Still not sure about the sticky front brakes, but the rear one that was missing the bolt was tending to heat up more than the others. (I owned a little nissan pickup for 11 years and never had any brake issues so this is pretty new to me... heck never had any issues. Kinda wish I coulve afforded another nissan but I am commited to my blazer and to hell with the japs) So I figured I would check each brake from top down (bad idea, shoulda went from bottom up) Made the mistake of checking the line back there first then realized the caliper is crap. Wont compress even with bleeder open, so I take the bleeder all the way out and the end is dry and rusty... um... supposed to be brake fluid in there, right? So now I cant bleed out the line and am awaiting my loaded rear calipers. I couldnt get any advice on brands or places so I went with Morse from autozone. Probably a bad move but other places I searched were kinda hard for me to decipher and I was able to get the pair together loaded all in one deal. Probably how they sucker the newbs like me but wth. With a lifetime guarantee I figure either they cant be that bad or they are THAT bad that they figure if they fail itll end my lifetime and they wont have to honor the warranty. Since I doubt anyone is following this Its more a journal. =) Keep up the good work on the forum though. I read random stuff daily. Eventually I am going to be an expert at keeping this thing on the road.

 

Hate to hear you're down. Post back when you get them installed and lets know how it went.

 

b4 replacing the calipers, check to make sure the metal brake line is`nt crushed somewhere, preventing the fluid from getting to the caliper.. is it both rear calipers that have no fluid or just one? if its only one caliper then the master must be working and theres prob something crushed and causing the no brake fluid.. def keep us informed of whats going on with it...also there should be a small junction block on the rear where the lones go into from the front and then two out for each rear check to make sure you have brake fluid at that block.. use line wrenches on the nuts on the line at that block.. dont use pliers or vise grips..

 

There was fluid to the end of the flex line (hose) but nothing inside the caliper from the crusty rusty appearance of the bleeder screw I took out. I am thinking the missing bolt i mentioned on the caliper was to ease the pressure by the schmuck I bought it from. Clean carfax and regular maintanence and such but I think the guy I bought it from was a schmuck. The piston wouldnt compress even detached and with a bleeer open. Think it was a brake job with ruined calipers in the rear, from what Ive read. I know where you speak of with the split from the main and I saw nothing wrong with the line that runs from the center hose to the metal lines off to each side. I am still going to replace the flex hoses up front most likely tomorrow if they are at all collapsed as I will check them out. I think that is why the front sticks abit as an uniformed DIYer messed them up. I gave up today after my screwup. I think the main thing is that rear drivers side being locked up and dry. I appreciate the input and will be CERTAIN to check that out before I install the rear calipers. Whatever the reason one is for sure shot and I will swap them out as a set.


More from today: Lotta quirky things going on. Not content to leave it alone and not having a one way valve I rigged one. I took aquarium pump hose and stretched the end to fit over the bleeder valve and put a one way valve that stops water from coming into an air pump for aquarium and put it on the end... homemade one way bleeder ... i used that and got fluid into the caliper in the rear there after much pumping...that caliper seems to work right... .BUT that is the one that gets hot after driving even though i held the brake pedal in with a 2x4 and it stopped the disc, released it and the disc moves... so it works fine... maybe the dang squeak is coming from a wheel bearing there? no rumble no grind.. just a squeak i THOUGHT was coming from the front or maybe it is but with that wheel heating up i dunno.. Got to the passengers side and...... the bleeder valve is on the BOTTOM.. so a replaced caliper for the wrong side (was already done when I bought it a couple weeks back).. wtf have i gotten myself into. Im still replacing the rear calipers but I think the wheel bearings too, dangit. Checked both flex lines in the front to adress the sticking and they are fine... if i can blow through them easily (yuck, the taste of brake fluid) then they cant be restricking much.. bout the same as the new ones I already bought and will probably slap on just to do so when I change the front calipers in a couple weeks when I get more money... since I ordered the rear ones already having decided I would do all four and start with the rear since one of those is the wheel that gets hot. Any input on the heat from that wheel if the caliper is not sticking (which as I said its not)? I guess it was dry and rusty in there because someone left a lotta air in there? ie, didnt bleed them for ****? Im off to search the forums some more
5/23/2011
So I flushed the fluid from the brakes, it was pretty black, leading me to believe I may have brake issues down the road, but somehow it seems to have somewhat solved the front sticking issue I had. I still have the wrong caliper on the passengers side, but the drivers side that was dry has gotten fluid through it after extensive bleeding and the brake system overall seems to be braking and releasing correctly. Still havent figured out the squeal that comes after it gets good and warmed up ( about 15-20 miles) in the morning and starts after a couple miles in the afternoon 9-10 hours later. This is also Florida with 90+ these past couple weeks so stuff isnt cooling down much during the day... Ive got some play (about 1/8") in both back tires moving them in and out so Im going to check the bearings this weeked... isnt covered in the manual Ive bought where I can find but I imagine its about the same as front disk wheel bearings, or so Im hoping. Im now experiencing a loud roar acellerating that seems to be the fan clutch ( the fan moves with very little resistance when the engine is off) and the service engine light popped on today and showed a P0300 code for random misfires so a full tuneup and exhaust/ fuel pump check is in order. Too much to work on with this new vehicle to bother putting time into brakes that seem to work just fine in any check I now do. When/ if I get the squeal fixed I will be sure to update. Off to browse threads on my new issues where I am sure I will find answers from users' experiences. Thanks for the ideas for this issue and keep blazin.

 

I know this is another post and I should edit but I wanted anyone following to know its new and a conclusion to the original. I am a complete idiot. I checked the brakes from the outside throught the rims, even pulled the rims to check and had it taken to midas to check the brakes... what no one noticed until i pulled it all the way to the rotor being taken off today after work is that my inner rear pads are more worn than the outer. I also just noticed that the rear pads have indicators built in rather than being on the clips like the front ( and like the only other disc brakes Ive ever had to work on) First vehicle with 4 wheel disc and the inside pads on the rear drivers side was down to the indicator. DUH!!! I feel like such a dbag. I bent it out to test drive and my squeal was gone so when I throw on the loaded rear calipers I ordered all will be swell for miles and miles on that. The sad part is I was going to tear it down to the bearing and grease it until I noticed that. The fact that the inner pads were to indicator and outer pads were twice as thick is confirmation I need the loaded calipers and not just a brake job but... SHEESH.. also I would like to state that the passengers side caliper is obviously not factory and also the WRONG one... the bleeder is on the BOTTOM... obviously a driver side caliper on the passengers side so I def need the calipers but still.. I figured Midas woulda at least noticed the pads were worn and they did not.. the moral of the story is never assume a danged thing and never trust a chain to diagnose a dang thing. Thanks againg to the forum and sorry for the rule violation. I will continue actively progressing through the thread on P0300 code to solve the intermittent SES light I get as well as to address my intermitent ABS+(I)(P) brake light comming on. ABS most likely EBCM I will have to send in to be reconditioned from module master (thanks blazer forums). Aside from my own stupidity and overlooking/assumptions I am so thankful for the help you guys offer. I plan to stay a current member and feel much more confident in owning this blazer... See you all in future threads and as I lurk for future answers. Thanks a bunch!