It's now been almost 5 years since this repair, and I'm happy to report that I still drive the Suburban, with no problems with braking since then. Fixing an old car is always a gamble, because you don't know what is around the corner. In retrospect the decision to take a chance and fix it made all the difference.
Nice work on the brake lines. I had one brake line let go on my '04 GMC Sierra and I brought it to the dealer for repair (I was up to my neck in work at home). They called and said they had to replace all brake lines and would have to remove the cab to access ABS module. The job would take a week and cost $2500. I had the truck towed home and I did just what you did - Tough job, but very self-satisfying and inexpensive (VS dealer cost). Thanks for posting.
Good for you, as you know it is quite a job. My Suburban is not even worth the cost of a full brake line and ABS repair. So the only thing keeping an old vehicle like this out of the scrap yard is an owner who can do it himself, or maybe a pro who limits the scope of the repair to exactly what must be done. I certainly agree with your remark about the satisfaction of completing the repair yourself. For me, more complete understanding how these systems work is always an enlightening experience. Thanks for stopping by!
Sharing a capture of the a ABS lines is pure genius! A retired friend of mine who helps out at the shop offered to get started on a SUV that needed all new lines. I let him go at it. he later came over and said the hard parts done! Then went on to say that he had removed all the old lines. Not thinking too much about it I later went over and found he had removed all the lines alright but never took note as to where each line landed!!! 😱 I searched and searched for information then finally sent him to the local salvage yard to take pictures of a known good 😥
Excellent point, Will. I also found some disinformation online, with at least one TH-cam video explaining it wrong, and even the dealers manual is confusing. I think many professionals cut those lines near the nuts and spin them off with a deep socket, which would save time. When those guys do the same car every day they already know the routing.
Rusted brake lines, rolling around on the ground, making do when the kit lacks all parts, finding leaks at the connections when we go back over it, ugh I hate that feeling! Then finally! thankful and exhausted when the last tire goes on. we have a lot in common my friend 👍💪 great job!!
Nice job with the video! Great tips and tricks that many people doing the job for the first time should know. Leaking brake lines can be frustrating and dangerous!
Well done. I hope the dash lights behave themselves now. Brake lines are a job that most DIY guys shy away from simply because of the time and effort involved.
You're very right. To get a pro to replace all brake lines and fix the ABS would leave a bill nearly equal to the value of the car, so this kind of thorough repair is only for those able to discount labor costs. I'm sure glad I don't do this every day, it is difficult work without a lift. The priceless reward is deeper understanding how these systems work. Thank you for taking your time to watch my humble effort.
Thank you for the video! I've been procrastinating this job for a while. In the meantime, I've had a hard time finding any sources of concise, well-explained directions. Yours really worked for me thankfully... Progressively touching on everything, big and small, so that a first time brake jobber like me can better handle the project.
I never started cussing until started working on my own vehicle, even found out what brand of wrenches ounce higher than another. Isnt it the worst location is always the problem? The 03 Silverado the rear exhaust manifold is known to break. I think the engineer did it to get back at high repair cost.
Just found your video. Nice job. My 2002 Suburban is new to me and has had one line replaced. I bought the AC Delco kit and plan on doing a complete job. Luckily I have a two post lift. I don't think my 66 year old arthritic body could take doing it on jack stands. Thanks for the video.
Nice video, i worked in a dealership for 3 years, learned a trick to everything, when on found a better maybe faster way all did it. Your tips and the video as whole was similar to un class traininf videos shown at former job. Nice job bud
Thankyou for your Video, very thorough and impressive to show the extensive work that is performed on this tough brake line job. You are the type of mechanic that anyone could and would trust..! Amen Bro..
Unbelievable shity factory uncoated lines setup! I lost break twice with my exact suburban! Thanks god i didn’t get involved in an accident. It costed me 1500$ for the entire brake system just because GM didn’t get it done right at the first time! And they got away with this recall !! toyota trucks had never had this same break lines catastrophic disaster issue.
The problem is GM should stand up behind uncoated break or even fuel lines since they know it’s safety issue and that’s why they went back putting the right coated or insulated lines for Their trucks after 2007 just like they use be in their trucks models before the year 2000. I own 1995 Nissan Altima with super safe original break lines even it’s exposed to Deice liquid in salt belt area for the over 20 years. Also I own 2006 Chevy express van witch has insulated break lines! So they could had done it to their pick up trucks and SUVs built at that year.
Al Karim don't feel alone, my 08 Dakota has been down for over two weeks because of rotten front brake lines. I can only assume the rears will need replacing too. as well as the fuel line. 112,000 miles and pushing 4,000 in repairs this year.
About to tackle this myself on the ground on my 04 Suburban front lines too. Not looking forward to it but its either that or buy another 4x4 vehicle for upcoming winter
You should consider getting a vacuum bleeder. It is very common to damage the cups in the M/C in higher mileage cars by bleeding using the brake pedal. I am glad I live in a area where rust damage like that never happens.
Excellent point, whenever I do this I wonder if the MC will tolerate it. In an effort to reduce strain on those seals I try not to floor the brake pedal but honestly I don't know if that makes a difference. I do have a little vacuum bleeder but I can't say I like how it works, especially if the seal at the screw isn't great. If I had the dough I'd get a positive pressure bleeder, but because reservoir caps aren't standardized, finding the right adapter can be a pain. Thanks for stopping by!
It should be illegal to sell any vehicle without STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES. Charge me the extra 100.00 from the beginning and save me 2000.00 down the road. Absolutely no reason this isn't done at the factory when all is new. The Trans cooler and power steering lines should be the same.
