Since new, the truck has had a real soft, mushy pedal. I've replaced rotors, pads, and front calipers. Lines are new and we have bled it numerous times over the years starting at the right rear. This past weekend I installed a new master (which I bench bleed) and still had the same pedal feel after bleeding twice.

I'm gonna guess that there is air in the abs pump/unit. So how do I bleed them? I've heard the dealership needs to do it but is it something I can do? Or a work around? I want to fix them as the truck stops awful.

Can I use a power bleeder? Leave the key on?

Thanks guys.

 

Did you install rubber lines or stainless lines?

 

That's what I was going to ask--stainless lines definitely make a difference with pedal feel.

 

If there's air in the ABS pump/motor, you'll need a TechII scanner (that they use at the dealership) to perform the bleed procedure

 

Should have mentioned I replaced the hardlines do to rot lol. Rubbers appear to be in good shape, although I'm thinking about replacing the fronts.

Its had crappy brakes from day one, I'm thinking they never properly bled the brakes at the factory...everything else has been changed w/o any luck. Feels the same as it always has.

So looks like the truck has to go to the dealer??

 

[QUOTE=LS2Monte;4309185]
Its had crappy brakes from day one, I'm thinking they never properly bled the brakes at the factory...everything else has been changed w/o any luck. Feels the same as it always has.
QUOTE]

People have been fighting spongey brakes on these trucks for years. Unfortunately, its just the way they are. I think its rather unlikely there was air from the factory and you might end up wasting your money at the dealership. If I recall correctly, they pull a full vacuum on the system at the factory to check for leaks and then let it suck in the brake fluid. Very little chance of getting air in the system.

If you want to improve break feel, get SS lines all the way around and install the hydroboost system that is in the 3/4 trucks. It helps greatly.

 

Thing is, I can bottom out the pedal without even a chance of locking up the brakes (or enough to have the ABS kick in). There has to be air somewhere.

 

Like said above...need TechII...Brake Bleed relearn to release air from the ABS celenoid (if thats the prob)...this is why I spent a small fortune to put BAER system on a month ago. Brakes feel like a porsche now!

 

If you're talking about not being able to engage the ABS on dry pavement then that's about normal for the stock braking system. My brakes sucked from the time I got the truck too then add a cam and they sucked even worse at slow speeds. Even the SS lines weren't a huge improvement. Then I finally switched to a hydroboost setup and if you jam on the brakes now it will throw you and everything else in the truck to the windshield. Night and day difference.

Not to say that you might not still have some air in the system that needs bled out but I don't think your going to be completely happy with the brakes until you do something drastic and they hydroboost wasn't really that drastic. Only cost me about $250 for all the parts.

 

I can't imagine I should be able to bottom the pedal out...my old 87 1/2 ton will throw me through the windshield before I even get close to the floor. With the 03, I don't get any real stopping til 2/3 travel.