Pooper Duty brakes

Damnyankee · Sep 18, 2009

ARG..
Okay,
couple days ago i was driving home and my front brakes started to growl.
sounded like it was metal on metal.

so i got it home, jacked it up, pulled the brakes to have a look.. Yup, Inner on the drivers side was done. not metal on metal, but really close to it.

The rotors were OK.. should have been turned, but i've run rotors in much worse condition (they had some "smooth" ridges,,but nothing to worry about)

so i just get a set of cheap pads (intend on doing a complete brake job when money allows as this is my tow rig) and put them in.

Drivers side lower pin was froze, so i fixed that. passengers side upper pin was not froze, but needed some love.. fixed that.
Greased up the pins well, everything moved smoothly. I checked the calipers and the pistons were free, working well.

SO, i take it for a drive after doing this work, hit the brakes and GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.. WTF?. The seam to be dragging a bit as well (but not binding) I can let my foot off the brake at a stop and it will start rolling so i know the pistons are not froze up. (in additoin to the previous inspection).

I drive it to work to day, and it seams like it was gettnig better, but hard to tell.
Aslo, when i got to work, i put my had back around the tire and felt the rotors.. DAMN hot. Much hotter than i would have expected.

I'm going to pull them back off tonight and see WTF.. But I've done Dozens of brake jobs over the years, cheaper pads, worse rotors and i've never had this issue.

Could it be that the new brake pads just need to wear into the old rotors?

I'm really puzzled on this one..

All positive input is welcome :beer:

boxboy · Sep 18, 2009

My front calipers lock up and drag the inner pad all the time I have life time warranty or something like that so I just take them back and get new ones sometimes it takes a couple to get a good one...

Damnyankee · Sep 18, 2009

I just don't want to jack up the rotors, or overheat them and jack up the unit bearings.

boxboy · Sep 18, 2009

I have found the caliper itself moves left right fine but the pistons don't retract enough so the inner pad rides on the rotor heating **** up. I would replace the caliper.

Damnyankee · Sep 18, 2009

ya, but its both of them.. and i don't have the coin

100 each

Jeepasaurusrex · Sep 18, 2009

My left front is doing the same thing on my F350. I just replaced my unit bearings, rotors, etc.

I'm putting two new calipers on it tomorrow. Got them for $100 each with brake pads included. Raybestos brand. It was only $40 more per side to replace the caliper over just the pads.

CHOP SHOP · Sep 18, 2009

are the unit bearing shot?

Damnyankee · Sep 18, 2009

CHOP SHOP said:
are the unit bearing shot?

don't seam to be.

I had it jacked up and checked for any play and there was none.

Jeepasaurusrex · Sep 18, 2009

Most of the time, the unit bearings are fine. But the small roller bearings inside the unit bearing that support the outer stub shaft fail, causing some a grinding noise. I thought my original set of unit bearings had failed due to the noise I was getting, but it turned out to be the $11 bearings inside. :redneck:

heep70 · Sep 18, 2009

Did my POS PSD brakes not to long ago. They drug and got warm the first drive. Now they seem to be fine now. I did the fancy super stop or what ever the are Raybestos pads and new rotors. That fat rig stops real quick now. Had to adjust my trailer brakes higher to match the truck brakes. :beer:

JOOP · Sep 18, 2009

It's making noises because you put cheap ass pads on it without resurfacing your rotors.

Pay the money and have it done right or ignore the GRRRRRRR

If not it'll take awhile for the pads to seat and match the rotors.

Damnyankee · Sep 19, 2009

JOOP said:
It's making noises because you put cheap ass pads on it without resurfacing your rotors.

Pay the money and have it done right or ignore the GRRRRRRR

If not it'll take awhile for the pads to seat and match the rotors.

if thats all it is, i can live with the GRRRR.

didn't get a chance to pull them back apart last night, going to do it today.

I know i need a complete brake job.
I just don't have the coin at the moment.

Just weird that it got WORSE with new pads.

Jeepasaurusrex · Sep 19, 2009

Make sure when you put the new pads in, you don't get the spring retainer behind the pad. The small tab needs to go on top of the backing plate for the pad. If you don't, the pads will not retract all the way and will drag. :redneck:

Damnyankee · Sep 20, 2009

i tore them apart yesterday, and it appears that all this is due to the pads being slightly different in size.
the inner Radius of the pad is just touching on the very edge of the unmachined surface. so its just catching on an teh edge by about 1mm. Both side of the truck. Kinda wierd. If i was to take a grinder to teh very edge of teh pad it would not rub. Not going to, i think it will wear

thanks for all the input. i'm going to doulbe check the apring (i was carful in installation but i'll check due to jeapasaurrex input. (easy enough take about 5 min)