]

thanks! that helps a lot!!