new truck update

I haven’t had good luck pushing pistons in at all. Last 2 shops I worked at we wouldn’t warranty a brake job unless calipers got replaced too. Even when boots were not torn, they would seize on us constantly. We would always include calipers on quotes with a brake job, except for some special scenarios using your judgement. Maybe it’s just because I’m on the island and everything rusts here way easier though 🤷‍♂️ Maybe you guys will have better luck. Seeing as that was the culprit of his problem last time and calipers really aren’t that expensive, it’s worth it for the piece of mind. It’s all what he’s willing to spend to mitigate risk, and what risks he thinks are worth mitigating or not though.

I am from NS. Car is rusted out in 5 yrs. lol
I grew up with a torch in my hand to deal with rust.
If a caliper seized with good boots i would suspect contaminated fluid.
 
You have oxy/acetylene?
Knuckle will be about a grand. Would be cheaper and quicker for you to bring it to my house and i can help you.
Thats a serious offer. I dont think i am very far away.

I 100% appriciate your offer... I have access to a torch from a neighbor across the road... The issue would be having the truck at your place and have to wait for parts as you'll see below


So here's the issue now lol..

I heated up and got off the 2 back bolts...

Then I turned the wheels to get easier access to the front 2... And found both bolts rounded off pretty good.. Got a somewhat decent grip on one, so I heated it up and tried to budge it.. Bolt head is just to rounded off to get enough of a grip to budge it.

AC delco steering kunkles on rock auto would come to about 700$ for both, BUT can't get here until sept... not an opiton...


Called all the parts dealers within my area.. no one can get any.. out of stock in western AB... was told if (and only if) they could source them from the east coast, I'd be waiting 10 buisness days... not an option lol..

Closest chevy dealer can get them in stock for 1100$ tomorrow.. Plus 100$ for 8 new bolts... The bolts have to be delivered as well, no one has any in stock within 2 hours of me.

so I ordered them...

I only have the left side pulled apart right now.. I order enough to do both sides of the truck, but they said if I don't use the right side knuckle I can just return it no issue.


I'm going to attempt to cut the bolts off the left side just to see if I can get it off and get away with just new bolts...



I appriciate the offer, but I'd be worried truck would be at your place and have to wait a day for parts.... It's all apart at my place so I'll just grab the parts tomorrow.
 
about the calipers...

I've always had good luck just pulling the boots down and lubing up the pins, cleaning the pistons a bit and pushing them in.... From my experience, if the boots aren't torn and the pins are shinny then its fine to use again..

But I looked the price up of new calipers (with core return) and it was a no brainer just to do the calipers..

I thought I replaced the calipers last time I did the brake, but it was the back ones I did, not the front ones.. So these front ones are 15 years old.. For the price, peace of mind of new ones was worth it.
 
I’m way to cheap to replace calipers
Fuck em
Boots good, push em down. Throw in a new set if pads and go

problem with going to a shop is they want you to replace calipers, rotors when just pads will do.
Couple that with parts markup and labour, no thanks. Do pads on my truck for 300 bucks go to a shop and they will want to replace everything be 2 grand
 
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Holy FUCK!!!

After some sketchy work with a cut off disk, hammer and a punch I was able to cut off and pop out the 2 rounded off bolts holding the bearing in WITHOUT damaging the knuckle...

The bolts were quite seized at the shoulder.. I was shocked they didn't just pop out easy.. I had to hammer on them hard with the punch...

The bearing itself wasn't actually terribly hard to get out. Couple small pry bars and it wiggled out easily.


So, I cancelled the knuckle and I have new bolts on their way.. should be here tomorrow.

I have to clean up the inside of the knuckle where the bearing sits a bit, but it isn't bad at all.. The rubber o ring was still in very good shape so I think I'm good....


The only dealer ship in town is Dodge.. It really sucks owning 2 vehicles that don't have dealership within 4-6 hour round trip drive when the local parts store just don't carry much stock and you need something like a bolt
 
I 100% appriciate your offer... I have access to a torch from a neighbor across the road... The issue would be having the truck at your place and have to wait for parts as you'll see below


So here's the issue now lol..

I heated up and got off the 2 back bolts...