Actually, if one cleans the under parts of a car or truck once in awhile ( removing deposited salt from road or salt from ocean) they will not rust as bad or as fast. Also, stainless has its own problems, as it reacts to other dissimilar metals. When stainless steel and carbon steel are connected, and an electrolyte such as moisture is introduced, stainless steel absorbs carbon steel’s electrons. Carbon steel can then deteriorate rapidly with this mating, become weak, and come crashing down. Galvanizing is a way to protect carbon steel without completely changing its structure. When carbon steel is galvanized, a layer of zinc is spread over its surface. Bottom line; Galvanized steel costs a few cents more per pound than regular structural steel. Stainless steel costs four to fives times as much as galvanized steel ! Leave stainless alone.
@@petratical While that may be true, anything is better than factory lines. The car will be in the crusher by the time dissimilar metal issues take place. In the northeast one season of road salt is all you need to get the process started with factory lines.
Just finished this job yesterday,I was lazy and only replaced one line but during bleeding the system I blew another so I did the right thing a replaced them all
Quick question, what type of flair did you use to patch into your ABS? Was it a double flare as well or a bubble flair? I’m going to be doing a similar job to this on an Olds Cutlass Ciara and I’m just trying to get an idea of what I’ll be up against and what flaring to get. Thanks!
Probably double on your Cutlass, my Suburban was predictably a double flare (SAE for older American cars). Bubble for newer or European cars. Good luck!
spelunkerd Appreciate the feedback, thank you! Figured someone with experience working on GM’s would be able to help me here. It’s an older car, 1994, so I wouldn’t be surprised either if it was double flair all around.
Hi from Australia. Found a link to your site on SMA. Like your channel and your way of describing what you do. Subscribed, and, as Quasimodo once said, bell is rung. Thanks for your vids.
Hate to say it, but Chevy still makes their cars and ships them off w/o a bleeder valve cap on them. So that's not something I think that's a default item. Only the better-quality replacement calipers come with caps. Here in the rust belt of the Northeast, I will put a blob of silicone caulk around my bleeder screw. It dries and clings to the screw and just peels away when I need to get to it..looks and functions like new even after many years of exposure to the salt and water up here.
I wish we were neighbors and that you work for food amd/or bev. Great vid, though I was scared the end cloud scene was a "posted in memorium" RIP send off. Keep 'em coming!
For some reason the main line to the rear wheels is the vulnerable segment, presumably because of water exposure. Unfortunately that one is not so easy to remove -- I removed the plastic around the left rear wheel well to get better access, pushing the new line in from there. Thanks for stopping by, Ramon!
Yeah, so far the car is running perfectly. It's so nice to have it back in service, I was getting tired of seeing it up on stands in the driveway, ha ha.
And I suppose it's happy to be going around again and you that you can safely stop it going around at your will too. Should be coming up spring there maybe a boat project is on your list. Thanks for letting us look over your shoulder on this one.
Thanks, Don. That feeling of accomplishment is great, and it is so nice to not have an annoying ABS light. I wondered if I'd dislodge air bubbles from the ABS at the time of my first skid, but the ABS kicks in fine when I skid on gravel and the pedal stayed firm. So far, so good.
Thanks for putting the details on what line when where... I am having trouble getting the lines out of the plastic holders (on the side of the frame with wire harness integrated. Am I missing something? How to open them up? I bought a kit of copper alloy lines, with the end connectors already mounted. So far they have been great. My kit had 7 lines in it.
Very well persented, learned a few things! Right, do the whole break line job, as if one is bad, the rest will be too. But, if you just repair one line, make sure your emergency break line cable is in good shape. You may need it if hydraulics fail!
Very helpful video. My truck has just about the same problem . . rear line is leaking somewhere over the gas tank (I actually have two lines going back to the rear brakes). In the process of replacing all the lines . . stuck trying to free the lines at the ABS pump.
I just did this on my 04 GMC. By far the hardest, tedious, frustrating, and, time consuming car job I've ever done! Note, he didn't show you the horrifying nightmare that is feeding all the new lines up and around all the other things on the car and getting all the lines down between the body mount after the front wheel. To do it right you really need to jack the body up!
Yes!!! I love Suburbans I learned to drive at 15 in a 1990 suburban and my folks still have it now at my age of 31. My son says grandpa can we ride in the blue Burban..aka Boat the Suburban vi learned to drive in!!! Love them
The short answer is no, not usually. In the past it was common practice to do an initial bleed, then take the vehicle for a test drive on a gravel road. At about 10 mph with nobody behind, slam on the brakes to activate the abs motor a couple of times. Then test the brakes again and feel for sponginess of the pedal. If it is spongy, repeat the bleeding as before. When the abs unit is down low like this one is, that's usually all you need to do, because air bubbles tend to float upward because of gravity. Newer patterns of practice are to activate the unit with a scan tool while bleeding so you complete the process more efficiently.
I purchased the GM preformed kit on Amazon to replace the rusted tubing lines on my 2005 Silverado. Replacement seem straight forward so we shall see how it goes. It looks like replacing the front passenger tube will be the most challenging. Did you find the new tubes to have enough flexible bend to route without bending or kinking? The TSB states to raise the cab and the bed 2" in order to install the new line. Did you find that to be required? Thanks and great video.
I had no kinking but routing lines was a time consuming chore. Front wasn't more difficult, though it is longer than others. All are awkward, but I didn't need to raise the bed. Good luck!
@@MrSloopjohnb That's a thoughtful question. As you probably know the tightest spot is the front of the ABS unit, so it is probably easier to do the top, less accessible row of connections first, leaving the bottom row on the ABS unit for the end. I would scroll back to the shot I did of the ABS unit and plan with that in mind. Otherwise I don't think order of assembly makes much difference. I would try to plan so that tubing from the MC doesn't have to cross and potentially rub on lines coming from the front on their way back to the ABS.
