Building Hank

[GypsyDogs]

Sauder stuff is readily available, but - due to years of my father working construction/handyman labor.. I am averse to the fluffboard they make the stuff out of.  I, deep down, don't really believe it can hold up well to the constant 'earthquake' of being in a vehicle.  We have ReStore and other of the like, and I have been going periodically, looking for a makeup-desk type vanity or a desk.  I would prefer those over a coffee table, because of height and built in drawers.  I have very minimal building space.
We go so regularly, that the dogs are now very welcome- encouraged, even.  Because we do a quick trick-show, to entertain the staff.  

AT:  Yeah, that dog is my little problem solver.  He will intentionally 'lose' his toys, so he can figure out how to get them back.  I have finally convinced him to stop putting his favorite fetch-balls down gopher holes..  sigh..  lol

 

[GypsyDogs]

Found my desk for the kitchen! Woohoo!!!!

now, if I can only find a brake proportion valve ... (discontinued part.. must junkyard) sigh.

 

[highdesertranger]

good call on the fluffboard. I love your buddies. I went back and scanned this thread and didn't find anything pertaining to your proportion valve. what's wrong with it? they hardly ever fail. you know there a aftermarket ones. post up some answers maybe I can point you in the right direction. you know I have one for an 87 chevy 1 ton truck. let me know. highdesertranger

 

[GypsyDogs]

Thanks HDR!  Any help is appreciated-  According to the shop, my Brake Prop valve has gone out.  I figure either one of the valves has failed or it has gunked up from years of use...
Symptoms (and yes, recent brake adjustment and 'tune up') When Cold, aka first mile or 2, brakes work ok.  As miles driven increase, fluid heats up, brakes become worse, eventually becoming HORRIBLY bad.  
Rear brakes do not fully disengage and Must barely feather them to stop safely, otherwise 3 tons of van will LOCKUP and the rear tires skid and chirp.  

I really don't like being thrown through the windshield..  sigh.  Neither do the dogs.  
The OEM part is N/A, and it is really hard to figure out which of the zillion parts out there, fit my van.  I have the list of compatible vehicle models/years - as I was going to try junkyarding the part.  If yours is workable, I would gladly offer you a fair price.  

And PICS of the new kitchen-
Found the desk at our local ReSale shop Solid oak (top needs refinish. .. pff) and missing the side leg.  $12
Measuring and cutting for the (green) sink.

My helpers looked on from the comfort of the bed.. lol

The missing leg just means it doesn't block under-bed storage.

And the height is perfect!  Notice the additional pull-out work space...

 

[highdesertranger]

ok I am not saying your valve isn't bad, however I believe it's highly unlikely. I have owned many chevy trucks though the years and have never seen a bad proportioning valve. I have also worked as a mechanic and used to own an auto repair shop, again never ran across a bad valve. so lets cut to the chase.

you have a chevy 1ton van, which means you have a 14bolt rear axle and probably 13x3 1/2 inch brakes. there are several things that cause these brakes to lock up, grab, fade, etc. I will go over things to look for.

1 any fluid on the brakes, gear oil or brake fluid will cause the brakes to grab. this could come from a leaky wheel cylinder or a bad axle seal.

2 a bad rubber hose on the rear axle could cause the brakes to not release. could also cause the brakes not be applied all the way.

3 an out of round drum can cause the brakes to grab or chatter or lock up. this is usually caused by over heating the drum. riding the brakes down hill, driving with the e-brake on etc.

4 if the brakes where installed incorrectly, large shoe to the front will cause the brakes to grab, fade, and generally not work correctly.

5 a sticking e-brake cable could cause all of the above including overheating your brakes even though you thought you released the e-brake. this problem is actually more common then people think especially in areas of high corrosion, like close to the ocean or where they salt the roads.

so did the shop you took it to eliminate all of these common things that could be causing this? what area are you in? like I said I have a known good valve if you need it we can work it out, however I don't believe you have a bad valve. like I said they make aftermarket ones for GM 1tons, they are adjustable, for people that convert the rear to disk brakes. you know they make a disk conversion for your axle the only problem is the e-brake. any more questions feel free to ask away. highdesertranger

 

[One Awesome Inch]

HDR... You the man.

