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Since I do not live 100% of the time with the Sunrader in the subject line, I am slow at dealing with it's issues.? 2 months ago, I took it to a mechanic new to me, referral from a long string of other shops who won't deal with my "Motorhome" (too old, too high, too heavy, no place to put it under insurance, mechanics too young, don't know anything about it, "We don't work on? anything older than 1996").? This mechanic has several vehicles and some motorhomes like mine, that have "Arizona Historic Vehicle copy license plates" (older than 25 years), on his lot, which is on a piece of land that he owns.? The Owner showed me that the front brake master cylinders didn't have any pressure, so I didn't have front brakes.? So he changed both ft. and rear(ft, and rear are the same part and words Front and Rear are even embossed on the part).
? Well new brake master cylinder didn't make a difference in the braking feel.? His employee Andy, owns a Nissan D21, Hardbody I think it is a 1992, and he has another one.? I don't know what is normal in these Nissan trucks, but Andy drove it and agreed "Mine takes too much pressure on the pedal for not much braking power".? Andy feels it is a bad brake booster that has no vacuum, cos a leaking brake master cylinder above the booster, can ruin the booster.? If not that, Andy has to take apart the rear wheels.??
The other issue, that the Nissan Sunrader "won't start" from time to time, especially when 32 degrees, everyone says "have to diagnose when it happens", which time before it happened, after waiting 3 hours for a tow truck to come to the Pilot truck stop 30 miles east of Quartzsite (I was going to Tika's Rally last Jan), when tow truck finally arrived, of course, the Sunrader started immediately, after that tow truck driver drove 75 miles to come get me.? Steve, whatever you did at the Rally, it didn't fix the issue.? It didn't start again in Feb, when I went to the Tucson Gem Show and spent the night at Walmart, but it always "starts later the same day", or on another day, so I have never been forever stranded, and have never been towed.
The brake repair is for another day, at the end of this year,?
Julia? -- Julia - Scottsdale, AZ
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Julia I feel your pain with the Nissan brake problems. My front brakes work well, it's the rear brakes that don't brake properly. Keep us up on any progress.
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I too have found it difficult to find someone competent to work on the campers -- gotta find an "OG"!
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Thanks for mentioning the brake booster and master cylinder (two things I didn't know existed!), as my newer camper does seem to have more of a mushy feeling. One mechanic "bled the lines" and one pulled off the tires and inspected the brakes, saying they were 60% and 80% and didn't need replacing. So that gives me two more things to mention to my new mechanic.
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Good luck with yours! Sue
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Has anyone checked the brake proportioning valve? (I assuming the Nissan has an adjustable one as does the Toyota.)
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https://www.onallcylinders.com/2019/06/27/brake-proportioning-valves-101-how-they-work-which-style-to-choose/
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No proportioning valve on the early ones.
Linda S
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Nissan does have one and it is adjustable, however unlike the Toyota it uses a cylinder with a ball inside that rolls with the fore and the aft of the vehicle during braking, modulating the rear brake application. Since the rear is so heavy on the motorhome? chassis it could be considered fully loaded at all times, a decision could be made to remove it completely, this would give full pressure to the rear brakes.
Something worth considering.
I once owned a Nissan Lakeview built on the 720 chassis and those brakes were awesome!
Aaron from Colorado
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Where is this ball thing and what is it called. Can you find a part number? According to the Nissan website there is no proportioning valve until 1992. Since it's clear that they have been having trouble finding mechanics who are willing to work on them exact info is needed to get it removed. My Nissan brakes are OK but I would probably remove mine too. More brakes are always a good thing
Linda S
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I know this is unlikely, but has anyone checked to see if the brake pads/shoes are
contaminated with grease or some other problematic material?
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Your system may have plenty of pressure and the friction linings may have
plenty of thickness, but if the linings are contaminated...you're gonna have a bad time.
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The no-start is simply too hard to diagnose over the InterTubes. Someone still needs to
establish if the engine is missing spark or fuel when it happens.
