Ok. I am lost and confused. My car has been acting up, grinding noise when I turn to the left. So I go to replace the bearings. Decide to do the brakes since I will have it torn down.

Well, replaced the pads, bearings, and rotors. Couldn't get the races out is why I replaced the rotors and one race had a groove in it.

All back together and the rotors lock up when trying to bleed the brakes. Got new calipers and brake lines. Replaced those and same thing. Car is now out of brake fluid as I got a leak from one of he new hoses to the caliper.

I need advice as I am now lost. Car is parked, and am now out of money. Had to use bill money to buy parts that did no good.

So overall, new bearings, pads, rotors, calipers, and brake lines.

Had a similar issue last year when we did the brakes and all, found out the pads were on the wrong side of the car. Swapped pads from drivers side to passenger and it all worked. That isn't the case here. Try to swap the pads, and they won't install on the other side.

 

what do you mean by "the rotors lock up while trying to bleed"?

What method of bleeding are you using? I use the two man method and pump pump bleed to get the air out.

 

When you say "out of brake fluid" do you mean you let the master cylinder run dry? If so, you are going to have to bleed it first before the rest of the system.
Did you get the right rotors? 91s are different from 87and earlier.

 

No, all third gen front rotors are the same, other than the cars with the performance package.

 

I was just looking and I found some manufacturers list 2diffrent rotors for cars with drum rears vs 4wd after 87 and then another for 1le. Before 87 they list only the one with 4wd and 1le. It's a bit confusing. I know the 88+ knuckles are slightly different so I had thought that was the reason, but now I don't know.
To the OP
Is the lockup perhaps the bearing nut is too tight?
If it is indeed the caliper is locked on the rotor, is it only on one side? Maybe the slider pins are frozen?

 

Ok, let me try to answer all of this.

The method I am using to bleed the brakes, is the two man method. Or my case, my wife and I. I am bleeding them through the bleed valve (nut bolt whatever).

As far as the locking up, while we are bleeding them and the pads are getting pressed to the rotor, it won't release the rotor.

The rotors move fine, with little hesitation, before the brakes are bled.

As far as running out of fluid, no it is very low, below the minimum, but not totally dry. Well yet. I do have a slow leak on one of the hoses that I can't seem to get to stop.

As stated, new pads, rotors, bearings, bearing seal, calipers, and brake hoses.

Taking off work tomorrow, first going to replace the washers on the leaking hose again. Then going to fill up the fluid, and slam on the brakes to check the p. valve. Then it will be basically starting over and try bleeding the brakes again to see if they will work properly. If not, there is no telling what I will do to this car.

 

UPDATE.................

Car is back up and running. Having replaced the bearings, seals, rotors, pads, calipers, brake hose, and Master Cylinder, the wheels would still lock up. Tested some stuff out and since the pistons were extended and holding the pads to the rotors, thus not letting them move at all. Opened the bleeder valve and no pressure was released from the calipers. Opened the brake hose going to the calipers, and still no pressure was released.

Thus the only solution was that I received 2 brand new defective brake calipers. Took them off today, and took them back. Warranty replacement. Got home and installed the new ones. Bleed the lines, and POOF!!!!! I have brakes that work again.

It was great. Thanks for all the help, and hopefully this might help someone else out in the future.