# Befuddled over Brakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** brakes\ **Created:** [June 13, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/befuddled-over-brakes/15278 "2008-06-13T18:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RichDan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@RichDan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RichDan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/befuddled-over-brakes/15278/1 "2008-06-13T18:54:16Z")
I recently purchased a 1999 4 door Chevy Blazer at a county auction. The vehicle had been sitting for some time. Soon after purchase I had a probem with the rear left caliper. My neighbor who is a mechanic replaced the brake pads and installed a new rotor. The old caliper would not release completely so we installed a new (rebuilt) one. This seemed to do the trick but after a few short trips the caliper seemed to be binding against the rotor and the brakes had a burning smell so we replaced the flexible brake line to the caliper. This seemed to solve the problem, however a few trips later the caliper seemed to start binding again and there was a buring smell. We then bled the brake lines a second time and that solved the problem but once again after 2 short trips the problem returned. There is a second flexible line so we replaced it and that provided a temporary fix but once again the problem quickly returned. I am out of solutions to solve this issue ---
**Author:** ![Jad2007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@Jad2007](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jad2007)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/befuddled-over-brakes/15278/2 "2008-06-13T18:58:34Z")
I’d be suspecting that rebuilt caliper. I’d try a brand new one first, before spending money anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/befuddled-over-brakes/15278/3 "2008-06-13T20:52:06Z")
When you say “would not release” do you mean the piston could not be fully compressed manualy? Or some kind of sliding/sticking concern with the caliper on its support /mounting pins.For the later cant these pins be lubed so the caliper slides freely? Was it hard to push the piston back far enough to get the new pads in? ---
**Author:** ![raycyrx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@raycyrx](https://community.cartalk.com/u/raycyrx)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/befuddled-over-brakes/15278/4 "2008-06-14T02:04:39Z")
You say rear caliper. Is this an integral parking caliper or is there a separate drum brake for parking? You pretty much hunted down everything that could be causing a hydraulic drag condition, but have not mentioned any investigation into the parking brakes. ---
**Author:** ![RichDan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c67d28/32.png) [@RichDan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RichDan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/befuddled-over-brakes/15278/5 "2008-06-16T12:57:27Z")
Raycrx, Thank you for your response I was thinking about the parking break, right now the parking break will not set and I think the cable is broke. The vehicle coasts and rolls smoothly when you first use it so I didn’t think that was an issue. I wll ask my mechanic friend about the seperate drum but when I purchased the replacement I only noticed 1 piston. The problem seems to occur after dirving the car for a while and when I drove it this weekend it seemed that both sides may have a bit of a drag. The left side was the problem child before we replaced everything. Thanks for your help, Richdan