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Good luck,
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Buzz L.
San Jose, CA
Former '86 Dolphin, '89 HiLux and '96 Tacoma owner
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Roy, I don't know what brake "properly" even means on a Nissan!!!? But my? Toyota Sunrader will almost THROW me out the windshield, if I touch the brake pedal, a bit. In fact I got flashed by the red light camera, once time, because I didn't wanna stop on a dime and have my camping groceries rolling all over the floor.? So you know, it is not about "the weight".? I got the ticket dismissed, tho.?? -- Julia - Scottsdale, AZ
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I have changed everything on my brake system Except the rear brake shoes. The ones I ordered from Rock auto were the wrong size. As Buss said, I think the shoes might be glazed over. Replacing my rear shoes will be my next step.
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Factory brake shoes are still available
https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts/nissan-shoe-set-rr~44060-10w25.html?vin=&make=Nissan&model=Hardbody%20Pickup%20(D21)&year=1987&submodel=&extra1=&extra2=&filter=(1=WT;2=VG30;3=DX%2fE;4=AT;5=R4;6=LB;7=2WD;8=FED)
Let me guess. The ones you bought that didn't fit were Centric.?
Linda S
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OK, Linda, I was wrong, it is not of the style with the ball, apparently only the Nissan 720's had that type. I have a PDF of a 1989 D21 Chassis, it shows a load sensing valve connected to the rear axle.
Everything else I said still applies.
Aaron from Colorado
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I have a diagram that shows that too but part isn't for the earlier dual wheel trucks. 1988 was the last year for the dually.
Linda S
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Thanks Linda for the correct stock number for rear brakes.
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It appears that Linda may be right, looking at the parts diagram at nissanpartsdeal, for a 1988 dually chassis, it does show a load sensing valve in a breakaway diagram, whether that's an option for the dually or a generic diagram covering all chassis, I don't know.
Aaron from Colorado
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Kinda of later in the conversation.?
1 There is only Master Cylinder, it has 2 sides front and rear. Your mechanic said that your original did not have any pressure to the front brakes, does the new one have front pressure? It should be checked at the master cylinder AND at one of the front brake calipers. Got one place and not the other... pinched brake line.
2. The vacuum booster is easy to check, unhook the vacuum line from the engine to the booster. Plug it off where it goes to the engine, Drive and check brakes. No change?? the booster moves up the list of bad possibilities.
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On my 1985 Toyota Dolphin 22 re I had a nightmare of issues with my brakes about 10 or 15 years ago. I got the master cylinder changed but the mechanic didn't bleed it so I was driving around with horrible brakes because I'd have to go all the way to the floor in order to stop, so eventually I learned how to bleed the master cylinder where you disconnect the two lines, front and rear lines, and then use a little tube or a salvage brake line about 9 inches long on each of the front and rear line holes on the master cylinder then you put the other end of the of the line into underneath the level of the brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoirs, then you have someone pump the brakes slowly for about a few times and that should bleed the master cylinder of all the air in it. Then you have to connect the rear and front lines to the master cylinder and then they have to bleed the brakes in the proper order probably starting from the furthest to the closest to the master cylinder on the vehicle. My brakes aren't anything great now anyway but at least they stop front and rear, on my mom's 78 Chinook Toyota the brakes were perfect right up there as soon as you start stepping on the brake they would react where mine are now for some reason I have no idea they don't start breaking till about halfway pressed. Don't know if that's an adjustment on the pedal itself or I'm still thinking about that. On the no start issue it would be helpful to know if you mean the starter motor doesn't run meaning the electricity isn't getting to the starter motor or is it a no start with the engine cranking it doesn't start that's an important thing to know to get help with it. In my opinion bypassing the neutral start switch that's on the transmission helped my problem of no start immensely and I've never had a no start ever since I bypassed it I had other things going on originally why it wouldn't start but once I put a wire from the ignition switch to the solenoid on the starter motor I haven't had any issues you might try that. Take care, Pete
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Julia
roy vannoy
Pete Wisda