Eric, it's so nice to get a visit from a respected teacher. Every time I do a repair like this I tip my hat to you guys who do this every day. What I find most amazing is how efficiently a pro like you can get a job like this done. I would never have survived the flat rate game....
Haha I am not a pro by any means and the good news is there is NO flat rate ion these jobs. To do a full line kit on a GM in my shop assuming all the bleeders come loose and I do not have to change friction material, just lines and flex hoses I can bang one out in about 5.5 hrs start to finish. Does not include removing the master cylinder like you did though. Just lines hoses, power bleed and out the door and onto the next one! great job BTW!
Thanks for the video bought a yukon xl from a guy who claims all the lines where replaced with copper ones well come to find out only the front lines where replaced with copper lines from abs module back the lines where all rusted an one starting leaking as i was driving the truck home so now im going to order the kit an replace the rear ones my self witch seems the hardest but with a little bit of effort an elbow grease an your video think i can get it done
I did a whole brake system too for the first time The rusted fittings are hard to get off I cut the line and put a deep socket over the line and the fitting to get it off makes it easier
@@aquaticasmr184 Thanks for the heads up, I've been spraying all fittings with PB Blaster for the last week, that should help, but ya, I will cut them out also.
@@FansSports I literally just bought some brake lines gonna finish up my brakes this week. Be careful with rusted bleeder screws No problem happy to help Rusty brake lines are the worst we need all the tricks we can get
Awesome video I’m actually doing this job on our 2002 suburban. Pain in the ass for sure. Any issues with the abs modulator after bleeding? Lights ect ? Thanks for your time.
You go that right, lots of work. No problems with the abs after, though bleeding took longer than I expected. I drove it to a gravel road, thumped on the brake to activate the abs a few times, and then checked for a more spongy feel that might signify new air in the line released from the abs. There was none, but I came prepared to bleed a second time if I thought residual bubbles were sequestered in the abs unit, dislodged when I activated the abs motor. I also made enquiry with a few professionals, and they told me they rarely have abs bleeding difficulty with this vintage of truck. Good luck!
Old vehicles need an advocate to keep them going, often somebody who can do work themselves and save the labor cost. If you factor in the cost of new vehicles, and their higher failure rate and steeper depreciation curve, I think it is worth it.
3/16 line is pretty easy to bend, even steel lines. I have a cheap bending tool that I used for 90 degree bends, but for minor bends of less than 15 degrees I did it by hand. If you kink the line you'll have to throw the part away and try again. The critical thing to remember is how the body of the vehicle bounces on springs, so run your lines so they don't get flexed every time you hit a bump in the road. I just tied them in as closely as possible to the way they were run before.
done many of those line kits on chevy trucks and its a all day job for sure, the bleeders are never cooperative so i always quote the job with new calipers and if i get them out great and it ends up cheaper
Ya i changed my avalanche lines a few weeks ago and it was a pain and the placement for lines was right were water and salt goes up. So they all rusted out. Basicaly fell apart in my hands when pulling on them
Hey I need some advice. Brake line recently blew Out on my 2003 impala. Just now getting into the job was wondering if you ever had done an impala. Or if any of your viewers had ? I used to put brake lines in stock cars And had to replace them on an escort. But the impala is much more complicated in a sense that there is a lot more shit in the way. Any advice would be great
Old vehicles can be a little easier, in the sense that you can usually get by without needing a scan tool having bidirectional control. To purge the line after working on it many techs drive to a gravel road and apply the brakes hard to activate the abs, trying to dislodge tiny air bubbles that could be trapped inside the abs after bleeding. I would replace the entire line rather than introducing extra points of failure. NiCop lines are better, easier to work with, and more expensive, so if you can afford them and if available in your community I would go with that. It's a good time to inspect other lines in the system, including the flexible end hose connections, looking for where they are likely to fail in the future. Be really careful with routing, you don't want a line rubbing through at a point where the frame moves in reference to the axles. I have not done an impala since the 1960's, but there are more similarities than differences in most systems. I got my lines from RockAuto.
I used the same technique that Eric O uses, I bled the brakes, then drove to a gravel road and slammed on the brakes a few times to activate the ABS pump, then re-bled back at the shop. In my case it made no difference, no bubbles remained so no more were cleared, and the pedal wasn't more firm. A few years ago I asked your question to a couple of professionals, including Briansmobile1 here on TH-cam. All said that they rarely encounter problems when bleeding ABS units, probably because the ABS units are designed and positioned to avoid trapping air. I do have a scan tool that will help with bleeding, but so far I haven't used it much for bleeding. Thank you for watching, and for your thoughtful question.
Excellent question. I've made inquiries like yours to several pro mechanics, and most say that with older vehicles like this one, there is rarely a significant issue. To be sure, I drove the vehicle to a gravel road, slammed on the brakes a couple of times to verify that the ABS was working fine, and that braking after doing that was still fine, too. When the ABS motor kicks in, it could dislodge small air bubbles that may then be bled, if necessary. A second bleed wasn't needed in this case. All that said, newer vehicles have more complex 'brake by wire' systems, and dealer algorithms usually include a step where the ABS motor is activated through the scan tool. Scan tools that have the bidirectional ability to turn devices on/off are expensive, usually out of range for backyard mechanics like us. Also the belt is constantly moving, meaning that low cost competition need to keep up with constantly changing industry standards. Most offer a subscription service which is extra cost every year. Good luck!
You make a good point, in a truck one could remove the bed. In my case, a Suburban, removing the body wasn't realistic, it had to be all done from below. Not easy.
By the way, l have a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE 4x4, saw a diagram of the ABS unit and the pattern is same as your Suburban. A friend took it apart andcleft it undone. Now I'm stuck trying to figure out the two master cylinder lines.
