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I hate you GM

azex

New member
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Location
Chandler Heights, AZ
Trying to figure out the (naughty word deleted) calipers on the M1008.

Metal on metal dovetails. Push the piston back far enough, you can remove the front pad.

push it back the other way, the rear pad falls out on the ground...plop.

Then the new pads are just too big to allow both to be installed at the same time.

This garbage company deserves to go out of business just for design obscenities like this.

GM...die. Forever.

D.
 

reaper556

Member
282
3
18
Location
HOCKLEY, TX
I have never had a problem at all with mine :shrugs: . I think the fronts are easier than the rears and probably one of the easier jobs on these trucks.

Do you have the correct pads?
 
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86m1028

Active member
1,687
17
38
Location
Murphy TEXAS
It's not Gm, it's a DANA axle.

edit: I can't believe I just defended gm !
They have done some really stupid stuff in the past & continue to do even
more !
 
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fitz

Member
268
13
18
Location
Mass
Have the brakes been working properly for the last 30+ years? The design might not be so bad after all.
 

azex

New member
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Location
Chandler Heights, AZ
I figured it out. 3 hours of cursing and frustration on one side, 10 mins on the other side like a pro.

There's no video for these. I could've saved myself 2 hours of angry pants if I could find one.

D.
 

porkysplace

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
mid- michigan
I figured it out. 3 hours of cursing and frustration on one side, 10 mins on the other side like a pro.

There's no video for these. I could've saved myself 2 hours of angry pants if I could find one.

D.
Well now that you have mastered them , lead the way and make a video.
 

Mainsail

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Puget Sound, WA
Some GMisms I've always hated:

Pull the inside door handle while the door is locked and you get nothing. In most other cars pulling the inside door handle while the door is locked OPENS THE DOOR. Jerks.

Must insert key right-side-up. There are two problems with this. First, when it's dark you need to check the key to determine which way is up, and if you're drunk you could damage the keyway. I will use Ford for example on the second point. I once owned two Fords so I had one key pattern cut on one side of the key, and the other car's key pattern cut on the other side of the key. One key opened and started either car. Slide key into lock, if it doesn't turn, pull it out and flip it over.

One key for the door and another for the ignition? Brilliant! :x
 

Chaski

Active member
684
56
28
Location
Burney/CA
And to hijack this thread...

What grease / antisieze / unicorn fluid do you use on the dovetail and caliper so it can slide?

I used aluminum antisieze which has proven to be less than ideal. Seems to get really gummy after a couple years.
 

Gripy

Member
398
3
18
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Some GMisms I've always hated:

Pull the inside door handle while the door is locked and you get nothing. In most other cars pulling the inside door handle while the door is locked OPENS THE DOOR. Jerks.

Must insert key right-side-up. There are two problems with this. First, when it's dark you need to check the key to determine which way is up, and if you're drunk you could damage the keyway. I will use Ford for example on the second point. I once owned two Fords so I had one key pattern cut on one side of the key, and the other car's key pattern cut on the other side of the key. One key opened and started either car. Slide key into lock, if it doesn't turn, pull it out and flip it over.

One key for the door and another for the ignition? Brilliant! :mad:
If you're that drunk then maybe you shouldn't be trying to get into your truck.


There is a specific lubricant for calipers and sliding pins etc sold at any parts store. Anti seize is not the right stuff.

CRC lube at O'reillys to give you the idea:
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/s...year=1996&make=Jeep&model=Cherokee&vi=1180358
I use a little jar of caliper grease. It comes with a brush attached to the lid.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,988
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
004.jpg

This is about the best Caliper lube out there. We used this on our buses calipers.
As far as the brakes being a bad design, well you better be blaming Ford as their the ones who designed them and sold the rights to GM. In fact Ford has had the best brake designs for decades and Chrysler and GM have bought the rights to them for years. Even IHC used Ford brakes.
 

NovacaineFix

Member
662
1
18
Location
San Diego, California
sounds to me like you have a brake caliper piston that may be stuck or slightly cocked preventing you from resetting the piston back fully.

Brakes can be frustrating at times, but this design, as simple as it is, is pretty foolproof with some exceptions. Usually, those exceptions are related to the caliper bolt striping out or a frozen bleeder screw.

I have done these style brakes for, I hate to admit, over 20 years, never had a problem with the exception of a few bolts and bleeder screws.

My trick, is never, and I mean never, force old brake fluid back up into the master cylinder reservoir. That should be a rule that should never be broken. All that fluid in the caliper is contaminated with moisture, unless you are running DOT 5, but even then, I would get rid of it.
I always pop the bleeder first and use an old brake pad and a caliper press and press the piston back into place until fully seated. Unless there is a problem with the piston seal or something else, pressing the piston back into the caliper does 2 things, gets rid of contaminated fluid and resets the piston for new pads.

Hope you got your done okay, they aren't that hard to do, but if you are not used to them, they may take some time to master.

Good Luck and keep us updated.
 

Chaski

Active member
684
56
28
Location
Burney/CA
Excellent! Learn something new every day. Every other rig I have ever owned had fixed calipers with multiple pistons, so I never had to grease calipers.

Just ordered up a tube of the synthetic brake grease.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,988
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
sounds to me like you have a brake caliper piston that may be stuck or slightly cocked preventing you from resetting the piston back fully.

Brakes can be frustrating at times, but this design, as simple as it is, is pretty foolproof with some exceptions. Usually, those exceptions are related to the caliper bolt striping out or a frozen bleeder screw.

I have done these style brakes for, I hate to admit, over 20 years, never had a problem with the exception of a few bolts and bleeder screws.

My trick, is never, and I mean never, force old brake fluid back up into the master cylinder reservoir. That should be a rule that should never be broken. All that fluid in the caliper is contaminated with moisture, unless you are running DOT 5, but even then, I would get rid of it.
I always pop the bleeder first and use an old brake pad and a caliper press and press the piston back into place until fully seated. Unless there is a problem with the piston seal or something else, pressing the piston back into the caliper does 2 things, gets rid of contaminated fluid and resets the piston for new pads.

Hope you got your done okay, they aren't that hard to do, but if you are not used to them, they may take some time to master.

Good Luck and keep us updated.
Your exactly right about opening the bleeder screw before pushing the piston back in it's bore. That was taught to me over 40 years ago in Technical School.
 
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