I have a 2003 Tahoe that had new rotors and pads front and rear in jan of this year, now they feel like they have no stopping power when towing the boat or sometimes even without the boat. Could this just be an adjusted thing or could they need new pads already , I don't put that many miles on so curious???
1990 374V Ranger Still kickin' bass after all these years
Lines?
Only way you'd need new pads that quickly is if your calipers were stuck. My guess is something is up with your calipers or check your brake lines for leaks--they tend to rust out on older GMs/Chevy's.
If no leaks, you would probably notice this right away. cheaper grade pads and rotors were most likely used. The brake pads or rotors could also be contaminated with oil or grease. There shouldn't be any need to bleed the brakes unless someone has already improperly bleed the system or a major brake component(caliper, line, or master cylinder) has been replaced.Originally Posted by twitch
Had all new lines installed at the same times as pads and shocks also, maybe time to visit him and see what he says???
Did you buy OEM spec pads? Did you seat the pads properly after installing them?
Not all pads are created equally. The organic pads stop better, ut don’t last as long. The semi metallic pads are better at reducing brake dust and last longer.
If you don’t break in the brake pads properly, they will glaze and not work nearly as well.
New lines means there is likely air in them. They may need to be bled. Use a vacuum bleeder.
Is your warning brake light coming on when this happens?
If not air in the lines, calipers, Could be the master cylinder or the brake booster.....
Twitch, if your pedal is hard and at the top of its travel and you feel you not heavy enough to press it then the booster is not doing its job. Either booster or restricted vacuum line to it. Now if you have very little pedal and it goes to the floor or close you have other problems. Poor brake pad materials can effect stopping ability but the brakes would feel like normal height but they are not creating enough friction for heavy loads. There is no adjustment for disc brakes. I have a 2003 Tahoe. Disc brakes front and rear.
Check all of your caliper pins to make sure they aren't froze up. If they are you'll lose half of your stopping power since the inner pad is doing all the work. I had this happen on my Yukon, both lower rear pins were seized. After the repair, it was a world of difference.
Are you sure it’s not the trailer brakes that aren’t working?
Check your main reservoir fluid level first to verify there isn't a major leak... then take it back to whomever did the work previously and have them re-bleed the system (including an ABS bleed). Some shops shortcut the bleeding process (e.g., only bleed furthest wheel cylinder).
Probably have some air left in the lines, might need to be bled again.
All sheep are eventually led to slaughter
This was done in Feb he's gonna look at them wens to see what's up...
So the way I read your original post it sounds like they were working well for you for several months and just recently you are noticing a decline in performance, is that correct? My next question to you would be have you noticed a difference in pedal travel? Meaning does it now feel stiffer, or have more travel, think mushy feel? There are a lot of different things that could be going on here, as you can tell by the vast array of guesses above. I really don't like taking guesses, but can try and mention a few possibilities.
If the pedal feels the same but just lost performance it could be something got on the pads/rotors and contaminated them (puddle of oil on the road, etc). If the brakes got hot and you didn't realize they could have hot spotted or glazed a bit. If the brake job was not done properly you could have pads pinched in the brackets or slide pins seizing up. Again a lot of possibilities.
If the pedal does not feel the same then it could be a leak, master cylinder, brake booster to name a couple.
Glad you are taking it back, I am sure you paid good money to have all that work done, let them sort it out. If you want to reply here to anything I will try and help you trouble shoot all I can before you go. My main advice is don't guess and toss parts at it.
And fwiw I do actually do this for a living.
2008 Skeeter 21I. Yamaha 250 Series II.
2011 Toyota Tundra Crewmax 4x4.
A hard pedal with low stopping power especially a high pedal usually means a bad brake booster, especially if it's intermittent.
Bill I won’t disagree with you. But his year could also be a hydro boost system in which case a few people here would be wrong. They act very differently. Which also means there could be other issues as well.
2008 Skeeter 21I. Yamaha 250 Series II.
2011 Toyota Tundra Crewmax 4x4.
Having been doing my own brakes in Chevys since 1995, 99% of the time it's either a crusted up slide pin or rust jacking under the pad hardware. If you crawl under the truck with a flashlight and inspect the rotor surfaces - the one(s) with rust on one side are the problems. The other 1%, it's a frozen piston (once for me).
1990 Ranger 362V Yamaha Pro-V 150
Old Town Predator MinnKota
Agree.
You need to determine if it’s systemic, isolated to front, rear, or a particular wheel. At first blush, I’d suspect an improper bleed or defect allowing air into the system - leaky fitting, bleeder valve, etc. We use a scan tool to exercise the ABS valves. Without the tool, I recall there being a process to manually exercise them while driving within a controlled environment - never used this technique. $2K in is awfully stout…
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