At 2:50 of the video, I think I explained it pretty well. The view you get there is by lying on your back, looking backwards toward the rear of the vehicle, so the drivers side is on your right, passenger side on your left.
The master cylinder is mounted right, one end connects to the metal fastener. So you have two female fittings on it, one toward front of vehicle, one to toward where driver sits. I already konw where lines connect on ABS unit.
Oh I'm sorry, that's a good question, I don't know. By government mandate there are always two pistons and two lines from the MC to add redundancy, so that a sudden loss of pressure on one arm doesn't cause everything to fail at once. Traditional designs were diagonal, with the front piston serving one front brake and one rear on the opposite side. In non ABS systems there were extra proportioning valves and even a pressure differential switch to automatically close off the leaking side. More recent versions have varied, and as you see the Ram uses only one output line from the ABS serving both rear wheels. Those safety features are now concealed inside the ABS unit, and are at least partially electronic. The dealers repair manual shows no detail about how that is designed.
Yeah at first I thought stainless but then all the work to get it right. That is a chore! More protection in certain areas is required if not stainless from the factory.
Yeah, stainless seems like a great idea but those lines are hard to work with and they don't bend very well to allow complicated installation of a long line. The ACDelco kit I used was a coated steel/copper alloy that was much more flexible than I expected. GM seem to have a real problem with rust in this vintage of truck, and they are making a pretty good effort to deal with the problem by offering surprisingly inexpensive preformed kits. Thanks for stopping by!
I've done a few suburbans with the abs control modual under driver's seat on frame. It is very difficult job. Now I'm doing my 05 Yukon 1/4" lines with new Nicopp copper lines and using the old fittings. In your glove compartment it should show the JL4 code. Stabilitrak. None of the parts stores even have a clue what 1/4 inch line is for this vehicle. It has 2 lines to the rear and the 2 far back rear lines are standard 3/16" lines. GM should be sued for making the lines with no rust protection especially for salt in the North.
I bought a miscellaneous set of plugs from an auto parts store, and I keep plugs I get when buying brake calipers, etc. As I recall the purple ones came with a caliper and the white ones came from Lordco.
Yes, in fact Eric O from SouthMainAuto remarked in this thread that he bleeds on the vehicle, saving time. That would take two people to do it manually. My fluid was pretty dirty so I wanted to carefully clean the reservoir on the bench, alone. I should have flushed the reservoir better while I had it on the bench, wasting some new fluid to get the dirty fluid more completely removed. I was prepared to change seals but I had no issues. The seals I saw under the reservoir were fine.
Well done, that looked like a right pain :-(. Yes it was a mistake to heat the aluminium, but your mistake will stop anyone watching this video from making the same mistake, Thank You :-D. Hopefully the computer will stop bleating about the a.b.s now.
Yeah when welding, aluminum is a very tricky metal, prone to weld contamination and surface oxidation, and it is not uncommon to lose control of the weld pool. Aluminum also redistributes heat very quickly so controlling heat can be a challenge. Thanks for stopping by, the ABS light has been off since the repair two weeks ago.
Yeah, that sound was pretty loud but it disappeared entirely when all calipers were bled through. I think the slave pistons were vibrating from air movement, until brake fluid dampened the vibration.
It's now been almost 5 years since this repair, and I'm happy to report that I still drive the Suburban, with no problems with braking since then. Fixing an old car is always a gamble, because you don't know what is around the corner. In retrospect the decision to take a chance and fix it made all the difference.
Nice work on the brake lines. I had one brake line let go on my '04 GMC Sierra and I brought it to the dealer for repair (I was up to my neck in work at home). They called and said they had to replace all brake lines and would have to remove the cab to access ABS module. The job would take a week and cost $2500. I had the truck towed home and I did just what you did - Tough job, but very self-satisfying and inexpensive (VS dealer cost). Thanks for posting.
Good for you, as you know it is quite a job. My Suburban is not even worth the cost of a full brake line and ABS repair. So the only thing keeping an old vehicle like this out of the scrap yard is an owner who can do it himself, or maybe a pro who limits the scope of the repair to exactly what must be done. I certainly agree with your remark about the satisfaction of completing the repair yourself. For me, more complete understanding how these systems work is always an enlightening experience. Thanks for stopping by!
Sharing a capture of the a ABS lines is pure genius! A retired friend of mine who helps out at the shop offered to get started on a SUV that needed all new lines. I let him go at it. he later came over and said the hard parts done! Then went on to say that he had removed all the old lines. Not thinking too much about it I later went over and found he had removed all the lines alright but never took note as to where each line landed!!! 😱 I searched and searched for information then finally sent him to the local salvage yard to take pictures of a known good 😥
Excellent point, Will. I also found some disinformation online, with at least one TH-cam video explaining it wrong, and even the dealers manual is confusing. I think many professionals cut those lines near the nuts and spin them off with a deep socket, which would save time. When those guys do the same car every day they already know the routing.
Rusted brake lines, rolling around on the ground, making do when the kit lacks all parts, finding leaks at the connections when we go back over it, ugh I hate that feeling! Then finally! thankful and exhausted when the last tire goes on. we have a lot in common my friend 👍💪 great job!!
Great video as usual and your calm demeanor helps with this one!!
Nice job with the video! Great tips and tricks that many people doing the job for the first time should know. Leaking brake lines can be frustrating and dangerous!
Excellent video! I’m an auto technician and it seems that I always learn something new from your vids. Keep up the great work!
What a kind remark, thank you.
Well done. I hope the dash lights behave themselves now.
Brake lines are a job that most DIY guys shy away from simply because of the time and effort involved.
You're very right. To get a pro to replace all brake lines and fix the ABS would leave a bill nearly equal to the value of the car, so this kind of thorough repair is only for those able to discount labor costs. I'm sure glad I don't do this every day, it is difficult work without a lift. The priceless reward is deeper understanding how these systems work. Thank you for taking your time to watch my humble effort.
