2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission brake troubles

[Hootguy]

I have been having problems with 1 ton dually lately,,

when i leave in the morning the brakes are incredibly grabby,,it stops so abruptly,,,i almost hit the dash,,,,the pads were changed not long ago including the rotors,,

I had a vacum problem,,which was fixed under and extended warranty... but still insanely grabby,,,

Any ideas. .

 

[TStetson]

Has it been wet up by you? Like raining and so forth. Mine do the same thing if it has just rained it will grab real hard maybe one or twice and that's it. Nothing you can really do that i know of or have found. Kind of a pain in the rump.

 

[Hootguy]

Hi

No. . not much rain,,just a lot of snow and ice,,,it seems a little less severe on dry pavement,,,

would any of the ABS stuff cause it.

I really want to fix this before heading south.

thanks

 

[vssman]

I have the same problem on my 2500 for the third time. Every time it turns out to be rear axle seals. Can you smell any burning rear end lube around the tires after you've been on the brakes for a while??

 

[TStetson]

A lot of people blame it on the ABS. Weather it actually is the calprite or not is another story. Maybe you might want to check the adjustment on the rear drums. I don't know what year your truck is but i am assuming that it is befor 4wl disc brakes. Like I said no one really has pin pointed the cause.

 

[nhincher]

brake industry name... "morning effectiveness"

This is actually a pretty common problem, especially for drum brakes. the friction material will absorb moisture from the air/rain etc. this will cause the lining to swell, among other things, this sends the coefficient of friction through the roof and this is why your trucks trying to launch you through the windshield, cuz the rear brakes are doing a lot more stopping than usual.



not a whole lot you can do about it, you could try adjusting the brakes a fuz but that'll hurt your stopping power when they're warm.



my old ford was notorious for this, I would click the parking brake on 1 or two clicks for the first few miles in the morning, warmed up the drums and they worked fine afterwords.

 

[Hootguy]

thanks for all the info. .

the truck is a 96 dually 4X4,,

i did change the axle seals not long ago,,and i dont see any oil on the outside of the backing plate.

After the brakes have been warmed up some it is much better,,,

It way worse on ice slick roads,,,downright scarry.

Any ABS stuff i should check??? Some said something about dissabeling the ABS by pulling a relay,,

Thanks

 

[sam peterson]

It is not an ABS related problem if it only does it when the brakes a cold. The most common problem is moisture sensitivity of the shoes, as has been said earlier. You could change the shoes to another brand & take care of the problem or you can live with it, however it is a little harry on slick roads. ----Sam



P/s When the rear seals had been changed earlier, had any gear oil gotten on the lining? If so get rid of the shoes, or if they had been changed is that when the grabby problem started?

 

[Hootguy]

Hi Sam

Thanks for the help... i had heard you refered to as the brake specialist of the group.

When i did the shoes,,there was oil on them,,,i used a propane torch and got most of the oil out,,,this was recommended by a mechanic at a garage,,,,not sure if this was a good idea,,,but it did get the shoes clean. .

The seals go so often on this thing,,i'd have to spend a fortune on shoes every year. ,,,

After that repair,,the brakes were fine for about 5000 miles after that,,it the truck started doing this,, this winter. .

Are there better shoes,,,that dont do it,,,i allready have a spare set of Napa shoes on the shelf.

thanks

 

[RThompson]

I would carefully examine the seal surface on the axle tube for any roughness or grooves. Then measure the diameter of that surface with a micrometer and note the measurement. Make the same measurement on the hub so you can give these measurements to a seal specalist. (Bearings Inc) They can set you up with aftermarket seal that might better suit the job. Also might have to have a 'seal saver' installed over the tube if the surface is rough or undersized. A careful bearing adjustment should keep the oil in place. I would only clean shoes in an emergency. Brake Klean works pretty good but they never seem the same as new lining in my opinion. Also, I would consider buying some of Sam Peterson's aftermarket shoes.

One final note, The installation of the seals has to be with a sealant around the edge or a coating on the seal to prevent leaking over the interference side of the seal.

 

[cclemons]

I have a 1996 2500 and I had a problem with the brakes in the morning when I wouls leave the driveway the brakes would lock up but once I got going down the road and hit the brakes a couple of times they worked normaly. the problem turned out to be a leaking seal and fluid was leaking on the drums. Hope this helps.

 

[sam peterson]

Hooter---The Napa shoes have a tendency to be moisture sensitive if they are of the premium grade( good shoe but just has morning sickness). The lower grade shoes seem to do the best job and the rears on these trucks last forever if you can keep them from getting soaked with fluid or oil. Install some new shoes and deal with the seal problem as RThompson said and I will bet your problem will be gone. Good Luck----Sam

 

[wtrenholm]

The ABS should prevent the rear brakes from locking up. As others have mentioned, I would be suspicious of the shoes not the ABS. It's not uncommon to have contaminated shoes that won't release properly when the ABS system detects impending wheel lock up and tries to pulsate brake pressure. For the most part, if the lights are on the system should be OK.

 

[Hootguy]

I will try new shoes,,'

Allthough i am starting to suspect my brake booster,,,i either have wicked strong brakes or hardly any,,,,the reason i say that is because anytime its cold and i cycle the heater control from one zone to the other the ABS/Brake light comes on and stays on for a good while...

Am i going to have to replace eveything??

 

[sam peterson]

could be a low vacuum problem---not the same as your rear brake problem.

 

[Fuzz]

Oil on Shoes

FWIW. . I had a rear axle seal replaced under warranty. Right side,

Y2K 3500 4x4... Garage advised they didn't need to put on new shoes as there was not much on the linings and it cleaned up real well... I drove 7000 miles and then all of a sudden the rear brakes started "grabbing". Jacked up the truck and couldn't hardly turn the right side. . Yup the shoes were all gummy with oil. . So,for me, if I get any oil on the linings they get changed.

Fuzz