 

[Gary68]

second on hdr,to simplify it,you need to take off your rear tire and break drum and inspect,post some pics

 

[GypsyDogs]

HDR:  I will third what Gary68 said: You the man!
What I am going to do is go to my shop, and get the work-history for the van, so that way I will have a record of what they allegedly 'fixed.'
Last time they really did Work was when I originally took it in because of the classic grind-at-the-end of coming to a stop, that usually means the brakes are at end of life.  Just went through that about a year ago on my truck (daily driver), and I am familiar with that grinding-shudder.  
Strangely, after taking wheels off and inspecting brakes, they said there seemed to be a leak and that may be causing it- because the brakes themselves were fine.  They did find that it had the wrong size parts however.  So we buttoned it back up, and I scheduled for a few days later.  Then during the wait, the brakes got worse.  
When I got it back in, apparently - while inspecting, things came apart, and I was grinding springs and retainers and such..  So they fixed that as well, while replacing the wrong sized parts.  
If memory serves, they told me they didn't turn the drum?/rotor? to save me money, because it was only lightly damaged, and would right itself, with wear.  
They have essentially had it up in the air 3-4 times (and 10+ hours in their waiting room) and still cannot conclusively diagnose the problem, so the head brake guy says, by process of elimination, it should be the BPV...  You can see why I want to get a synopsis of the work/inspections they have done....   sigh.  
This place is known for their Right-by-the-customer attitude and reputation of work (excellent) and they also have a wonderful credit plan and lifetime roadside assist.  Anybody in PNW will know which company I am talking about.

 

[highdesertranger]

Les Schwab. highdesertranger

 

[GypsyDogs]

a'yep

 

[highdesertranger]

once you get those records let us know what they actually did and we can go from there. one thing about a 14bolt full float rear end, they are the most heavy duty rear end you can get in any light truck from any manufacturer. however the brakes are a P I T A, a lot of shops cut corners because of this. highdesertranger

 

[GypsyDogs]

I plan on going in Monday to get the records. Thank you So much, You ROCK!

 

[GypsyDogs]

Oh yeah- and plan on putting the 2nd coat on the kitchen-desk today.. along with building battery box, and connecting plumbing and plugs to the sink. Rounding up the gray water tank (old 5gal water jug), finishing the lino along the baseboard areas, and possibly working on removing the rear header-storage for more head room.

 

[WriterMs]

Oh yeah- and plan on putting the 2nd coat on the kitchen-desk today.. along with building battery box, and connecting plumbing and plugs to the sink.  Rounding up the gray water tank (old 5gal water jug), finishing the lino along the baseboard areas, and possibly working on removing the rear header-storage for more head room.

I need a nap after reading your to-do list for the day.

The desk looks like a great find.

 

[GypsyDogs]

Well, that was frustrating.
Went out today to do the fine sand and 2nd coat on the kitchen desk.. And discovered that the finish was peely - after 2 days of dry time.

Sigh.
Scraped and cussed and sanded, and now I am going to go in search of a 'bullett proof' finish. Found one. Even have a local retailer. Now to see if they sell in Postage Stamp sizes??

I did get the sink and pumping assembled- just have a week or 2 delay on the kitchen build ...

 

[GypsyDogs]

Plumbing- not 'pumping' - geez, autocorrect, get a clue...

 

[GypsyDogs]

Ok- have work in hand.
A ton of front end work on 5/16
Brake adjustment, rear 6/10 (they found 'fluid on the brakes' at that time, but couldn't get RR drum off to diagnose/fix)
went back in 6/12 to get it fixed.. They did rear drums/turn etc. and it was still doing it. so they adjusted the rear brakes 'all the way out' so they would grab less.

Nope- Still tries to throw me through the windshield.

 

[Gary68]

i'd go a head and replace the proportioning valve for the fun of it and the shop recommended it but your " throw me through the windshield" description almost sounds like a vacuum assist issue,your rear brakes locking up usually wouldnt jerk you that hard but your fronts grabbing will

reminds me of when my truck is first started,idle is high so is vacuum,brakes very touchy until truck warms up to normal idle

hdr will know more

 

[highdesertranger]

did they fix the fluid on the brakes issue? if the shoes were wet they should have replaced them. if I remember right this is a 1ton, it shouldn't have a vacuum booster, it should have a hydraboost. highdesertranger

 

[Gary68]

hdr,my point being,i dont think that the rear brake would give her a " thrown through the windshield" feeling it would almost have to involve the front brakes to get that feeling,her van looks pretty empty so light rear brakes would lock and slide,front brakes having weight on them would stop instantly and give her a throw through the window feeling


if the les schwab drove it he should be able to diagnose it