Thank you for your time , effort, and patience making this helpful video. Trying to get schooled before I tackle my 04’ Burban !
Hey , did you do this to your 04 sub ? If so did you have to have it abs scanner bleed ? I’m doing mine tomorrow why I was asking
I did this last year and it was pretty much a nightmare, but it's done and I saved a little money. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for the video! I've been procrastinating this job for a while. In the meantime, I've had a hard time finding any sources of concise, well-explained directions. Yours really worked for me thankfully... Progressively touching on everything, big and small, so that a first time brake jobber like me can better handle the project.
Nice job. Amazed at how you keep smiling. I would have to delete a number of expletives if it had been me. Thanks again.
I never started cussing until started working on my own vehicle, even found out what brand of wrenches ounce higher than another. Isnt it the worst location is always the problem? The 03 Silverado the rear exhaust manifold is known to break. I think the engineer did it to get back at high repair cost.
could you imagine what the used car industry would be like if everyone took care of their vehicles like this?
Great job! It's good to see you call out procedures that don't help the job as well as the ones that do
Thanks, man, I understand what you're saying.
Just found your video. Nice job. My 2002 Suburban is new to me and has had one line replaced. I bought the AC Delco kit and plan on doing a complete job. Luckily I have a two post lift. I don't think my 66 year old arthritic body could take doing it on jack stands. Thanks for the video.
Brake line are the worst , I hate working on brake line's . You did a great job on this one ,
Thanks, man. I'm sure you've done thousands of these, I found this to be a lot of work.
Nice video, i worked in a dealership for 3 years, learned a trick to everything, when on found a better maybe faster way all did it.
Your tips and the video as whole was similar to un class traininf videos shown at former job. Nice job bud
Thanks, man.
Thank you for the video
I have done this job before, took me 2 days in the driveway. I see your in BC, me too. 👍
Your video is precise. That’s exactly what we need more of. Thank you.
Thankyou for your Video, very thorough and impressive to show the extensive work that is performed on this tough brake line job. You are the type of mechanic that anyone could and would trust..! Amen Bro..
Excellent! great production, clear concise descriptions and diction. Thanks.
Unbelievable shity factory uncoated lines setup! I lost break twice with my exact suburban! Thanks god i didn’t get involved in an accident. It costed me 1500$ for the entire brake system just because GM didn’t get it done right at the first time! And they got away with this recall !! toyota trucks had never had this same break lines catastrophic disaster issue.
Yeah, this problem is well described, but unfortunately it often occurs after the extended warranty expires.
The problem is GM should stand up behind uncoated break or even fuel lines since they know it’s safety issue and that’s why they went back putting the right coated or insulated lines for Their trucks after 2007 just like they use be in their trucks models before the year 2000. I own 1995 Nissan Altima with super safe original break lines even it’s exposed to Deice liquid in salt belt area for the over 20 years. Also I own 2006 Chevy express van witch has insulated break lines! So they could had done it to their pick up trucks and SUVs built at that year.
Al Karim don't feel alone, my 08 Dakota has been down for over two weeks because of rotten front brake lines. I can only assume the rears will need replacing too. as well as the fuel line. 112,000 miles and pushing 4,000 in repairs this year.
About to tackle this myself on the ground on my 04 Suburban front lines too. Not looking forward to it but its either that or buy another 4x4 vehicle for upcoming winter
You should consider getting a vacuum bleeder. It is very common to damage the cups in the M/C in higher mileage cars by bleeding using the brake pedal. I am glad I live in a area where rust damage like that never happens.
Excellent point, whenever I do this I wonder if the MC will tolerate it. In an effort to reduce strain on those seals I try not to floor the brake pedal but honestly I don't know if that makes a difference. I do have a little vacuum bleeder but I can't say I like how it works, especially if the seal at the screw isn't great. If I had the dough I'd get a positive pressure bleeder, but because reservoir caps aren't standardized, finding the right adapter can be a pain. Thanks for stopping by!
It should be illegal to sell any vehicle without STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINES. Charge me the extra 100.00 from the beginning and save me 2000.00 down the road. Absolutely no reason this isn't done at the factory when all is new. The Trans cooler and power steering lines should be the same.
are you out of your mind????? or just a jenio???? or a regular jenius???
Actually, if one cleans the under parts of a car or truck once in awhile ( removing deposited salt from road or salt from ocean) they will not rust as bad or as fast. Also, stainless has its own problems, as it reacts to other dissimilar metals. When stainless steel and carbon steel are connected, and an electrolyte such as moisture is introduced, stainless steel absorbs carbon steel’s electrons. Carbon steel can then deteriorate rapidly with this mating, become weak, and come crashing down.
Galvanizing is a way to protect carbon steel without completely changing its structure. When carbon steel is galvanized, a layer of zinc is spread over its surface.
Bottom line; Galvanized steel costs a few cents more per pound than regular structural steel. Stainless steel costs four to fives times as much as galvanized steel !
Leave stainless alone.
@@petratical While that may be true, anything is better than factory lines. The car will be in the crusher by the time dissimilar metal issues take place. In the northeast one season of road salt is all you need to get the process started with factory lines.
Great info and video! You seem to be a floor warrior like most of us. JACK STANDS & TIGHT PLACES, sounds like a country song.
THANK YOU! Nice Job
Thanks, man. It is always nice to see that these videos can be found by guys like you.
This channel, one of my favorites, definitely!
What a kind remark, thank you!
Great timeless video, Thanks
Just finished this job yesterday,I was lazy and only replaced one line but during bleeding the system I blew another so I did the right thing a replaced them all
Quick question, what type of flair did you use to patch into your ABS? Was it a double flare as well or a bubble flair?
