Hi guys, was wondering if any body could help me out in figuring my brake problem. I have a 1998 Z34 Monte and in the past few years being havin problems with my rear brakes, or should I say my driver side rear brake. It started about 4 years ago, I was on vacation in Florida and my rear brake pads started wearing out. When I returned home I replaced the pads and my driver side was really more worn out then my passenger side. A month or two later it did it again, so I thought maybe cheap or pads built on friday, I bought the real good ones. They lasted a lot longer, but eventually wore out also. This time they scratched my rotor, so had to replace it. About a year later again and the rotor was getting scratched, this time replaced pads the best ones in my auto store, bought new rotors and bought new calipers for it. So for awhile I thought my problem was solved, like I said for a while, I thought! Well it did it again, I was out of town and started scratching my rotor again, does any one have any ideas before I go on again in replacing everything again. I love my car and have had it for about 9yrs, is this a common problem with these cars, any help or direction to finding problem will be greatly appreciated.

 

i've never read about this problem. are you wearing out front pads as well? is the car wanting to pull a little to one side when you hit the brakes?

it almost sounds like you're front brakes arent' working at all.... maybe your master brake cylinder? it oculd also be a problem in the brake line feeding you rear brake, not letting fluid go to that brake and therefore forcing your left rear brake to do all the work.

if your rear brakes happen to be oding most of the owrk, you'd be wearing out rear pads alot since your front brakes are mean't to do most of the work. if this is the probelm, it's your master brake cylinder being set wrong.

a more unlikely, but plausible problem could be the brake line.

now, i know chevrolet brake lines in the pick ups and suburbans were known for pinching, as my parents had one. here is what happens, if say, you're right rear brake line is pinched: when you step on the brake, the car will pull a little to the left as theleft rear brake is grabbing and the right rear isn't. When you let off the brake, the car will pull to the right as the brake fluid has slipped by the pinch and is now stuck pushing against the right rear brake. This was much mroe obvious on my parents suburban as the right front brake line was pinched, but with the rear brakes that don't much of the work, it won't pull as much and you may have to take your hands off the wheel to see the pull, if there is one.

 

Only one thing possible the way I see it, with so many times removed. You've never said anything about the brake calipers, nor the milage on the car, nor the milage on the brake fluid. Is the fluid clear? Does it smell bad? Has it ever been changed? Have the calipers been replaced? This isn't a common problem, but not unusual.

Chances are the caliper on the drivers side needs to be replaced. The piston is seized. Might have a crushed brake line. Maybe even change both of them. Paint them before installing new ones. Flush the brake system when doing the install, the WHOLE system. Do yourself a favor and install Hawk HPS pads. I just changed mine. I put 115,000 miles on them, and they still had probably another 30-50,000 miles left on them.

 

he says he bought new brake calipers and had the same problem though...

 

SOMETHING wrong with that side caliper not working. Are the slider pins greased and working properly? The backup plate is OK, isn't it? I had to do a brake job on the Silverado, ate a rotor, cuz stones got into the brakes cuz the backup plate rotted away. BOTH sides. Possibly the master cylinder or ABS has something wrong or stuck in it. I'd start with flushing out that caliper, and making sure it has good clean fluid. Something HAS to be not quite right with that caliper, either the slider pins, piston sticking, or something upline not right, but I'm still thinking something not right with the caliper. I believe you can replace a caliper and not replace the slider pins. The pads aren't releasing like they should. I'd be tempted to remove the caliper and bracket completely, remove the piston (with air pressure) and check everything out. Re-grease the slider pins, clean the piston and cylinder, and don't forget the loc-tite on the end of the threads on the slider pins. This can all be done on a bench or your kitchen table, like I did. Paint your calipers and brackets before re-installing them. Even black. Use Dupli-color brake caliper paint.

This is a low cost check, just a little brake fluid and brake cleaner.

 

First of all I really want to thank you guys for taking the time to answer my problem. About a year and a half ago I replaced both calipers, along with new lines. All the other times that I had replaced the pads I always bled the lines and fluid would come out of the bleeders. So I made the assumption that they were getting fluid to the calipers. The car never brakes to the side indicating one side not working. Although the cars has 155k miles on it I have changed the fluid. The only thing that I have not done and it's funny that you one of you mentioned it, is checked the sliding pin. I have just installed it back onto the system without doing anything to it, not even greasing it. I mean every time that I have had it off, it was never seized or dry in any way so I always ignored it. I didn't think it was that significant, but a friend of mine that works at the local auto parts store also mentioned that. So I have the car up on jack stands and all wheels off, I will go through it completely and paint calipers and try it again. Again thanks cowboy and Rockn for all your time and help.

 

Well guess what guys, I think I might of found my problem. I have taken the rear brake system all apart. The calipers seemed in working order and lines were all intact, didn't see any kinks in the hard lines. As I was installing everything back I was having a hard time getting my parking brake cable back on the bracket. After a few attempts I managed to get it on. What I noticed next was that my rotor would not turn as freely as my passenger side. I pressed and released the hand brake and the driver side was still harder to turn than the passenger side. I applied the hand brake and checked the wheels and the driver side was on and working real good, while the passenger side was still able to turn with the brake applied. At the end of the cable going to the calipers for the hand brake, there is a spring on the end of the cable to help it return back to the off position when hand brake is taken off. On my car the driver side is missing, or at least I thing it's missing. I assume that they have them on both sides. I think that could be the reason that my pads would wear out faster than the other side, wouldn't you think. I don't know how I could of missed that over the years, I hope thats the problem. The only thing now is to find a replacement spring that will make it all work. I will keep you posted.

 

i was just reading through this and i got about half way down when i was going to say check your e brake system. good thing you found it.

 

Well can't seem to find any info as to whether that side requires a spring or not, hmm! Does anybody out there know if it does?

 

I'm assuming (yeah, I know the old saying about assuming) that you have discs on the rear. If so, the e brake doesn't work using the pads, it has small shoes inside the discs, doesn't it? That wouldn't cause premature wearing of the disc pads, which are only used for stopping. But, I'm not familiar with '98 models.