New brakes- Bad brake calipers!?
 

Hey guys, got a 99 ram 1500 4x4. Replaced front and rear brakes all around and it STILL feels like front brakes are seriously lacking (and I have 2500, 7500gvwr calipers). Rears feel quite strong, and pull an extra 20°F (infrared thermometer). Before I adjusted the drums it felt like I had little/no brakes at all.. Pedal is stiff, no air in line thanks to vacuum bleeder.

So my question is, does this sound like a caliper issue? I was considering it being a "bed-in" issue at first, but after seeing the temp difference and feeling how the truck stops.. Doesnt seem right .

TIA

Could siezed slides cause this sort of effect? One on each side was originally seized up but I managed to free and regrease them before reassembly..

the slides should be ok if you got them to break free and greased them up.
did you replace the hoses to the calipers?
when you're stopping, does the truck pull to one side?
what kind of shape are your front shocks in?
did you make sure the pads and rotors were clean when you put it back together?

Last brake job I installed braided steel brake lines, shocks are only a couple months old, no pulling to either side, everything was cleaned. Just the lack of a "bite." Ive used these pads before (Hawk HP's), but Im running AC Delco rotors this time instead of my $300+ EBC rotors that became trashed.. The outside edge of the rotors became extremely worn down.. I thought they were contaminated with grease, but now I'm thinking otherwise.

The truck definitely pulls more from the rear, like my worktruck Kenworth dually does.

I would try bleeding the brakes again, but this time with a friend to pump the pedal while a second person cracks open the line at each wheel. Also, make sure that you start with the wheel farthest away from the master cylinder, working your way back to the wheel closest to the master cylinder. I've used the vacuum bleeder in the past, but sometimes, it can let just a touch of air into the system. Lastly, I use DOT4 brake fluid due to its higher boiling point over DOT3 fluid.

I will give that a shot tomorrow, I'm thinking I still want to replace those calipers, just for peace of mind.. For some reason it always seems like the slide pins lock up over time, even with generous amounts of grease.. I literally pounded these ones out.

Did you clean the new rotors good before installation?

Sure did. Used dawn dish soap to get the real heavy stuff off, then liberally applied brake cleaner. About 2 years ago these calipers were "new," and they bit real nice from the get go. Ive only driven 100+ miles on the new brakes, but I know it doesnt take long to do irreversible damage either.

How were the old brake pads worn? Inner pad badly worn? outer pad not so much is an indicator of stuck slides, means the piston side is doing all the work. Pads worn on a slant? Possibly one pin seized. Brakes don't release? Possible bad hose.
The dot 4 upgrade is a good idea. I've been experimenting with DOT 5.1 Has an even higher boil temp. Not to be confused with DOT 5, which is a full synthetic fluid and is not compatible with our brake systems(ABS does not like full synthetic) New hoses can help, but generally I only replace them when they show signs of cracking. Keep the rears adjusted correctly, possibly upgrade the rear wheel cylinders to the larger bore version. Not sold on the stainless braided line. I've installed tons on bikes, but generally more for looks, and price, they are usually cheaper than OEM.
I've never been impressed with the stock brakes, they have always seemed kind of lackluster. I believe, personally, that the sizing is barely adequate. Bigger rotors and calipers would have made more sense, as would 4 wheel discs, but, it is what it is.

Honestly I would have to look at them again, but I recall either the inner/outer being more worn down than the other. I definitely had 1 pin on each side that was SEIZED. Maybe its possible the pin seized causing the piston to work harder causing some sore of internal failure?

ALSO, I keep forgetting to mention.. When I bled the brakes, at first I had rust/corrosion bleeding directly from the calipers. That a sign of anything in particular?

As for the the braided steel lines - definitely worth it. Since Ive owned 2nd gen Ram trucks (10 years), I've never had a stiffer pedal, especially with the vavuum bleeder.