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Old 07-01-2015, 09:58 PM   #1
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Smoking brake (just one)

We're taking off on a trip to Idaho in a few days to run the Main Salmon River. While I'm on the river my wife will be touring around on her own in the SMB, so I wanted our mechanic to go over it and make sure she won't have any problems. On my way to his shop (14 miles, minimal hills) I start to smell brakes burning. I'm following a big tandem dump truck rig and figure it's him. When I get to the shop I find smoke billowing out from the left front wheel. Unfortunately I'm early, so my mechanic isn't there to witness it.

When he checked it out he finds the brakes are fine and the wheel spins freely. 10 mm pads, calipers and hoses look OK, no scorch marks. He drives it 6 miles and can't duplicate the problem. He tells me in the absence of anything to go on the only thing he can do is throw parts at it. Instead of that he suggests we drive it for awhile and see what happens. Since we're headed on a long trip into a fairly remote area I tell him to go ahead and replace calipers and hoses, if I was staying around town I probably would just drive it, but with my wife out on her own I don't want to risk a breakdown.

I'm not all that mechanically inclined, so I'm wondering if there is anything else I should consider. Is this a common problem?

Brad

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Old 07-01-2015, 10:52 PM   #2
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

A stuck caliper is my first thought.

But on a front wheel, it seems like you might notice it pulling.

Maybe some organic matter, e.g. leaves, a rag, or some kind of , got caught in the brakes and was burned off by the time your mechanic saw it?
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Old 07-01-2015, 10:56 PM   #3
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

4X4? Leaking seal? Mine leaked but you could see evidence of it. If I braked heavy it would smoke a bit.
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Old 07-02-2015, 12:08 AM   #4
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

It actually was pulling a bit, I neglected to mention that but I did notice it just a little.

Dave, it's a 4x2. Nothing leaking that the mechanic could see today. Maybe he'll find something more tomorrow when he takes off the caliper.

Brad
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Old 07-02-2015, 04:39 AM   #5
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

My 97 is doing the same thing.....only acts up while I am driving it and pulls to the left. Decided that this is a good time to upgrade to 08 and later brake setup.
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Old 07-02-2015, 06:53 AM   #6
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

last time i had an issue like this it ended up being rust buildup on the caliper slides. wasnt on the van, but exact same symptoms. actually ruined a high end brake pad in my particular instance. i decided to rip it apart and see what was happening. once i pulled the caliper apart it was quite obvious. i removed all the rusty buildup from the slides with some emery cloth then regreased with a little high temp grease. problem solved. regardless, hope its an easy fix and doesnt impact your trip!

off topic, but if it wasnt 500 degrees here right now id suggest gold bug hot springs for your wife to go check out while you do the run. if its not over a 100 degrees when you visit, you might mention it to her. really neat hike and one of thee best hotsprings ive ever been to.

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Old 07-02-2015, 09:25 AM   #7
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

gcvt had issues similar to this on his van (before it was stolen).

I don't recall exactly, but he ended up replacing calipers, pads, rotors and lines, master cylinder, and it turns out it was some balancer valve to put the right amount of pressure to each side.. or maybe that was part of the master cylinder. I don't really remember.

So really, I don't have a clue.
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Old 07-02-2015, 09:28 AM   #8
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

Here's a couple threads where we talked about this:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15299&hilit=stuck+caliper
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=12380&hilit=caliper
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Old 07-02-2015, 11:12 AM   #9
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rallypanam
gcvt had issues similar to this on his van (before it was stolen).

I don't recall exactly, but he ended up replacing calipers, pads, rotors and lines, master cylinder, and it turns out it was some balancer valve to put the right amount of pressure to each side.. or maybe that was part of the master cylinder. I don't really remember.

So really, I don't have a clue.
Yup. First heard a grinding noise on the RF. Turns out one of the phenolic (?) plastic pistons was jacked up. Replaced calipers, pads, rotors, etc. Then had smoke pouring from the left front. Had my shop put in a new master cylinder. More smoke a few days later. Van spent another day in the shop where they just went through everything, but didn't solve the problem. Next up was going to be a new proportioning valve. Mechanic said they rarely fail, but it does happen. He said he'd seen two go bad in something like 25 years.

I guess whoever stole my van has to deal with that now
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Old 07-02-2015, 01:54 PM   #10
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Re: Smoking brake (just one)

Stuck front caliper, had it happen before on mine. The RH front got hot enough it bubbled the powder coating on that wheel.

Replaced them all.
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