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Drivers Side Caliper Locking

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Old 09-29-2011, 09:05 PM
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Default Drivers Side Caliper Locking

Please help. I have seached this forum and many others and I can't solve my brake problem. 1993 S10 4x4 4.3. My driver side brake locks, it doesn't drag it locks. Have changed the caliper, rotor, pads, master cylinder, flex hose bled all around and still can't figure out whats wrong. Someone told me ABS, someone else told me hydrualics. I can't even move it to get it to a shop. Any help would be greatly appriciated.
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 08:55 AM
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Crack the bleeder on the locked up wheel & see if it frees up. If not, pry that caliper off & force the piston back in .... then pump them out a bit, then force back in .... repeat a few times. Sometimes some crud will get jammed between the piston & the body of the caliper.

No more than a couple pumps - don't want to shoot the piston out & make more work for yourself.

Let us know how you make out.
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 09:39 AM
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Thank You. I will have my son try that when he gets here. Will let you know how it goes. We have tried everything tho so I'm not holding much hope.
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 10:08 AM
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OK, I have been working on brakes will the problem you have and more, in my case I found the problem that was causing lockup on my 88 S10 Blazer 4.3 4x4 auto. I was restriction of the drivers front rubber line, although I was bleeding with the old line I didnt realize untill after many hours under this beast that the fluid was really flowing under hard pressure from the MC. I started to gravity bleed the brake and noticed the the flow was only a trickle from the rubber line, so I thought it might be partially blocked. I then proceeded to use vacuum to try to unclog it, that did not speed up the flow, it was a delayed action by the fluid, it only tried to trickle, then after closing up the rest of the system and leaving that line open I pumped the brake cylinder over and over to build up pressure and it gave up a blast of fluid and I thought maybe I had pushed out a dirt or grime clog and that now the line was fine. WRONG. I bled the line out with the force of the MC. Test drove it and the Caliber locked up, I said to my self, What The Heck. After all that work I still had brake probs. I thought a little about it and came to the conclusion that even after releaseing the brake petal on test drive that the fluid was restricted after I released the brake, so it had a two way restriction, either way the fluid traveled, thus the lockup. I bought a new line for the trouble side and BINGO problem solved. The brakes now work perfectly and all is well. Maybe this will help as many problems are different and will fool you. Been a mechanic for 40yrs and still learning.
Good Luck!
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by harley745
OK, I have been working on brakes will the problem you have and more, in my case I found the problem that was causing lockup on my 88 S10 Blazer 4.3 4x4 auto. I was restriction of the drivers front rubber line, although I was bleeding with the old line I didnt realize untill after many hours ... I bought a new line for the trouble side and BINGO problem solved. The brakes now work perfectly and all is well. Maybe this will help as many problems are different and will fool you. Been a mechanic for 40yrs and still learning.
Good Luck!
Very odd yet common problem... breakdown of inner hose lining. Of course the first time I suggested that on here, it wasnt.
From sounds of it, since he changed the flex line AND the caliper, I'd bet on the diagnosis of crud in the piston travel.
Either that or up at distribution. If the piston retracts easy with bleed open, it's probably under the hood.
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 11:51 AM
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To Harley745, he's right we changed the caliper and flex line line, no change. When we changed the flex line there wasn't any brake fliud dripping out when we unhooked the line and I thought This is it! But it locked up and wouldn't release. To pettyfog I'm not a he I'm a she, lol. Where do you mean under the hood? I thought it might be in the lines but what lines?
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by TeriS18
.. Where do you mean under the hood? I thought it might be in the lines but what lines?
The one that doesnt work.


****rimshot****


You start where the flex line is connected then eyeball it all the way to the other end.
 
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Old 10-02-2011, 01:23 PM
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OK, should I replace them? Sorry I don't know much about brakes besides calipers, rotors & pads.
 
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Old 10-29-2011, 06:48 PM
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Reman rear calipers on the rear of my '03 and after six months they are sticking again. Anybody have any thoughts?
 
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