What's the best kit to go for? Summit has a bunch of them of varying prices. I want to change my brakes to ceramic and try out the 1 ton rear drums. In doing so I want to run new fluid so I'm thinking about one of these kits if that is indeed the easiest way to bleed them.

 

You dont need one if you have a buddy to help you. Get a rubber tube that fits over the bleeding screw, and get an empty plastic bottle. Fill the bottle up half way with water, place the rubber tube on the bleeder screw and into the bottle with water. Loosen the screw and have your friend pump the brakes until no more air bubbles come out of the line. Also make sure that your brake fluid resivore dosnt empty because you will need to do it all over again.

 

dont use water use brake fluid,if by any chance you create a vacume (not likly)but if you do u will suck in water.the absolute best brake bleeding system is the kind most shops have and you hook it up to your compressor.also i forget if it was diy or somthing but u can also change the rear wheel cylinder to a 1ton,i got a 99 1500 sport and swaped right out,much stonger.dont the 1ton drums take a bigger pad are you changing the pads to

 

No I'm ok with the front pads for now, just want to clean them up, add some ceramic pads and get new brake fluid. My brakes are kind of soft, not to the point i'm worried about stopping, just thinking ahead a few weeks.

So it seems like maybe I ought to have a shop bleed them. Should I just go to a brake shop and have them rebuild the drums and bleed the brakes? I can put on the ceramic pads no problem, and feel comfortable that if all I have to do is take off the drum, replace a "wheel cylinder" with something that fits no problem, shouldn't be a problem. That little brake spreader I bought at pepboys makes that job easy.

Also, my E-Brake doesn't work, should I have a shop take a look at that or does someone know about repairing those to save me a bogus cost?

 

E-Brake fix anybody?

 

Check the e-brake cable and make sure it's still there. Bleeding brakes isn't super hard it just seems like it always takes me forever and a ton of brake fluid to get them bled properly. I still think the old fashion way is the best way with someone pumping the brakes. Also the guy that helped me last time said you need to leave the cap on. I don't remember doing them doing this at the shop but idk. Maybe thats why it takes me forever to get them bled. I'd leave it on and just make sure you fill the resivor up every 2 or 3 times you open the bleeder valve. Don't let it get low. This is the method I've gotten to work best for me.

I've never had much luck with my vacuum bleeder but my uncle seems to like his. They are both the same kind so I'm not sure if I'm just using mine wrong or what.

 

It's weird how bleeding brakes is a difficult procedure; yet some can do it easy as swapping plugs. I can change plugs no problem, just some twisting and gapping; no biggie. But I've never bled brakes and don't want any bubbles. my UTI friend said the vacuums are no good and a waste of money. Not sure why, but I could see it as an easy way to market some plastic (i.e. cheap air intake on ebay). It really threw me off when I checked summit for the vacuum's. If you haven't, checked the price variance is like 25-100 dollars. that's a 75 dollar difference for a tool. I've only seen that kind of difference in torque wrenches. I thought I remember seeing them at pepboys for 12-16 dollars, made by the same company my brake separator is from (don't remember the name, but it's an Iowa based company).

Well I guess I'll bump this a few times till I can get a solid answer from someone. Not that I don't appreciate the insight, just want to see what exactly is the best way. If I wasn't so broke I'd try a few methods myself, but I've never done it so wouldn't be sure what to look for in terms of air in the line. I don't plan on doing anything to my brakes till after my "stage 1" is done; consisting of the plenum, cat, and headlights I need to replace (got that awful yellowing going on, and water droplets are always in there, time for a change) so I probably won't have the funds or time for all of this until 4 weeks, so I have time to do more research as well.

 

My vacuum bleeder I had was a Craftsman I want to say it was like $70 or so but it might not have been quite that much. It sure wasn't any $25 when I got it though and that was several years ago.

I think the old fashioned method of pumping them works best. Just make sure the person never lets up on the pedal at all when you have the bleeder valve open. Start with the wheel furthest from the Master cylinder and work your way up. So like right rear, left rear, right front, and drivers side front in that order on these trucks.

You can also try gravity bleeding them. Some people seem to like that method but I've never tried it.

Then there are the pressure bleeders shops have that seem to be the best method but it's not worth spending $300 on tool if you aren't doing several a week or even day when you can get good results for $1 or whatever a old coffee can or something and a clear hose cost you.

I also don't see even wasting your money to try a vacuum bleeder when you can do it the old fashion way for pretty much nothing.

 

Hometheaterman, sorry for sounding like a noob, but let me get this straight, lol:

With an old coffee can and clear hose that go over the (removed) brake bleeder on the caliper/drum, you have a 2nd person push on the accelerator till that specific drum/caliper is dry. All the while, make sure the Master cylinder doesn't run out of fluid. Repeat 3 more times.

What happens if I want to put new fluid in, could I let it go dry all around, or is that bad for the lines or something?

 

I got a "brake bleeding kit" from advance auto (if they have them near you) for around $5. It is a simple plastic jar with a magnet on it. You attach the mag to your frame above the bleeder vavle (all bubbles then float up between pumps). The jar has a little tube down to the bottom to keep air from going back in. Works great, only negative is the jar is small, but you could probably make something like this, or find a bigger jar that screws on.