I am in the process of replacing my left rear brake line from the HCU to the caliper line at the wheel on my '97 Expedition. I have the line crushed so as not to let the system open at the HCU very long but know that at some point I have to take the old fitting out and get the new fitting in.

I'm asking to get clarification of the Service Bleeding process. I know the dealer (or someone with the software) can activate the ABS to allow full system bleeding in the shop but I have read here that it can be done by "simulating the ABS function." Some have suggested using wet grass or gravel to do it.

Since it is winter here in the north and snow is everywhere getting the ABS to activate is not going to be that hard but how does one activate the ABS while bleeding the brakes?

Is it possible that you can bleed most of the air out of the system and the take the truck for a run to activate the ABS and then re-bleed back in the garage to get what air has been pushed out of the ABS HCU during the activation of the ABS?

Does anyone know if this has worked? I'm suspect that the air that is pushed out of the ABS system will just find its way back into it once the ABS is not activated anymore; like on the ride back home to the garage.

I can't imagine having to tie my kreeper to the rear axle and ride on it while the wife puts the truck into a slide just kidding - and don't try this at home!

Any help here would be appreciated. Worse comes to worse I'll just let the dealer do it but I'd sure like to try to do it myself.

Cheers,
Jack

 

The kreeper is how the dealer does it....have at it..

OK...OK....I replaced the cylinders on both back wheels and I just bled each side and it worked fine. I have Rear ABS only and never bled anything on the RABS unit.

 

Just to get back on this and report. I didn't need to Service Bleed even though I had left the right rear brake line out of the ABS controller over night. All went well. Thanks.