Brake Trouble!!

[biggy238]

In fall of 07, right after I bought my truck, I put brake pads on the rear. I didn't have the pads spread far enough on the passenger side and cut through the protective cups in the ends of the pistons.



In may of 08, I was headed home, getting ready to start on a 2. 5 hour trip, and that same corner had siezed. One of the pistons had crushed and turned just enough to hold the pads in and heat everything up nice and dangerous like.



I replaced the caliper with a NAPA unit. It has driven fine for almost exactly one year. It's doing the same thing, only it will release this time. When I know it's doing it, i'm usually backing out of a parking space. I'm in reverse when I notice it.



I drove it 150 miles over the weekend, it was fine when I started out, and when I got off the interstate and onto the off ramp, when I stopped, I could smell it burning. I stopped and walked around touching the wheels. It was smoking pretty good.



I'm thinking I have a collapsed line. I can't think of another mechanism that would stick and release intermittantly.



Am I on the right track or could it be something else? I doubt very seriously that the truck has ABS. I just haven't seen it, fealt it or noticed it under the truck and it isn't in the engine compartment where i'd expect it. I'm also toying with the idea that the parking brake is at fault.



Thanks

 

[snuff]

how did you cut the cups, did you ding them while putting the calpier back on?

if you did cut it some crud might have gotten in there and got the piston stuck. as for it new caliper doing the same thing, how would a brake line collaspe, would checkover the parking brake, do you have 4wheel disk or drums inthe rear?

 

[Turbo1Ton]

I've had my left side e-brake stick and smoke like heck. I've also seen the brake line issue that you are mentioning on an older pickup I had.



I would start with the e-brake but while you're at it, it wouldn't hurt, or cost a whole lot more, to throw a new line on it.



Jeff

 

[B.G. Smith]

Only one flexible line supplies both rears, right. So if the drivers side is ok then the line is probably ok. If you will put the pads in the caliper before installing you won't have to worry about damaging the dust covers. bg

 

[biggy238]

Some rubber brake lines will delaminate and the interior will collapse. I thought that there was one at each corner in the rear for the discs. I do have 4 corner discs btw. I will have to look. Usually that's the result of a caliper hanging on a line or the line being pinched off by pliers.



And yes, Hindsight is wonderfull. Since I wasn't familiar with the assembly, I put the pads on and then the caliper, and the divots on the pads tore the cups. Different failure though.



I think I will investigate the parking brake. The fact that it isn't doing it on a regular basis, maybe once or twice a week, has got me set back a bit.