Corroded Brake Lines-Chevy-GMC

[Art]

Fellow towers, If you have from 1999-2004 GMC or Chevy pick-up or Suburban as a tow vehicle, please do yourself a favor. Have a mechanic check for corrosive brake lines. This, although not yet a recall, seems to be a major failure on these truck-according to the comments on the internet. The National Safety Council is looking into a recall due to the number of complaints. I have had two brake failures with each towing my fifth wheel. Thank God I was travelling about 35 mph each time or I would haved killed ourselves and anyone in front of me. I am replacing these line with stainless steel (at my expense) and hopefully GMC will pick up some of the labor cost (still being negotiated)! There is no warning...just your pedal goes to the floor. I encourage each of you to have these checked and prevent a major accident on the road.

[mlh]

Art is wright this is a common problem on these trucks. What happens is the brake lines go through a steel bushing that will rust and put pressure on the brake line collapsing it to the point that the brake fluid can't get through. I know of several people this has happened to, including my brother.
Lynwood

[NCFischers]

One of my employees has a Chevy pick-up truck that is a 2004 or 2005. He bought it new and had it in Pennsylvania for two years before moving to North Carolina. He just had his brake lines replaced when one of them corroded through. He believes they got corroded from winter salt on the roads up north. I saw them and they were a mess.

[Art-n-Marge]

Did you guys ever replace the brake fluid? I now regularly replace the brake fluid on each vehicle about every two years (other fluids, too like power steering and differential). This was not something I ever did before on prior vehicles and only when I replaced the brake shoes or pads and through the brake bleeding process I would replace some of the fluid. I had never replaced the diff or power steering unless there was a problem (and those were RARE).

Now with retirement we don't use our vehicles near as much and I use a two year cycle to replace brake fluid. Do you know if this kind of maintenance should help prevent this problem? You guys are mentioning GMs, and I do have a Ford and don't know if they have the same tendency but water and debris tend to collect over time and I suppose is more of a problem, but I'd like to think the fluid flushes are the preventative.

Thanks for the heads-up....

[NCFischers]

Art,
When you replace the brake fluid, the ABS pump has to be primed and can only be done with a computer. Sometimes I long for the good old days when you could do more than just look at what is under the hood.