Fire... Brake fire that is

[67Monaco]

My episode for the day, drivers front brake was smoldering today. Car's been down for a month or two since I've been working on the exhaust. Took it out today for a test run. Felt a little sluggish and a faint pull that became a significant pull to the left.

Somethings not right and turned around. Suddenly everything cleared up and I attributed it to sitting and needing to free up so on ward we go. Drove two mile past the house and it's back. This time bad. Good thing I was on a deserted road for the most part. Pulled over and smoke's billowing out of the front fender. I already know where it's going.

Turned full lock right to expose the caliper and smoke is rolling off the pads. Sit there for a few minutes til the smoke stops. Get back in and turn the barge so the wind hits caliper side and helps cool it down. Waited about 15 minutes and limp home. I stopped a couple times to let it cool a bit. Finally got home and no more smoke but you can tell she was hot.

Let it sit outside for an hour to cool. Backed it in and reverse was having a hard time with the drag. Went forward and it seemed to free up. Reversed again and not so much drag. Took the wheel off and for sure those pads were dragging.



I need Ideas why. Rears are fine and passenger was pretty much cool as a cucumber.

Recall I had the calipers off a bit ago to put the new wheel studs in. Doing so I merely cracked the bleeder and sqeezed the pads out to get it off the rotors. Could I have cocked a piston on the drivers side? Dirt? Bad caliper?

Shooting in the dark here..

 

[twostick]

Seized caliper is the likely culprit. Once it has cooled completely you should be able to pry the caliper off. A trip to Autozone for a loaded caliper and you should be back in business.

Kevin

 

[Davea Lux]

My episode for the day, drivers front brake was smoldering today. Car's been down for a month or two since I've been working on the exhaust. Took it out today for a test run. Felt a little sluggish and a faint pull that became a significant pull to the left.

Somethings not right and turned around. Suddenly everything cleared up and I attributed it to sitting and needing to free up so on ward we go. Drove two mile past the house and it's back. This time bad. Good thing I was on a deserted road for the most part. Pulled over and smoke's billowing out of the front fender. I already know where it's going.

Turned full lock right to expose the caliper and smoke is rolling off the pads. Sit there for a few minutes til the smoke stops. Get back in and turn the barge so the wind hits caliper side and helps cool it down. Waited about 15 minutes and limp home. I stopped a couple times to let it cool a bit. Finally got home and no more smoke but you can tell she was hot.

Let it sit outside for an hour to cool. Backed it in and reverse was having a hard time with the drag. Went forward and it seemed to free up. Reversed again and not so much drag. Took the wheel off and for sure those pads were dragging.



I need Ideas why. Rears are fine and passenger was pretty much cool as a cucumber.

Recall I had the calipers off a bit ago to put the new wheel studs in. Doing so I merely cracked the bleeder and sqeezed the pads out to get it off the rotors. Could I have cocked a piston on the drivers side? Dirt? Bad caliper?

Shooting in the dark here..

You have a stuck caliper piston. This is usually caused by the rubber o-ring inside of the caliper flattening out, this causes the caliper piston to drag and hang up on the caliper bore. If the outer bellows had a hole in it, this can cause water intrusion and the caliper bore to rust which puts you in the same place, a stuck piston. If you got the pads hot enough to smoke, both the pads and the rotor are likely toast. The caliper can probably be rebuilt, but check the bore with a micrometer for size and out of round, if you can see visible scaring on the piston or the bore, turn it in for a core. Most of the time a caliper that has been seriously overheated will warp as it cools and it will be junk. The pads are junk in any case as the adhesive is degraded by excessive heat. Be sure to rebuild the brakes on the other side as well as that caliper is likely in similar condition.

Dave

 

[66Newyorker]

You have a caliper stuck or a hose to that caliper that has a restriction not allowing the fluid to return to the master cylinder. If the front brake hoses are old I would replace both of them. After getting the rotor that hot you may still have issues after the caliper is sorted out. You may fell a pulsation in the brake pedal when appling the brakes. Warped rotor, thickness issues or runout. IMO the best thing you could do is replace both hoses, left caliper and front pads and maybe get the rotor machined if within specs, replace if you have to and repack the front bearings. Also flush the brake system your fluid probably got too hot. Brakes are VERY important!

 

[67Monaco]

Seized caliper is the likely culprit. Once it has cooled completely you should be able to pry the caliper off. A trip to Autozone for a loaded caliper and you should be back in business.

Kevin

If only they were that available locally... Rockauto had em and they're on the way.

You have a stuck caliper piston. This is usually caused by the rubber o-ring inside of the caliper flattening out, this causes the caliper piston to drag and hang up on the caliper bore. If the outer bellows had a hole in it, this can cause water intrusion and the caliper bore to rust which puts you in the same place, a stuck piston. If you got the pads hot enough to smoke, both the pads and the rotor are likely toast. The caliper can probably be rebuilt, but check the bore with a micrometer for size and out of round, if you can see visible scaring on the piston or the bore, turn it in for a core. Most of the time a caliper that has been seriously overheated will warp as it cools and it will be junk. The pads are junk in any case as the adhesive is degraded by excessive heat. Be sure to rebuild the brakes on the other side as well as that caliper is likely in similar condition.

Dave

No rotors were available that I could find. I think the Imperial club still may have access but I think it'd require a bolt pattern change on the wheels or additional machining to get the proper bolt circle. BUDD brakes are a ***** these days.

At that point I may as well go get drum spindles and do a disc brake conversion kit. It'd be cheaper overall.

You have a caliper stuck or a hose to that caliper that has a restriction not allowing the fluid to return to the master cylinder. If the front brake hoses are old I would replace both of them. After getting the rotor that hot you may still have issues after the caliper is sorted out. You may fell a pulsation in the brake pedal when appling the brakes. Warped rotor, thickness issues or runout. IMO the best thing you could do is replace both hoses, left caliper and front pads and maybe get the rotor machined if within specs, replace if you have to and repack the front bearings. Also flush the brake system your fluid probably got too hot. Brakes are VERY important!

Yeah I'll check the bearings and grease. The UHMW plastic I use for hub centricity of the 1/4" spacer on the front for caliper clearance was unaffected, i.e. no melting (melting point is 266 F) , so I don't think the heat got down that far. But I have a week to screw with it until calipers arrive.

 

[cantflip]

Stick hoses on it too... not worth debating if they are available.

 

[67Monaco]

Stick hoses on it too... not worth debating if they are available.

Available and on the way.

 

[detmatt]

The rotors from Durabrake require you to put your hub on them so no worries about the bolt pattern.
I got mine on eBay last spring.