The joys of installing brake lines on a 2004 Chevy

[johnsxj]

I really want to know what kind of crack the engineers at GM were using when they thought out the braking system on the 2000-up Silverados

"Lets use crap steel for the hard lines so they rot out fast. And for the hell of it we'll run all the lines so they'll be a major PITA to get to "

Here's what I've had to go through on Dad's 2004 2500HD.....


That's one of two leaks that happened at the same time while Dad was driving (thank goodness we didn't have the trailer in tow )


To replace the rear line in the factory location the bed has to be removed (Thanks again for the help Kurt and Carl )
Tight between the gas tank, frame, and bed... running over cross members and under other lines and wiring harness' is NOT how I'd choose to do it!!!!!!!!


The cab isn't raised much, but that little bit made all the difference removing and replacing the line to and from the ABS module which is mounted off the frame under the driver's seat area (they switched to LSD at that point I think )

Tomorrow I'll take some pics of how the lines are run.

[Frank]

Im pretty sure I wooda just zip tied a new one to the frame rail and let the new owner worry about it. FjR68

[ZAEDOCK]

Jesus. Can only imagine if I still had my '03. I would have stopped up after work to give you guys a hand, by I coach Alex's soccer team.

My old F150's rear line rotted where it bolted to the flex hose (IIRC, Kurt's F250 did this too). The rest was still mint! They must have fubar'd the protective coating when they flared it. It blew on my way to a G2 snow run. I was coming down my snow covered street(with Jeep/trailer in tow) and did NOT stop at the red light (read: skidded right thru). Fortunately, it was a quick fix with cutting, reflaring, and bleeding.
I already started painting stuff under my new truck.

[Kurt]

... (IIRC, Kurt's F250 did this too)...

Yup - on the way back from Rausch back around 2008. Fortunately it blew while jockeying around in a gas station parking lot with the trailer and now while zipping down the highway.
It did suk towing home from RC with only half my brakes.

[johnsxj]

Well, it's all back together now and stops again

Would've been done sooner but one of the ports on the ABS valve assembly stripped out late Friday afternoon

Here's those other shots I promised showing why it's easier to raise the cab.....


That's just behind the forward cab mount. Not much room plus they run a harness there to boot


Little further back from the cab mount where the lines all turn to go on the other side of the frame.


Shot from under the truck where all the lines cross the frame and head down to the ABS module. You can also see that the fuel lines in the same area have nowhere near the rot that the old brake lines did (anti ice chemicals used by highway departments causing the rust ****** )


And the ABS module itself.... mounted off the frame right over the torsion bar :music-tool:

[DDewar53]

Keep in mind (I wish I could forget) that they don't design them to be maintained, the only thing they care about is getting what's necessary on the vehicle in a way that's efficient to assemble the first time. They don't care about maintenance.

I always thought that they shouldn't allow anybody to work on a design team unless they've worked 4 years in a busy dealer's service garage.