Leaking Brakes

2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
350,000 MILES • V8 • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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JONNYIS1
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my truck has a major leak near the back all the brakes are soaked in what seams like grease and i cant figure out where the leak is coming from or how to fix it can you help?
Jul 12, 2008 at 7:46 PM
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MASTERTECHTIM
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the problem is leaking axle seals. rear end gear oil is leaking onto the brakes from the seal. you need to remove the rear end cover to access bolt to remove axles to replace the seals. this video will show how to fix it

https://youtu.be/EMxfb9X3ywE

and

https://youtu.be/ytqXLSjHNm0

Please run down these guides and report back.


Jul 12, 2008 at 7:54 PM
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JONNYIS1
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Thanks but do you know how to remove the rear axle i cant seem to get it
Jul 12, 2008 at 9:50 PM
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MASTERTECHTIM
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remove the rear end cover and spin rear diff until you see a 5/16 bolt. remove the bolt and the long pin in the middle will come out, then push axle in and a c clip will pop out allowing the axle to be removed. just do opposite to reassemble
Jul 14, 2008 at 3:28 PM
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JRANNE1994
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My husband changes brakes front and back also all 4 calipers. We bled the brakes and have them pumped up, but as soon as you start the truck and wait about 20 seconds the peddle goes to the floor. He bought a one man bleeder and it says there is a leak, but we can not find it. We are at our wits end and don't know what else to do.
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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if you had a leak, you would see it puddle somewhere. it sounds like you have air in the system caught somewhere.

why did you do this operation??

Roy
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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JRANNE1994
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My husband changed the calipers mainly because one wasn't working right in the back so he changed all the calipers and the decided that he might as well change the brakes to since the one was worn down due to the bad caliper. He bled the brakes because the peddle was going down farther then it should. We got all the air out of the lines but like I said after starting the truck and waiting about 20 seconds the brake peddle goes to the floor. There is no puddle that is why we are having a hard time trying to find the leak.
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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did you pump the pedal several times to get the pads back up to the rotors?? If so, you may have lost the master cylinder. get a shop to look at it and confirm.

Roy
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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JRANNE1994
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ok. Thank you
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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good luck
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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SKGRAY0112
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1988 Chevy Silverado EFI 1500. Mileage: 435,000 plus, but it's on third engine. The right rear wheel cylinder keeps breaking. I have replaced it three times in the last 6 months. Thought it may be weak springs, so I put in new ones. The shoes seem to be aligned just fine, and the brakes work until the cylinder breaks and I lose fluid. Any thoughts?
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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STEEL BILL
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Check to see if the axle or axel tube may be bent causing a misalignment .Also ask your parts man for the best quality cylinder ,you may be getting some cheap poor quality parts
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)
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SKGRAY0112
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[quote:23c7b4c74f="Steel Bill"]Check to see if the axle or axel tube may be bent causing a misalignment .Also ask your parts man for the best quality cylinder ,you may be getting some cheap poor quality parts[/quote:23c7b4c74f]

The axle looks ok as far as I can tell. I've been putting on the cheap $10 part. This time, I ordered a Bendix for around $30. (Not quite ready to fork over $80 plus for genuine GM.) If that's the problem, I should know in a month or two and will post the results. Thanks for your reply.
Feb 23, 2021 at 9:41 AM (Merged)