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Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon Brake Questions
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Not sure why the dealer replaced the master cylinder, that has nothing whatsoever to do with rear brake adjustment. Perhaps it's time to try a different dealer.
I think most vehicles now use the parking brake as rear brake adjustment, however, if you don't use the parking brake all the time then they will get out of adjustment from wear. If the parking brake is not effectively adjusting the brakes then it may need servicing/adjustment.
Anybody else in the north country having this problem? I'm in western Pennsylvania. It's a manual trans so I need to use the park brake from time to time. I carry a brick in the cab to use as a wheel chock. I never expected to have to resort to measures such as this on a relatively new vehicle.
The problems I now have. In cold it is difficult to downshift (manual) into 1st or 2nd gear until I'm almost completely stopped. Chevy said this is normal. Also difficult to shift into reverse some time to time. Chevy has a bulletin on this (TSB 611), but said it is normal. Anyone else with these problems?
I'm in the process of Chevy buying it back (about 23,000 miles on it). If interested, I'll let you know how it went. Also may just do the lemon law (these problems meet Pennsylvania's criteria).
Does anyone know if GM had any kind of recall on these things? Rotors should be rusting out on a three year old truck....
Thx
At the same time Front brakes/rotors had heat cracks in them. Pads had 1/2 life still in them. Swappe dout pads and rotors. 15K miles later I get back sqweek from rear when I let off of the peddle and the front sqweel. I get more brake dust on the front then you coudl imagine. It has now ruined the rims. ( I wash once a week) I love that I paid extra for the Extream rims!
I have owned the s-10 5 times and now this truck. I have also owned my '94 jeep with lift kit and 35 on it and the brakes are 1000 times better.
This has to be the worst brake set up I have ever used. Week feel, long stopping distance.
Has anyone fixed these? :mad:
I think that 28,000 miles is way too soon to have breaks going bad.
some have also suggest to remove the e brake. (I have auto trans) not sure I want to do this. I have never used it to date... but...
Any suggestions on upgrade for rear?
So I got to talking to them about the barkes... the parts gus says, "ya, I sell more of these pads and rotors then anything it seems. they must wear quick." then the Shop manager that was behind him pulls him to the side. Says somehting and then walsk away. I bet GM know the screwed the pooch on this one! :sick:
(I wish I could use other 4 letter works but try'n to keep it PG 13)
Now back to the Colorado and bad brakes... now the E Brake is seizing!!! This month the truck is 2 years old! Oh, and of course the back brakes have 20% pad left! AGAIN! per shop, no the pads are not wearing out becuase of the E Brake issue. This is a new issue. :mad:
To say that American brand companies quality is not comparable leaves me to believe that you don't follow automotive news very much. They have been comparable for 10-years or more now. No brand has a full line of best in class cars. GM has several model lines with what's considered best in class but like other auto makers there are some excellent cars and there are some average cars across the board. No one makes a bad car anymore and there hasn't been one for years from any company that I know of.
Toyota's domestic content here in the U.S. is only about 50% overall, while GM as a whole is over 70%. Because of Toyota's outsourcing of parts from Japan, China, etc., that forced the domestic automakers to outsource to to stay in business. In doing this thousands of small companies who produce parts, mostly in Detroit, were forced out of business with tens of thousands of people losing jobs.
Toyota is known for picking states with no unions and for hiring part-time workers to avoid paying benefits. Without unions and pensions to worry about they have a huge bottom line and as mentioned their money is invested back in Japan institutions not here other than building assembly plants and reaping the benefits of a weak dollar when converting the yen. It's not a good picture with what these Japanese companies are doing. Sure they forced the American companies to build their cars/truck with better fit and finish, but they also forced them to abandon local resources to stay in business.
I don't know of a car/truck from any brand that can't go 200,000 miles if maintained. This is another false perception. Only a small percentage of people keep a car for 100,000 miles anyways. Who wants a 200,000 mile car/truck? People still change vehicles every 3-5 years on average. I am happy with my rusted but reliable 1992 S10.
kcram - Pickups Host
Also, yes this started as a brake issue. Poncho, you own a 1992 S-10. As I stated I loved the truck and has made me buy a Chevy truck every 2-3 years since my first truck. This Colorado has the worst fit and finish of all of them. The lack of help from GM has pushed me over the limit. I end up with about 200,000 miles by the end of my 3rd year with the truck. My 94, 97, 99, 03 trucks all made it well past 100,000 before I had the issues I have with this truck. These started around 38K. The brakes being the biggest issue.
As for Toyota recalls... As you mention, first model year. Enough said I think.
I feel (opinion) that the American trucks have gone down hill in light of trying to make more luxury features instead of a true truck. The American makers always had the markets locked as far as trucks go. Not so much now.
