20 Most Recent 2004 Chevrolet Venture Passanger - Page 7 Questions & Answers

On most Chevys look under the drivers side floor board on the inside of the chassis

it varies, there are many different ways a alternator can act if it is faulty. your local parts store can test it for you free of charge

What You'll Need:
• lug wrench
• c-clamp
• open end or adjustable wrench (depending on your car)
• Allen wrenches (depending on your car)
• hammer
• small bungee cord

1. PreparationBe sure you've got everything ready to go before you remove your old brake pads. Most important, be sure safety is at the front of your mind. You'll be taking the wheel off so be sure you have your car jacked up and resting securely on jackstands. Go ahead and break the lugsbefore you jack it up. It's much easier and safer with the wheel on the ground.

Never work on a car which is supported by a jack only! Unless you turn green and your clothes tear themselves to pieces when you get mad, there is no part of your person that can hold a car in the air if the jack slips. You may need to replace your brake discs depending on the amount of wear they have. You should inspect your brake discs regularly.2. Remove the Wheel

Remove the WheelYou broke the lugs while the car was still on the ground, so they should be pretty easy to remove. I like to remove them from the bottom up, leaving the top lug nut to be removed last. This keeps the wheel in one place while you remove the rest of them and makes it easier to safely catch the wheel once you remove the last nut. You can't replace brake pads with the wheel on!

If you remove the lugs and still can't get the wheel off, try this stuck wheel trick.

3. Unbolt the Caliper

On most cars, the next step is to remove the brake caliper so the brake pads will slide out through the top. On a few cars the pads will come out without removing the caliper, but not many. You'll see the brake caliper in the 12 o'clock position just above the lug bolts, riding atop that shiny brake disc.

On the back of the caliper you'll find a bolt on either side. It will either be a hex bolt of an Allen bolt. Remove these two bolts and put them aside.

Hold the caliper from the top and pull upward, wiggling it around to loosen it up. If it's stubborn, give it a few taps (taps, not Hank Aaron swings) upward to loosen it a bit. Pull it up and slightly away, being sure not to put any stress on the brake line (that black hose that's still connected).

If there is a place to safely set the caliper back there, do it. If not, you'll need to take your bungee cord and hang the caliper from something, the giant coil spring staring at you is a good spot. Don't let the caliper hang by the brake line, it can cause damage and lead to brake failure!

4. Remove the Old Brake Pads

Before you pull out the old brake pads, take a second to observe how everything is in installed. If there are little metal clips around the brake pads, note how they are in there so you can get it right when you put things back together. Better yet, take a digital picture of the whole assembly.

With the caliper out of the way, the brake pads should slide right out. I say should because in a new car they probably would. Since our cars are not always new, you may need to coax them out with a litte tap of the hammer to loosen them up. If your car has little metal tabs holding onto the brake pads, put them to the side becase you'll need them in a minute. Put the new pads in the slots with any metal clips you removed.

While you're here, it might be a good idea to inspect your brake discs.

Go ahead and slide the new pads into place now, making sure you don't forget any of the little retaining clips you removed earlier.

5. Compress the Brake Piston

As your brake pads wear out, the caliper adjusts itself so that you will have strong brakes throughout the life of the pads. If you look on the inside of the caliper you'll see a round piston coming out. This is what pushes on the brake pads from the back. Problem is, it's adjusted itself to match your worn out pads. Trying to get it over the new pads is like parking a Cadillac in New York City. You can do it, but the damage level will be high. Instead of destroying your new pads, you'll push the piston back to the starting point.

Take the c-clamp and place the end with the screw on it against the piston with the other end of the clamp around on the back of the caliper assembly. Now slowly tighten the clamp until the piston has moved far enough in that you can easily plop the caliper assembly over the new pads.

6. Re-Install the Brake Caliper

With the piston compressed, you should be able to easily slide the caliper assembly over the new pads. Once you have it on there, replace the bolts you removed and tighten them snugly. Press the brake pedal a few times to make sure you have solid brake pressure. The first pump or two will be soft as the piston finds its new starting point on the back of the pad.

Put your wheel back on, being sure to tighten all of the lug bolts. Now double-check your lug bolts just to be sure.

You're done! Feels good, right?

Time for a rebuildTrans is gone

i think you need to take a look at your front axle. I htink a worn ruber seal may have let debris get into the axle or even the bearings.

The rear brake shoes use a U clip to hold the shoes together. A simple solution to this change job is to change one side at a time.
Slowly unclip the U clip from the top of the shoe and remove the left shoe and spring. Replace the left shoe and reconnect the U clip, then do the same for the other shoe. Clean, adjust,and grease the self adjuster and you're done. Do the same for the other side of the van. If you take both sides of the clip off you're in for some heavy duty stretching with pliers unless you have the right tool.