Are my brakes toast?

[azcummins]

When I'm coming to a stop my RF brake growls. You can feel it through the floorboards but it only happens right before your stop or if you stomp on them real hard. You can also hear a high pitched noise (not squeaky brakes) just driving along. I checked my warning tab that screaches when your brakes are shot and they are fine.



Any ideas? Rotors? Pads? (I had my brakes checked a year ago and they were @ 60%. I've hauled lightly since then. )

 

[ANCIENT WOOD]

Sorry to say but it sounds more like a wheel bearing.

 

[Bob Cochran]

Don't rely on the warning tab to much. Wifes car I redid with new pads and lots of miles later started to squeal so I pulled tires off. You guessed it scored rotors. The squeal my wife heards was rivets scoring the rotors not the warning tab. Warning tab was no correct to start hitting rotor before rivets. It was Bendix too not some fly by night brake manufacturer. Could still be pads or wheel bearing more than likely though on your truck.

 

[azcummins]

Well I put new pads on tonight and sure enough, the RF inner pad was beyond toast. I'll put a pic up tommorrow. Worn down the rivets and TONS of heat marks. New pads are much better.



My only ? is now how do I put new rotors on? I went ahead and got new ones, but I can't get that huge nut in the center of the hub off. Any ideas?

 

[illflem]

Just leave the tire on the ground to prevent the wheel from turning. If it takes a piece of pipe on the end of a breaker bar that's what it takes.

 

[azcummins]

illflem-

I take it you got a 6" extension so you could keep the wheel on the front adapter? With the duallies there is a 6" adapter to push the wheel out to track even with the back wheels.



Also- do you know the exact socket size for that nut? I got a 1-3/4 but it was slightly too big. I even went a size down and a size up and they weren't right so I think it is metric. Anyone know the correct socket for it?