That being said, I think the Silverado is still the best on the market. I just wish the mid size trucks got the same attention they used to or GM stood behind the issues
So... back to the question... Is there a better set up front and rear? Is there a more heavy duty pad for the rear? Should I use slotted/drilled rotors? Do I change out calipers? What pads are you using up front?
Recap of my issue:
Light pedal, rear brakes last about 20K, front fad and I do not get much stopping power. (just added) E Brake issues. Yet to figure out isuue. Something with the self adjuster.
Thanks...
my 08 crew is 4x4 and my calipers had the bushings beat out of them at 8000k's....because they wouldn't fix the rotors that pulsed since the day I drove it off the lot. They finally put it on a brake lathe....changed my pins, bushing and calipsers....put the stop squeal on again....all is well with everything else...except the squeel is back....now at 11000ks...
The rear brake grab is known and its actually on of the TSB's for the Canyon
Rotors rust. They rust if you don't use your truck for a week. They are make of cheap [non-permissible content removed] steel and they rust. I used to make them in a drop-steel foundry.
If you are driving and the rotors have rust on the face, your brakes are not applying enough pressure to the rotors.
Under normal conditions, one or two uses of the brakes will completely clean the face of the rotor (unless you left it at the beach for a year).
Daily use rotors are cleaned by use and the build up of crap goes into the brake dust.
Consider checking your braking system if you have rust on your rotors during normal usage.
The one picture shows a 2WD front end, and even though the text mentions rotor removal in the same breath as hub removal, the picture shows a couple of "Tinnerman nuts" holding the rotors in place. I would then assume that if you remove the nuts, the rotors should come off.
I have a 4WD Canyon, and although I'm not positive how the rotors are held on, there are what appear to be bolts located betwen each lug stud. I would be tempted to conclude that these bolts hold the rotors in place. Since my rotors are in good shape, however, I'm not tempted at this point to see if these are indeed rotor retaining bolts.
I currently have 26,000 miles on my '05 Canyon 4x4. This vehicle is primarily used as my "winter driver" so if anybody should have problems, I should. Road salt does "simply wonderful things" to a vehicle, and my Canyon see plenty of it!
I took the front pads out this past fall, and yes, the tips of the pad's backing plates had corroded, and were not sliding freely in the calipers. I simply took a file, and smoothed down the tabs, ensuring that they moved freely in the calipers. I also removed the "slider pins", and cleaned and re-greased them.
In the rear, every year I remove the drums, spray the backing plates and springs with Simple Green, to remove any accumulated road salt, rinse everything, and then blow out the water with a leaf blower. Re-install the drums, and I'm good for another year.
I don't "baby" this truck, but I don't beat on it either. As I said, I have 26,000 miles on this truck right now, and the shoes/pads look like they'll go another 30-40,000 miles without any problem.
Thanks
If that doesn't work, pull the drums back off and make sure the e-brake linkage is also able to move freely, without any binding.
As for the braking power or lack thereof I have not done the fix yet but they did change the whole braking system on the truck. The new equipment fits the old models. “they say” they put in a more powerful master cylinder and better calipers. We will see. It will be time for me to change out the fronts again in about 2 months so I am just upgrading to Baer calipers and rotors in the front. I am going to buy the new master cylinder from GM.
They have done thing for the rear at all form what I can see though.
Bad Bad Bad design!!!
BUT I will say I do have 140K on the truck and bought it in 8/06 with no engine issues. My check engine light did come on around 110K but that was caused by a old gas cap letting air in the tank changed out gas cap and good to go Also the air flow control switch (the one that indicated deforst, feet/face ect) failed as well. Time to replace that now.
Thx
Tony
I had to talk to my mechanic to get the lowdown the speed sensor wire & he told me they typically charge 3 hours for that job (a normal brake reline is only 1 hour). I wouldn't attempt this without an impact wrench because you're probably not going to be able to remove all the bolts that have to be removed without one. But if you have one, it's really not all that difficult & time well spent for the amount of $$$ you save.
First year and...
rear brakes wore completely out before mileage hit 15k.
Dealer replaced shoes and drums under tsb/warranty. Said problem was a zip tie still on e-brake cable / original drums were not turned.
Now 15k later and the rear brakes are gone completely.
dealer Charged me $75 for diagnosis fee then says brakes are not covered because it is normal wear and tear. Did not give me the cause of the problem.
- I keep thinking of some type of hydrolic pressure actuation ?
- So I have personally purchased "premium" shoes and drums and am having an independent general mechanic doing the work.
Now for the front brakes. My colorado has 71k on it. I decided to change the front disk brakes, and I have to say they were the easiest set of pads I've ever replaced. Taking the tires off was the hard part. Had it done in about an hour and a half.
I think it may be time to change the rear brakes, but that is where it may be beyond my capabilities to do. I'd like to do them myself to save the $$ but I'm worried about what I'll encounter. plus I have never changed drum shoes before.
Any advice would help. Can a novice do this job?