1996 Chevrolet Impala SS Brake Service (ONLINE REPAIR MANUALS)

Caliper Removal

• Disable parking brake automatic adjuster as follows:
• Working from inside vehicle, remove driver seat cushion, then the parking brake lever cover screws and cover.
• Using .080 inch gauge wire, fabricate a tool to disengage drive pawl from sector, Fig. .
• Using tool mentioned above, disengage drive pawl from sector, then insert a nail through anchor plate to keep drive pawl in disengaged position.
• Pull up on lever until it aligns with pawl, then depress button until lever is fully downward.
• Visually inspect that anchor plate is fully against stud. If not, repeat procedure ...

Brake Roughness

The most common cause of brake chatter on disc brakes is a variation in thickness of the disc. If roughness or vibration is encountered during highway operation or if pedal pulsation is experienced at low speeds, the disc may have excessive thickness variation. To check for this condition, measure the disc at 12 points with a micrometer at a radius approximately one inch from edge of disc. If thic...

Pressure bleeding is recommended for all hydraulic disc brake systems.

The disc brake hydraulic system can be bled manually or with pressure bleeding equipment. The brake pedal will require more pumping and frequent checking of fluid level in master cylinder during bleeding operation.

Never use...

Removal

• Remove caliper assembly from steering knuckle as described in "Caliper Removal" under "Caliper Service."
• Remove inboard shoe. Dislodge outboard shoe and position caliper on front suspension so the brake hose will not support the weight of the caliper.
• Remove shoe support spring from piston.
• Remove two sleeves from inboard ears of caliper.
• Remove four rubber bushings from grooves in each of caliper ears.

Installation

• Lubricate new sleeves, rubber bushings, bushing grooves and mounting bolt ends with Delco Silicone Lube or its equivalent.
• Install new bushings and sleeves in caliper ...

Brake Pedal

Toyota/GM Single Diaphragm Type

• With engine running and brake pedal in rest position, measure distance between face of pedal and floor mat.
• If distance is not 5.79-6.18 inches, adjust pedal height as follows:
• Remove left lower instrument panel trim section and air duct.
• Loosen stop lamp switch sufficiently to gain clearance for pedal adjustment.
• Loosen locknut and rotate pedal pushrod as needed to obtain specified pedal height, then tighten locknut.
• Adjust position of brake light switch so that plunger lightly contacts pedal stopper and brake lamps are off when pedal is release...

Manual

Pressure bleeding is recommended for all hydraulic systems. However, if a pressure bleeder is unavailable, use the following procedure. Brake fluid damages painted surfaces. Immediately clean any spilled fluid.

• Remove vacuum reserve by pumping brakes several times with engine off.
• Fill master cylinder reservoir with clean brake fluid. Check fluid level often during bleeding procedure; do not let reservoir fall below half full.
• If necessary, bleed master cylinder as follows:
• Disconnect master cylinder forward brake line connection until fluid flows from reservoir. Reconnect ...