I’m going to be doing a similar job to this on an Olds Cutlass Ciara and I’m just trying to get an idea of what I’ll be up against and what flaring to get. Thanks!
Probably double on your Cutlass, my Suburban was predictably a double flare (SAE for older American cars). Bubble for newer or European cars. Good luck!
spelunkerd Appreciate the feedback, thank you! Figured someone with experience working on GM’s would be able to help me here. It’s an older car, 1994, so I wouldn’t be surprised either if it was double flair all around.
Hi from Australia. Found a link to your site on SMA. Like your channel and your way of describing what you do. Subscribed, and, as Quasimodo once said, bell is rung. Thanks for your vids.
Hate to say it, but Chevy still makes their cars and ships them off w/o a bleeder valve cap on them. So that's not something I think that's a default item. Only the better-quality replacement calipers come with caps. Here in the rust belt of the Northeast, I will put a blob of silicone caulk around my bleeder screw. It dries and clings to the screw and just peels away when I need to get to it..looks and functions like new even after many years of exposure to the salt and water up here.
I wish we were neighbors and that you work for food amd/or bev. Great vid, though I was scared the end cloud scene was a "posted in memorium" RIP send off. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks, man.
Excellent video my friend. My suburban has same disease. 😬😬
For some reason the main line to the rear wheels is the vulnerable segment, presumably because of water exposure. Unfortunately that one is not so easy to remove -- I removed the plastic around the left rear wheel well to get better access, pushing the new line in from there. Thanks for stopping by, Ramon!
I don't envy you on this job as it looked to be a PIA. Looks like everything is working well for you now and on to the next project :)
Yeah, so far the car is running perfectly. It's so nice to have it back in service, I was getting tired of seeing it up on stands in the driveway, ha ha.
And I suppose it's happy to be going around again and you that you can safely stop it going around at your will too. Should be coming up spring there maybe a boat project is on your list. Thanks for letting us look over your shoulder on this one.
Thanks, Don. That feeling of accomplishment is great, and it is so nice to not have an annoying ABS light. I wondered if I'd dislodge air bubbles from the ABS at the time of my first skid, but the ABS kicks in fine when I skid on gravel and the pedal stayed firm. So far, so good.
Thanks for putting the details on what line when where... I am having trouble getting the lines out of the plastic holders (on the side of the frame with wire harness integrated. Am I missing something? How to open them up? I bought a kit of copper alloy lines, with the end connectors already mounted. So far they have been great. My kit had 7 lines in it.
Very well persented, learned a few things! Right, do the whole break line job, as if one is bad, the rest will be too. But, if you just repair one line, make sure your emergency break line cable is in good shape. You may need it if hydraulics fail!
Hi, im getting ready to undertake this project myself on my 01 Yukon. Im curious tho, about how long did it take you? Thanks.
Many hours, at least a long weekend, and a three-beer celebration, ha ha.
@@spelunkerd lol. Sounds about right. I literally just came in the house from finishing up the job. Started at 9 this morning.
Very helpful video. My truck has just about the same problem . . rear line is leaking somewhere over the gas tank (I actually have two lines going back to the rear brakes). In the process of replacing all the lines . . stuck trying to free the lines at the ABS pump.
Yeah, with any big job there will be complications somewhere along the way. I hope it worked out for you in the end.
thanks . . I'll let you know how it goes . . and will try to get some video to augment yours
I enjoyed the.video. Thanks for sharing it with us!
I just did this on my 04 GMC. By far the hardest, tedious, frustrating, and, time consuming car job I've ever done! Note, he didn't show you the horrifying nightmare that is feeding all the new lines up and around all the other things on the car and getting all the lines down between the body mount after the front wheel. To do it right you really need to jack the body up!
Gmc Yukon? Thats what I have needs brake lines. I'm debating because engine and transmission are excellent hate to lose this for brake lines.
@@onlyme8870 do easy bend copper/zink and remount them in easy locations. You will save a lot of time and frustration
Yes!!! I love Suburbans I learned to drive at 15 in a 1990 suburban and my folks still have it now at my age of 31. My son says grandpa can we ride in the blue Burban..aka Boat the Suburban vi learned to drive in!!! Love them
question if I may, did you have to use a scanner to bleed the ebcm for a complete bleed down?
The short answer is no, not usually. In the past it was common practice to do an initial bleed, then take the vehicle for a test drive on a gravel road. At about 10 mph with nobody behind, slam on the brakes to activate the abs motor a couple of times. Then test the brakes again and feel for sponginess of the pedal. If it is spongy, repeat the bleeding as before. When the abs unit is down low like this one is, that's usually all you need to do, because air bubbles tend to float upward because of gravity. Newer patterns of practice are to activate the unit with a scan tool while bleeding so you complete the process more efficiently.
I purchased the GM preformed kit on Amazon to replace the rusted tubing lines on my 2005 Silverado. Replacement seem straight forward so we shall see how it goes. It looks like replacing the front passenger tube will be the most challenging. Did you find the new tubes to have enough flexible bend to route without bending or kinking? The TSB states to raise the cab and the bed 2" in order to install the new line. Did you find that to be required? Thanks and great video.
I had no kinking but routing lines was a time consuming chore. Front wasn't more difficult, though it is longer than others. All are awkward, but I didn't need to raise the bed. Good luck!
@@spelunkerd Did you find it easier doing the front right first then the rest? Thanks so much for your fast response.
@@MrSloopjohnb That's a thoughtful question. As you probably know the tightest spot is the front of the ABS unit, so it is probably easier to do the top, less accessible row of connections first, leaving the bottom row on the ABS unit for the end. I would scroll back to the shot I did of the ABS unit and plan with that in mind. Otherwise I don't think order of assembly makes much difference. I would try to plan so that tubing from the MC doesn't have to cross and potentially rub on lines coming from the front on their way back to the ABS.