Then I turned the wheels to get easier access to the front 2... And found both bolts rounded off pretty good.. Got a somewhat decent grip on one, so I heated it up and tried to budge it.. Bolt head is just to rounded off to get enough of a grip to budge it.

AC delco steering kunkles on rock auto would come to about 700$ for both, BUT can't get here until sept... not an opiton...


Called all the parts dealers within my area.. no one can get any.. out of stock in western AB... was told if (and only if) they could source them from the east coast, I'd be waiting 10 buisness days... not an option lol..

Closest chevy dealer can get them in stock for 1100$ tomorrow.. Plus 100$ for 8 new bolts... The bolts have to be delivered as well, no one has any in stock within 2 hours of me.

so I ordered them...

I only have the left side pulled apart right now.. I order enough to do both sides of the truck, but they said if I don't use the right side knuckle I can just return it no issue.


I'm going to attempt to cut the bolts off the left side just to see if I can get it off and get away with just new bolts...



I appriciate the offer, but I'd be worried truck would be at your place and have to wait a day for parts.... It's all apart at my place so I'll just grab the parts tomorrow.

I meant pull the knuckle and bring that and the hub.
honestly, my absolute last resort would be to hear the knuckle unless i was going to cut it apart. But thats just me.
i would take the knuckle off, throw it on the bench wheel studs down. Put an old socket on the four hub bolts and smash the shit out of them, unless you have a GOOD air hammer. Put a strong impact on the bolts and work them forward and reverse if still stubborn. With the knuckle off very easy to drive the old hub out with a good size hammer.
 
So tomorrow, throw the new bearing in, put on the new rotor and brakes..

Then brave the other side.. The bearing on the other side is still good I think, but I've always been the guy to do both if one side didn't wear out prematurely for a reason..
 
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I meant pull the knuckle and bring that and the hub.
honestly, my absolute last resort would be to hear the knuckle unless i was going to cut it apart. But thats just me.
i would take the knuckle off, throw it on the bench wheel studs down. Put an old socket on the four hub bolts and smash the shit out of them, unless you have a GOOD air hammer. Put a strong impact on the bolts and work them forward and reverse if still stubborn. With the knuckle off very easy to drive the old hub out with a good size hammer.


Got er done.. But ya I thought you meant drop off the truck lol...

The bearings came out pretty easy lol
 
Got the left hub/bearing, caliper and pads on pretty quick after the kids went to bed..

Gathered my thoughts, said a little prayer and jacked up the right side to do the same thing to that side...

I had the wheel off a few days before so that came off quick..

I looked at the rotor, crossed fingers and gave it a small tap.. fucking thing literally fell off.. I flipped it over and there was no where near the corosion that was on the back of the other rotor... I'm the only person to touch that truck (except an insturment cluster dealer wouldn't let me swap out myself).. So I don't know how the fuck right side was so clean and left not??? I also replace both sides when doing stuff. So both rotors were put on at the same time.. so???

Either way, axle nut came off easy (I replaced the axle a couple months ago)...

Brake caliper come off fairly easy..

I looked at the hub bolts... I had 3 new ones, so I knew I HAD to save one bolt... If I had to cut all 4, I'd be waiting at least 2 days for new bolts to arrive..

Tried the first bolt with the impact... nope.. Rock solid..

Second bolt... again, rock hard.

Third bolt, spun off like it was new lol... when I was 25 I banged a 52 year old lady I found at the bar who was tighter than that bolt..

Fourth bolt.. might as well be welded in..

Heated each up for a few mins and they came right off lol... I didn't even heat them half as long as the 2 on the other side I managed to get off..

inside of the hub was sparkly...

Got all the new parts on and back together really fast...

Wife pumped brakes while I bleed..



Those hub bolts are torqued to 133lbs... No wonder they were so tight... 15mm bolt, 133lbs, dusty/clay roads all the time and they were un touched for at least 6 or 7 years.. Truck is 14 years old, but left side bearing was clearly done before.. Going to say the right side was never touched... Maybe the guy who did the left side got trigger happy with the impact gun and red lock tight???


Tommorw, check u joints and grease, flush heater core, repair wiring harness for headlight and then look to see why the power steering pump is leaking..

After that, should be good until I figure out if the torque converter needs to be done or not..
 
