How to Bleed Brakes on a 1998 Chevy Blazer

Anytime you work on a vehicle's brake system you inevitably trap air in the brake lines. Even if you are careful, working on the brakes can force air into the system, requiring you to bleed out the air. The 1998 Chevrolet Blazer uses bleed screws at each wheel well to allow owners to release air from the lines. Bleeding the brakes is a multiple-step process and takes about an hour to do properly.

Instructions

1

Raise the vehicle with the jack one wheel at a time until the wheel clears the ground. Place a jack stand under the axle to secure the wheel; remove the tire's lug nuts with a lug wrench. Remove the tire and set to the side. Repeat for all four wheels until all four tires are removed and jack stands are located under each wheel's axle. If necessary, you can raise one wheel at a time and remove the tire before working on it.

2

Remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir. Add DOT-3 brake fluid until the reservoir is full. While bleeding the brakes, monitor the reservoir to make sure it never drops below half full.

3

Loosen the bleed screw on the passenger rear tire. The screw will be located on the back-side of the drum near the axle. Place the rubber tubing over the line and drape it into a clear plastic bottle partially filled with DOT-3 brake fluid. Always start with the passenger rear as it is the farthest from the brake reservoir. You will work your way closer to the reservoir with each tire.

4

Have an assistant press the brake pedal firmly to the floor and hold it there. Loosen the bleed screw until the fluid pushes out into the tubing and bottle. You will see fluid and bubbles coming out of the bleed screw. Once the flow stops (a few seconds at most), tighten the screw quickly. Have the assistant release pressure on the pedal.

5

Repeat step 4 until only fluid is coming out of the bleed screw without any air bubbles. Once the air is bled out of that line, remove the tubing and firmly tighten the bleed screw.

6

Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the driver's rear brake, then the passenger's front brake, and finally, the driver's front brake. The bleed screws for the front brakes are pointed upward on the back of the caliper. Top off the brake fluid as necessary during the process.

7

Re-install all the tires and lug nuts. Lower the vehicle to the ground one wheel at a time, removing the jack stands as you do. Tighten the lug nuts to factory specifications and test the brakes with a slow driving brake test (while going slowly, quickly apply the brakes). You should feel no more looseness in the brake pedal. If any further looseness exists, troubleshoot the braking system for further errors or damage.