@@spelunkerd Thanks. I will post an update when completed to reflect my experience to share with others.
Great video 👍 you focus on very useful and relevant information!
Thanks!
Great video, thanks for posting!
Ahhhh rusty brake lines! Love at first sight for me haha
Eric, it's so nice to get a visit from a respected teacher. Every time I do a repair like this I tip my hat to you guys who do this every day. What I find most amazing is how efficiently a pro like you can get a job like this done. I would never have survived the flat rate game....
Haha I am not a pro by any means and the good news is there is NO flat rate ion these jobs. To do a full line kit on a GM in my shop assuming all the bleeders come loose and I do not have to change friction material, just lines and flex hoses I can bang one out in about 5.5 hrs start to finish. Does not include removing the master cylinder like you did though. Just lines hoses, power bleed and out the door and onto the next one! great job BTW!
Absolutely exceptional!!!
Love your music and quality! Well done
Thank you.
Thanks for the video bought a yukon xl from a guy who claims all the lines where replaced with copper ones well come to find out only the front lines where replaced with copper lines from abs module back the lines where all rusted an one starting leaking as i was driving the truck home so now im going to order the kit an replace the rear ones my self witch seems the hardest but with a little bit of effort an elbow grease an your video think i can get it done
Thanks for sharing your video it seems to help out and you take the time to explain and very professional.
Thanks! Doing mine this Saturday
I did a whole brake system too for the first time
The rusted fittings are hard to get off
I cut the line and put a deep socket over the line and the fitting to get it off makes it easier
@@aquaticasmr184 Thanks for the heads up, I've been spraying all fittings with PB Blaster for the last week, that should help, but ya, I will cut them out also.
@@FansSports I literally just bought some brake lines gonna finish up my brakes this week.
Be careful with rusted bleeder screws
No problem happy to help Rusty brake lines are the worst we need all the tricks we can get
Question
Why hasn't there been class action lawsuit or NHTSB recall? Ignition replacement verses ability to stop, hum I wonder?
Awesome video I’m actually doing this job on our 2002 suburban. Pain in the ass for sure. Any issues with the abs modulator after bleeding? Lights ect ? Thanks for your time.
You go that right, lots of work. No problems with the abs after, though bleeding took longer than I expected. I drove it to a gravel road, thumped on the brake to activate the abs a few times, and then checked for a more spongy feel that might signify new air in the line released from the abs. There was none, but I came prepared to bleed a second time if I thought residual bubbles were sequestered in the abs unit, dislodged when I activated the abs motor. I also made enquiry with a few professionals, and they told me they rarely have abs bleeding difficulty with this vintage of truck. Good luck!
spelunkerd really appreciate your help. Thank you sir.
04 Yukon with leaking lines worth doing or selling?
Old vehicles need an advocate to keep them going, often somebody who can do work themselves and save the labor cost. If you factor in the cost of new vehicles, and their higher failure rate and steeper depreciation curve, I think it is worth it.
How did you bend the steel line going to the back?
3/16 line is pretty easy to bend, even steel lines. I have a cheap bending tool that I used for 90 degree bends, but for minor bends of less than 15 degrees I did it by hand. If you kink the line you'll have to throw the part away and try again. The critical thing to remember is how the body of the vehicle bounces on springs, so run your lines so they don't get flexed every time you hit a bump in the road. I just tied them in as closely as possible to the way they were run before.
done many of those line kits on chevy trucks and its a all day job for sure, the bleeders are never cooperative so i always quote the job with new calipers and if i get them out great and it ends up cheaper
Wise advice! Guys who work in the trenches have my respect, it is not an easy job. Thanks for stopping by, its always nice to have a pro visit.
Ya i changed my avalanche lines a few weeks ago and it was a pain and the placement for lines was right were water and salt goes up. So they all rusted out. Basicaly fell apart in my hands when pulling on them
Great vid. I needed this info. Please remove that oxygen tank from under your bench. Don't want you to loose your great shop or get burned.
You make a good point, there is no good place to store oxyacetylene tanks in a crowded shop.
Hey I need some advice. Brake line recently blew Out on my 2003 impala. Just now getting into the job was wondering if you ever had done an impala. Or if any of your viewers had ? I used to put brake lines in stock cars And had to replace them on an escort. But the impala is much more complicated in a sense that there is a lot more shit in the way. Any advice would be great
Old vehicles can be a little easier, in the sense that you can usually get by without needing a scan tool having bidirectional control. To purge the line after working on it many techs drive to a gravel road and apply the brakes hard to activate the abs, trying to dislodge tiny air bubbles that could be trapped inside the abs after bleeding. I would replace the entire line rather than introducing extra points of failure. NiCop lines are better, easier to work with, and more expensive, so if you can afford them and if available in your community I would go with that. It's a good time to inspect other lines in the system, including the flexible end hose connections, looking for where they are likely to fail in the future. Be really careful with routing, you don't want a line rubbing through at a point where the frame moves in reference to the axles. I have not done an impala since the 1960's, but there are more similarities than differences in most systems. I got my lines from RockAuto.
Did you bleed the abs pump? You have to have a computer to do that I was just curious. Thanks.
I used the same technique that Eric O uses, I bled the brakes, then drove to a gravel road and slammed on the brakes a few times to activate the ABS pump, then re-bled back at the shop. In my case it made no difference, no bubbles remained so no more were cleared, and the pedal wasn't more firm. A few years ago I asked your question to a couple of professionals, including Briansmobile1 here on TH-cam. All said that they rarely encounter problems when bleeding ABS units, probably because the ABS units are designed and positioned to avoid trapping air. I do have a scan tool that will help with bleeding, but so far I haven't used it much for bleeding. Thank you for watching, and for your thoughtful question.