Got the left hub/bearing, caliper and pads on pretty quick after the kids went to bed..

Gathered my thoughts, said a little prayer and jacked up the right side to do the same thing to that side...

I had the wheel off a few days before so that came off quick..

I looked at the rotor, crossed fingers and gave it a small tap.. fucking thing literally fell off.. I flipped it over and there was no where near the corosion that was on the back of the other rotor... I'm the only person to touch that truck (except an insturment cluster dealer wouldn't let me swap out myself).. So I don't know how the fuck right side was so clean and left not??? I also replace both sides when doing stuff. So both rotors were put on at the same time.. so???

Either way, axle nut came off easy (I replaced the axle a couple months ago)...

Brake caliper come off fairly easy..

I looked at the hub bolts... I had 3 new ones, so I knew I HAD to save one bolt... If I had to cut all 4, I'd be waiting at least 2 days for new bolts to arrive..

Tried the first bolt with the impact... nope.. Rock solid..

Second bolt... again, rock hard.

Third bolt, spun off like it was new lol... when I was 25 I banged a 52 year old lady I found at the bar who was tighter than that bolt..

Fourth bolt.. might as well be welded in..

Heated each up for a few mins and they came right off lol... I didn't even heat them half as long as the 2 on the other side I managed to get off..

inside of the hub was sparkly...

Got all the new parts on and back together really fast...

Wife pumped brakes while I bleed..



Those hub bolts are torqued to 133lbs... No wonder they were so tight... 15mm bolt, 133lbs, dusty/clay roads all the time and they were un touched for at least 6 or 7 years.. Truck is 14 years old, but left side bearing was clearly done before.. Going to say the right side was never touched... Maybe the guy who did the left side got trigger happy with the impact gun and red lock tight???


Tommorw, check u joints and grease, flush heater core, repair wiring harness for headlight and then look to see why the power steering pump is leaking..

After that, should be good until I figure out if the torque converter needs to be done or not..

My buddy is probably one of if not the best GM transmission guys around. Tons of training.
If you get stuck let me know. I can get some diag info from him.
 
My buddy is probably one of if not the best GM transmission guys around. Tons of training.
If you get stuck let me know. I can get some diag info from him.


I'm pretty sure it needs a torque converter...

It doesn't down shift fast enough like it used to.. Almost like its in tow/haul mode, but its not. And occasionally it takes a touch longer to engage when you press the pedal down.

It could be the tranny, but I think its just the torque converter.

I doubt I'll do the job myself. You need a lift and a transmission jack I think. I'll have to do some reading and decide what the plan is.

I did the transfer case myself without even putting the truck on a jack lol.. But that was only possible because I could lift the transfer case and manipulate it fairly easily.
 
I'm pretty sure it needs a torque converter...

It doesn't down shift fast enough like it used to.. Almost like its in tow/haul mode, but its not. And occasionally it takes a touch longer to engage when you press the pedal down.

It could be the tranny, but I think its just the torque converter.

I doubt I'll do the job myself. You need a lift and a transmission jack I think. I'll have to do some reading and decide what the plan is.

I did the transfer case myself without even putting the truck on a jack lol.. But that was only possible because I could lift the transfer case and manipulate it fairly easily.

Are you able to scan the TCM and check for DTC's?
 
Are you able to scan the TCM and check for DTC's?

I have a edge CTS scanner on it all the time.. The only codes it gives are a code for faulty fuel sending unit and throttle position sensor.

It could technically be caused by the throttle position sensor, but I have had this code for about 4 years now lol... The slow down shifts didn't start when I got the code..

When the throttle position sensor codes pops up, the truck reverts to "reduced power" mode then I delete the code and keep going.

I replaced the whole pedal assembly which has the throttle position sensor inside. Didn't get rid of the code popping up occasioanlly.

Over time I figured out the code pops up on wet days. So there's a break in the wiring insulation some where.. I keep planning on finding and fixing it, but that job gets pushed back everytime I have time because something else comes up.

I doubt that causes the slow down shifts though because it only happens when its wet out and the slow downshifts happen at different days.

I haven't done any reading about how to diagnose a bad torque converter yet, is there another way to check it aside from just the symptoms?
 
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