I need to replace the rear pads and rotors on my '03 1500. Is this straight-forward, or will I need to 'back-off' the parking brake from the rotor (like on my wife's Explorer)? When I replaced the front rotors, it took forever to get the rotors off the truck. Also, thoughts on opening the bleeder when compessing caliper, necessary or not? Appreciate thoughts from anyone on this job.

Thanks

Welcome to AF. No external parking brake adjustment on these trucks, hope the e brake shoes are not worn into the rotors, which was an ongoing problem, I would get a hose and fresh fluid in a glass jar, attach to bleeders when collapsing the pistons.

Thanks for the info Max.
Can you please clarify why fresh fluid is need in the glass jar? I would assume the existing brake fluid would bleed out when compressing the piston. Is it to keep air from entering back into the system before the bleeder is closed?

Thanks again.

You should be able to take a set of pliers and squeeze them shut. Just make sure you do not slip your grip you can damage the caliper.

Yes I love GM's E brake setup.

Yea me too.. especially when they do not work anyways.. When I bought mine brand new in 2000. The E-brakes were never enough to hold the truck still while in park.

Yea me too.. especially when they do not work anyways.. When I bought mine brand new in 2000. The E-brakes were never enough to hold the truck still while in park.
Mine on my '99 Blazer has always worked liked a charm (knock on wood) but my boy has a '01 'Hoe never worked since he had it he's just waiting for the next brake job to change them, we did a set on a Blazer and it is no fun job. I think the idiot at GM or Dana or Bendix, Rockwell should have to help two people a month for twenty years for that design.

compressing the caliper . could you not just unscrew the cap on the resevoir to allow fluid to come back into with little resistance ? that`s what I`ve done on other vehicles.

muff

On the 02 model , the rear parkbrake can can be adjusted for wear . It has a screw out bolt with a spring holding it firm to expand the shoe . But you have to take the rotor off to get to it . Rob

I will have to look into that.. if that is all it is, then maybe I can use my ebrakes again.