Pick-up Truck Question

[Gage]

There is a small drum brake inside the rear disc brake rotor on these trucks and the story is if you do not use the emergency brake regularly it will get out of adjustment, rub and wear to the point of no longer working.

Okay, I gotta wonder about that. That makes no sense. I would be more inclined to think that the E-brake is just a cable system that operates the rear disc, and that the cable has stretched.
That is how every other four disc system I have seen works.
Putting a drum inside a disc system just adds parts for no reason. Why?
Check again. That just doesn't make sense.
CD

Chevy has done it that way for years. Back when I did brake jobs as part of my regular work the only thing I remember that Chevy made with 4 wheel discs was the Corvete and it had what they call "drum in hat" e-brake back then (early 80's). It was very close to the same system that is on these Chevy half tons. Others such as the Linclon did use a mechanical means of utilizing the disc brake for the e-brake. I have located the rotors, shoes, springs, clips and pads to do the repairs, I do no think I need to check and make sure that the turck uses them, but instead only to look and see what is worn and actually needs replacement.

Though I have not taken many pictures of them, I have been fixing my own cars for over 40 years. It would take very little for you to do just a little research to check up on your vast knowlege before challenging the facts.

[caseydog]

Well, I remember my Pontiac GTO back in the day. It got to 100 mph in a hurry, and you had to say a prayer if your wanted to stop fast .Forget cornering.

But that was then, this is now. I've driven cars that can stop from 200 mph in less time than my GTO could stop from 30 mph.

Nostalgia is all warm and fuzzy, but I really want to see GM, Ford and Chrysler be the envy of the world. And, I don't mean in an emotional way. I'd like to see the American auto industry EARN the title of best in the world. I want to jump up and down and tell the Yuupeins and azians to kiss my ass. But it has to be real.

I see signs of it. Buick is making a genuine attack on Lexus. The new Malibu is a real alternative to the Accord or Camry. I am an optimist, and I really want to se us kick some ass.

I review cars all the time, and some of my friends want me to give American cars a break. As for me, I want to see a day when I feel sorry for the imports. There are some really good American cars out there, but we haven't won this thing yet.

So, while it is cool to wax nostalgic, I tend to be always thinking of the future, and I would love nothing better than to have Audi (who made my current ride) be chasing Cadillac for the best car for my money.

CD

[caseydog]

OMG, there really is a drum within a disc parking brake on a bunch of GM trucks. WTF were they thinking. Is there any wonder why the government had to bail out GM?

It took me a little research, but some nimrods were apparently reluctant to leave behind the drum brake, so they put an almost useless drum within a disc parking break on the otherwise 1950s technologies of the full-sized GM truck.

So, I was wrong. GM is even more bassakwards than I thought they were. I can not think of any good reason to not use the discs that are already there to also serve as a parking/emergency brake.

I learn something new every day -- not always something that makes me happy.

CD

Disc brakes are controlled by hydraulics. Drum emergency brakes are mechanical.
I am sure their reason was to have a mechanical emergency brake. I have not heard of a mechanical piston option for disc brakes. There might be one, I am not much of a mechanic...

In my car, the discs are controlled by hydraulics, and by a cable fo the parking brake, AKA the e-brake.

CD

[caseydog]

Yes, Lawryn, my "vast" knowledge is probably nothing compared with yours, but I have driven everything from 12 cylinder Packards, to 12 cylinder Lamborghinis. I have seen everything from engineering brilliance, to engineering WTF????


Getting back the the subject of this thread, is it unreasonable to suggest that Techron may or may not solve the problem? Am I uninformed to suggest that keeping the tank full on a vehicle that goes 1,000 miles a year will prevent condensation in the gas tank?

CD

[Larwyn]

Yes, Lawryn, my "vast" knowledge is probably nothing compared with yours, but I have driven everything from 12 cylinder Packards, to 12 cylinder Lamborghinis. I have seen everything from engineering brilliance, to engineering WTF????


Getting back the the subject of this thread, is it unreasonable to suggest that Techron may or may not solve the problem? Am I uninformed to suggest that keeping the tank full on a vehicle that goes 1,000 miles a year will prevent condensation in the gas tank?

CD

I think you miss the point there CD. the subject involves a GMC pickup truck, my comment about the brakes was to let the original poster know there could be a problem with his emergency brake. You proceeded to state that I could not possiably know what I was talking about.

I dont really care what you have taken a snap shot of or what you have driven. I have driven a D9 Cat and I can tell you that it will stop on a dime, but I could not tell you what the brakes look like, and if I did know that certainly would not qualify me guess what the brakes on a lowly American made truck look like. Your knowlege of braking systems is obviously not at a level where you should be trying to correct someone who does know what he is talking about. If I bother to say anything, I am usually quite sure of myself. That could be why I average only half a post per day while you average over 7. There is nothing vast about my knowlege, I simply confine my comments to those things which I actually know something about.

[Creamcracker]

Anywaysssss.........I'm going to try the Chevron Techron today.....I'll let you know......
Philip

[Larwyn]

Anywaysssss.........I'm going to try the Chevron Techron today.....I'll let you know......
Philip

Great! I hope that works and I might give it a try myself. Sorry I participated in taking your thread a bit south. I made the original comment about brakes because I thought it might be useful information to you. After that it seems I got caught in a loop defending the fact that my infomation was not fiction.

