I jacked it up today, put it on jackstands and got my big bar out and there was no play in the wheels. So the BJ are tight and so seem the wheel bearings. The also roll nice and smooth.

What is funny is that this happens at very slow speeds, too. 2-3 mph turning in the driveway does it. I should have started it up while on the jackstands and see if it did it in park....or put it on 4 jackstands and try it in drive

Bob

 

Gonna take a few days off from this endeavor as I just had to get a cortisone shot in the left knee. Back at it next week....

 

Here is what I would do:

A) Completely bypass the ABS system temporarily with some patch hoses and plugs

Then you get out the biggest unknown in the system.

B) If the problem still persist, then you know it is something left in the system.


Is this a hydro-boost or a vacuum boost?

Is it possible that boost is activated in one turn direction but not the other?

e.g. a stuck valve or something in the power steering system if it is hydroboost?

or a vacuum line being kinked / unkinked as you turn?

 

Did you ever get it resolved? Still like to hear the results, and also that you got er done.

 

No, my knee has kept me from getting down to work on it...I will keep you guys posted....

 

Sorry to hear the knee is keeping you down. I know how you feel. I had a major steel plate,and six large screws put in my right Tibia in 08. A lady pulled a left turn on me at the last moment when I was on my motorcycle. Going for a total knee replacement in July on my left. Well anyway let us know what you find.

 

OK, my brake guru buddies I finally got a day off and my knees were ok and I got to play with the X. I believe after driving it for a while now that the problem is in the front left brake system.

When turning to the right at low speeds, the first pedal press will go almost to the floor. It is not mushy, but very light and fluid-like. 2 pumps and the brakes are awesome. Butttt, when you make those 2 pedal presses, it pulls pretty hard to the right. (Therein lies my left system problem idea) . Then it pulls straight as an arrow after you get the pedal back up. In fact, they have never worked better, probably because almost EVERYTHING in the brake system is new. Now, if I turn to the left, it only happens every so often, and the pedal does not go down as far as after a right turn. I re-bled the entire system again with my Motive power bleeder. Absolutely no air anywhere. So then, I raised the front end up to check how tight everything was. Got out my big cheater bar and pried up on the tires, rotate them a few degrees and repeated. The front ball joints, wheel bearings and hub are smooth as silk, and have ZERO play in them. I thought that perhaps mwsf250 was on to something in his previous post. There appeared to be some drag on the front left as I rotated it.

So then I took everything apart. The caliper pins slid in and out of the caliper bracket like snot on a doorknob. But, when I went to remove the pads from the caliper bracket, the inner one would not come out. I don't remember it being that hard to install. That was what was dragging in the rotor causing the difficult rotation.

I had to tap the inner pad out with a rubber mallet. Herein lies my question of the day. Should they be this tight? Aren't they supposed to float a little in the bracket and ride along with the caliper as it floats? If I take out the anti-rattle clips, it slides in and out real nice, with just a slight bit of slop. Should I leave out the anti-rattle clips? I know years ago, (30?) I would not replace them when doing brakes on my vehicles if I broke one (Budget crisis you know).

What do you guys think? I have it apart awaiting a response with baited breath.... (I CAN be funny when I am on my pain meds...)

Guys, thanks a bunch for everyones efforts on this. I hope it will save someone else a lot of time and heartache. Camping season is here, and I am going on a long trip in June and another in July, so I have to resolve this.....

Bob

 

Hello? Helllloooooo....

 

Yes, the pads should be able to move freely. I know of a couple people who did brake jobs recently and had to remove coating on the pads cause they didn't fit they were so tight. A few strokes with a file, but ya don't want them LOOSE.

So, do you think this pad was hanging open a bit far and when hitting the brakes had farther to travel - creating the deep pedal?

Plausible... I hope you are on to something. Btw, I think YOU are the guru now!!

 

Thanks Jason, but after all this I feel like an idiot. Far from a guru. It shouldn't be this hard . I am going to grind the edges of the ears on the pads down and try and fit them in with the anti-rattle clips, yet still allow them to slide around. I don't know what happened, as I don't remember them being nearly so tight when I installed them....

Bob

 

OK, guess what? This is the final update, because they are now PERFECT!!!!!

I was at my wits end and it is now camping season. I am a fireman and take most of my vacation during June, July, and August so we can camp. I had to find a solution.

I had my neighbor watch the front left wheel as I came down the road and turned into the driveway. (I didn't tell him what I was looking for so he wouldn't imagine anything). I turned in the driveway, the pedal went all the way down as usual, and he walked up and said "Dude, your wheel was wobbling". Now remember I had jacked up the truck and put my 5 foot cheater bar under the tire on each side to check for any play. I had basically none. But, when the weight of the truck is on it and combined with a turn, the hub was wobbling more than an inch.
So, if I ever get to meet mwsf250, the beers are on me!! He had me check for play in the hub somewhere back in this thread. I couldn't reproduce the play in the hub with it sitting still on the jackstands. But when I took it apart, and got the brake rotor off of it, then used the cheater bar, I could move that hub all over the place. Took the hub apart (Not really as bad as I thought it was gonna be), and the needle bearing was nice and smooth, as was the main bearing. Only thing is the main was so sloppy it would literally flop around.

Went and got a new hub/bearing unit, new o-rings, and replaced it all. I still had a little problem with the pads fitting into the caliper bracket too tightly as I mentioned a few posts ago. I ground about 1/16" of the ends of each pad and then they float nicely.

Turn left, turn right. Forward, back, slow and fast. Pedal never gets soft one bit. Success.

I think I could do the brakes on a Superduty with my eyes closed now. No kidding.

Guys, thanks so much for the ideas and all of your support. Couldn't have done it without you.

I'm gonna go have a few beers now, as it is 94 here in NW Indiana in the shade and I have been outside doing this since 9am....

Bob

 

Great, this was a hard one to figure out. Way to stick with it. Even though you spent a little on parts. Imagine what a shop would have cost you to pin this one down. I appreciate you keeping us posted on the fix.

You are your own Guru!

Have a great Vacation.

 

I assumed it was something loose on one side, that's why after you said your hubs were good I suggested looking for loose bolts and loose parts. Glad it's over anyway

 

It definitely had me pulling out what I have left for hair......Drove it all around town yesterday, and the brakes are fantastic.

Thanks guys, and we can close this thread down finally

 

Glad this worked out. wish i could have helped more. my "Reliable" contacts never got back to me. you stauck with it, I'm impressed.