Brake Pull

February 3, 2019

I have an '01 Tahoe that has a pull to the right when the brakes are applied. The mechanic said the right caliper was hanging up, and they disassembled and lubed everything and they said it fixed it. It might have helped a little for a short time, but didn't last long.

Last weekend I replaced both front calipers and put new pads on both sides, and the problem is still there. What is the next thing to check?

carkhz316 · February 4, 2019

Sometimes the rubber brake line can start to delaminate on the inside and constrict the fluid flow like a check valve, causing the brake to drag after application. I've had this happen on a couple occasions.

lmentzel · February 4, 2019

Take to gm dealer. The ABS system has a specific procedure to bleed the brakes. Midas was totally lost on mine.

carnau · February 4, 2019

More than likely it was never the caliper and is the brake line. If you know anything about bleeding the brakes this is an easy fix. If you don't know how to bleed brakes watch a youtube video and replace the lines. Very simple fix. As far as the comment above about the ABS bleed. That's not necessary unless the BPMV has been replaced because it will just bypass. Even if you don't feel like this is a job to do yourself I would still purchase the parts at your local parts store or below and take them with you to have them installed. That way you don't have to pay for parts + markup. Just be careful if you do decide to do this yourself. The brakes are the most important part of your vehicle. Doesn't matter if it will move if it will not stop.

Left hose - https://amzn.to/2t5mBQE

Right hose - https://amzn.to/2TtVeeE

Left Rear Hose (With calipers) - https://amzn.to/2MPZd2D

Right Rear Hose - https://amzn.to/2DcgpuM

February 5, 2019

Thanks for the replies. The hose was my next guess, but I've never had a problem with a hose before. I have no problem bleeding the brakes, especially if it's only at one wheel. I'll let you know how it goes.

carnau · February 5, 2019

22 hours ago, 383 said:

Thanks for the replies. The hose was my next guess, but I've never had a problem with a hose before. I have no problem bleeding the brakes, especially if it's only at one wheel. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ya, You won't be able to see the problem under flow (when bleeding) it is a pressure problem.

riverbanks · February 5, 2019

The tricky part about a imploded rubber brake line is,pedal press is normal,and normal braking,the release is the concern,pulling after release, just my observation

February 9, 2019

UPDATE

The hose was the problem. I replaced it with the hose from Amazon in the link above (thanks Chris), and bled the brakes, now it tracks perfectly straight under hard braking.

The only thing that could have been a problem, I should have topped off the master cylinder before I finished bleeding the brakes. It took more fluid to fill it when I was finished than I expected, would have been bad if I would have sucked air at the master cylinder.

In hindsight I wasted money replacing the calipers without correcting the problem, but now I know that everything is new in the front, ready for the next 200,000 miles. The money I spent was still less than half of a new car payment. The old Tahoe is in pretty good shape for 18 yrs old.

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and advice, that is what makes forums like this great!

txab · February 9, 2019

carnau · February 10, 2019

On 2/9/2019 at 11:26 AM, 383 said:

UPDATE

The hose was the problem. I replaced it with the hose from Amazon in the link above (thanks Chris), and bled the brakes, now it tracks perfectly straight under hard braking.

The only thing that could have been a problem, I should have topped off the master cylinder before I finished bleeding the brakes. It took more fluid to fill it when I was finished than I expected, would have been bad if I would have sucked air at the master cylinder.

In hindsight I wasted money replacing the calipers without correcting the problem, but now I know that everything is new in the front, ready for the next 200,000 miles. The money I spent was still less than half of a new car payment. The old Tahoe is in pretty good shape for 18 yrs old.

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and advice, that is what makes forums like this great!

Glad you got it fixed! Subscribe to my Youtube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/cdarnau ) ! I'm always uploading videos on Tahoe's and 5.3 stuff with good information all the time. Send me a message if I can ever help!