I'm curious, did you need to run the ABS bleed it, or just the normal procedure?
Excellent question. I've made inquiries like yours to several pro mechanics, and most say that with older vehicles like this one, there is rarely a significant issue. To be sure, I drove the vehicle to a gravel road, slammed on the brakes a couple of times to verify that the ABS was working fine, and that braking after doing that was still fine, too. When the ABS motor kicks in, it could dislodge small air bubbles that may then be bled, if necessary. A second bleed wasn't needed in this case. All that said, newer vehicles have more complex 'brake by wire' systems, and dealer algorithms usually include a step where the ABS motor is activated through the scan tool. Scan tools that have the bidirectional ability to turn devices on/off are expensive, usually out of range for backyard mechanics like us. Also the belt is constantly moving, meaning that low cost competition need to keep up with constantly changing industry standards. Most offer a subscription service which is extra cost every year. Good luck!
hi did youhave to remove truckbed to run lines in back?? does ecbm module get in the way in the back?
You make a good point, in a truck one could remove the bed. In my case, a Suburban, removing the body wasn't realistic, it had to be all done from below. Not easy.
On the master cylinder there is the two lines. Which line does the front one connect to, the rear or front or left or right on ABS unit.
By the way, l have a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE 4x4, saw a diagram of the ABS unit and the pattern is same as your Suburban. A friend took it apart andcleft it undone. Now I'm stuck trying to figure out the two master cylinder lines.
At 2:50 of the video, I think I explained it pretty well. The view you get there is by lying on your back, looking backwards toward the rear of the vehicle, so the drivers side is on your right, passenger side on your left.
@@spelunkerd l got that, it's the master cylinder l want to know, front line or back line?
The master cylinder is mounted right, one end connects to the metal fastener. So you have two female fittings on it, one toward front of vehicle, one to toward where driver sits. I already konw where lines connect on ABS unit.
Oh I'm sorry, that's a good question, I don't know. By government mandate there are always two pistons and two lines from the MC to add redundancy, so that a sudden loss of pressure on one arm doesn't cause everything to fail at once. Traditional designs were diagonal, with the front piston serving one front brake and one rear on the opposite side. In non ABS systems there were extra proportioning valves and even a pressure differential switch to automatically close off the leaking side. More recent versions have varied, and as you see the Ram uses only one output line from the ABS serving both rear wheels. Those safety features are now concealed inside the ABS unit, and are at least partially electronic. The dealers repair manual shows no detail about how that is designed.
Yeah at first I thought stainless but then all the work to get it right. That is a chore! More protection in certain areas is required if not stainless from the factory.
Yeah, stainless seems like a great idea but those lines are hard to work with and they don't bend very well to allow complicated installation of a long line. The ACDelco kit I used was a coated steel/copper alloy that was much more flexible than I expected. GM seem to have a real problem with rust in this vintage of truck, and they are making a pretty good effort to deal with the problem by offering surprisingly inexpensive preformed kits. Thanks for stopping by!
Damn nice video. Good job sir
I've done a few suburbans with the abs control modual under driver's seat on frame. It is very difficult job.
Now I'm doing my 05 Yukon 1/4" lines with new Nicopp copper lines and using the old fittings.
In your glove compartment it should show the JL4 code. Stabilitrak.
None of the parts stores even have a clue what 1/4 inch line is for this vehicle.
It has 2 lines to the rear and the 2 far back rear lines are standard 3/16" lines.
GM should be sued for making the lines with no rust protection especially for salt in the North.
Excellent video my friend..thank you.
Try putting a blob of grease around the treads of your bleeder screws to prevent air being sucked into the system whilst bleeding.🍺
Dave, can you tell me the source of the purple/violet rubber plug I see at 7:46? thx
I bought a miscellaneous set of plugs from an auto parts store, and I keep plugs I get when buying brake calipers, etc. As I recall the purple ones came with a caliper and the white ones came from Lordco.
thx
Wonderful! 🎉yesss!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼👌🏻🤞
Great video. You Did not have to change m.c. seals? Could you "bench bleed" on the truck if you don't have a good vise?
Yes, in fact Eric O from SouthMainAuto remarked in this thread that he bleeds on the vehicle, saving time. That would take two people to do it manually. My fluid was pretty dirty so I wanted to carefully clean the reservoir on the bench, alone. I should have flushed the reservoir better while I had it on the bench, wasting some new fluid to get the dirty fluid more completely removed. I was prepared to change seals but I had no issues. The seals I saw under the reservoir were fine.
A lot of work few are willing to do more less do it right as you did!!!
Well done, that looked like a right pain :-(.
Yes it was a mistake to heat the aluminium, but your mistake will stop anyone watching this video from making the same mistake, Thank You :-D.
Hopefully the computer will stop bleating about the a.b.s now.
Yeah when welding, aluminum is a very tricky metal, prone to weld contamination and surface oxidation, and it is not uncommon to lose control of the weld pool. Aluminum also redistributes heat very quickly so controlling heat can be a challenge. Thanks for stopping by, the ABS light has been off since the repair two weeks ago.
Good job.
Thanks!
You sound like John Locke from Lost lol
I am glad we don't get as much rust here.
For sure. You've got an interesting channel.
Fucking hate break line changes. My chevy lines all rusted and blew at once. They placed them. In the worst spot ever right were water and salt hit
I wish you wrer in calgary
nice work, what a whining brake pedal :)
Yeah, that sound was pretty loud but it disappeared entirely when all calipers were bled through. I think the slave pistons were vibrating from air movement, until brake fluid dampened the vibration.
Canadian ahh