Good luck with that new truck, I'm sure you will enjoy having it around, I've been without a truck only a couple of times in my life, hope I never let that happen again.

[caseydog]

Anywaysssss.........I'm going to try the Chevron Techron today.....I'll let you know......
Philip

Good luck. It may take a few tanks with the stuff to work.

And, I also apologize for my part in the added drama of your thread.

My original disbelief was not intended to be an insult, but it happened anyway. My career is centered around cars, and I've been under, over and inside all kinds of modern and classic cars, and I had not encountered that drum-in-a-dic brake before. A few posts later, I did admit to being wrong, but that didn't matter. Oh well.

CD

[tonyj]

OMG, there really is a drum within a disc parking brake on a bunch of GM trucks. WTF were they thinking. Is there any wonder why the government had to bail out GM?

It took me a little research, but some nimrods were apparently reluctant to leave behind the drum brake, so they put an almost useless drum within a disc parking break on the otherwise 1950s technologies of the full-sized GM truck.

So, I was wrong. GM is even more bassakwards than I thought they were. I can not think of any good reason to not use the discs that are already there to also serve as a parking/emergency brake.

I learn something new every day -- not always something that makes me happy.

CD

More info so you can keep larnin'. I replaced all four discs and pads on my 2004 f-150 ford. I was very surprised to see what you can't believe is there--a drum in the rotor housing (or is that a rotor on the drum?) with conventional brake shoes and cable activated. It maks those back rotors very heavy.

Sorry for the Ford hi-jack but we need to keep CD up to date on his auto knowledge . . .

[caseydog]

OMG, there really is a drum within a disc parking brake on a bunch of GM trucks. WTF were they thinking. Is there any wonder why the government had to bail out GM?

It took me a little research, but some nimrods were apparently reluctant to leave behind the drum brake, so they put an almost useless drum within a disc parking break on the otherwise 1950s technologies of the full-sized GM truck.

So, I was wrong. GM is even more bassakwards than I thought they were. I can not think of any good reason to not use the discs that are already there to also serve as a parking/emergency brake.

I learn something new every day -- not always something that makes me happy.

CD

More info so you can keep larnin'. I replaced all four discs and pads on my 2004 f-150 ford. I was very surprised to see what you can't believe is there--a drum in the rotor housing (or is that a rotor on the drum?) with conventional brake shoes and cable activated. It maks those back rotors very heavy.

Sorry for the Ford hi-jack but we need to keep CD up to date on his auto knowledge . . .

Thanks Tony.

But, I'm still gonna steal your site if mine doesn't dry out.

CD

[tonyj]

Thanks Tony.

But, I'm still gonna steal your site if mine doesn't dry out.

CD

You better bring a trunk full of Sham-Wows.

I have magical mystical powers over autos, and I ain't afraid to use them.

[cokebottle10]

Myself I would just drop the tank and clean the sending unit along with replacing the pickup screen. If you find alot of rust then just replace the hole sending unit along with the pump.

I have worked on both Fords and Chevys with the top hat rear disc/drum. I think that they use this because it is simple, reliable and cheap. It is also small. The drum is about 8 inches. Alot of people do not even know its there.

I have seen the screw type of disc brake system for the parking brake. It works but you add a little rust or dirt on a system that hardly anybody ever uses and it becomes frozen. The top hat system is enclosed, it is not used much and it does not have much dirt. The screw disc gets hot, has brake dust and it is out in the open.

Thanks,
David.

[Larwyn]

Myself I would just drop the tank and clean the sending unit along with replacing the pickup screen. If you find alot of rust then just replace the hole sending unit along with the pump.



Thanks,
David.

That's just what I feared and exactly why I just fill the tank, reset the trip odometer and try to fill up around 300 miles. Droping the tank is more work than I care to do these days if I can avoid it. Sometimes I really miss the old technology. A few years ago you could simply lean the back of the seat forward, and in some cases remove a couple of screws, in most cases turn the sending unit plate somewhat less than 1/4 turn counter clockwise, pull it out and either repair or replace the sliding rheostat of the sending unit and/or the float. This is one case where new tech has done nothing more than add to the complication and expense of a perfectly functional system.

[Creamcracker]

Ok so dropping the tank for me is not an option...too much time and trouble on a truck that cost me $500........but.....I did buy 2 bottles of the Chevron Techron......I bought the truck on Friday and over the weekend when I drove it the gas gauge read zero and the low light was on constantly.....earlier this afternoon I put a bottle of the Chevron Techron in and the truck sat for about 2 hours.....I took it out tonight and hadn't gone 100 yards before the light went out and the gauge read half full....during my driving around town tonight it did flip back to zero twice but soon was working again....the guy who recommended the Chevron Techron to me said I would have to cycle through about 2 bottles before it would work properly but right now the results are looking very promising.

Philip

[eamarquardt]

I used to work on my boss's Porsche back in the olden dayz. It was a 65 356C. It too had the disc drum combo in the rear. My wife's Infinity has disks in the rear and they use the discs for the eb. Why is GM hung up with 1960's technology?

IMHO America is losing or has lost its technological lead!

Cheers,

Gus