I've joined the club !

[Bonzo]

Just as food for thought David

What you have described are classic symptoms of a seized/sticky, front brake caliper/s

With only 44k on the clock on a car this age, odds on it has had periods of not being used much.

If it is legal to drive & you would like to get to the bottom of the problem, why not pop the car down to your local garage to see if they will put it on the rolling road for you this may highlight any potential problems with the brakes.

If that is not an option for you, just overhaul the front calipers when you are ready to use them.

I have driven a few Sierras in the past, never found the brakes lacking

Originally Posted by davidimurray

I wonder whether the pads have had it - after only 44k miles they could still be the originals. It was strange as they were not spongy, it's just that it slowed down at one rate, regardless of how hard you pressed the pedal!