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Brakes '99 Suburban

Recently purchased an old Suburban with 88K miles. The vehicle was in great condition with exception of brakes and tires. Well after installing new tires and changing the brake fluid and adjusting the brakes there is only slight improvement in the pedal. I compare it to my 06 Silverado which will stop on a dime and give 9 cents change. There is too much play in the pedal and the car is somewhat difficult to stop. Before I change the master cyl. has anyone had this problem? My buddy said he has the same thing on his 02 Tahoe (also bought used). Could it be the master cylinder getting ready to go?

Reply to
tpbeach86
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That has been the norm with my 97' Silverado C1500 with ABS since it was new. It always has been ample to stop, but the pedal is mushy to the touch.

Reply to
nbt

Our 99 Suburban has the same brake pedal feeling. When you first start pushing on it you get the feeling that this very large peice of metal is not going to stop. I would like to know what the fix is. The pedal does travel far before the braking starts.

Warren

Reply to
warrenry

I also had a '97 Z-71 Silverado that had terrible brakes, I took it to the dealer under warranty and they told me it was typical for brakes on that year. I have since traded for a 2004 2500HD, what a difference in brakes! The older truck was just engineered wrong, with 16" tires and drum brakes on the back you just can't get them stopped.

Reply to
The Adams Family
10 years or so ago I was the Service Manager for a telecommunications company in the Bay Area. We had a group of the GMC/Chevy 2500 pickup trucks (92 and 93 model years). Those bloody trucks blew my maintenance budget sooooo far over budget with brake issues that when my older daughter went to buy a used Suburban a few years ago I told her "avoid LIKE THE PLAGUE the 1990 thru 99 models because of the brakes".

She took my advice and bought an 87 and loves it (and no brake problems). The Chevy/GMC pickups and such of that era (1989-99) are known far and wide for the garbage brakes GM put on them. AND the problem was not really the rear drum brakes: it was that the entire braking system was not up to the task, especially the front disks, calipers and such (on one of my trucks I actually had the front brakes catch on fire after coming down a mountain!).

GM finally got smart with the current generation. I've driven a couple of those newer models and the difference in brakes is like night and day, as the previous poster noted.

Regards, Bill Bowen Sacramento, CA

P.S. Other than the obscene cost, w>I also had a '97 Z-71 Silverado that had terrible brakes, I took it to the

Reply to
William H. Bowen

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