Just finished changing my brakes. Took it for a test drive everything fine. Get out of the truck and smell which i think is my pads. My driver side rear brake. Pull it apart find that the caliper is sticking. Fix that take it for a drive again everything seems fine but get that smell again. What am i missing i've never had this issue before. No noise comeing from the brakes, pedal pressure is fine. What else do i need to check?

 

Did you check the slide pins? They would be under the rubber boots (accordian looking) they are what your caliper slides in/out on. They may need to be lubed or you need new ones. If that don't do it then you may be looking at rebuilding the calipers or purchasing new/rebuilt ones. Also check the parking brake cable to make sure it is not hanging up causing the problem.

 

Yeah something I call brake grease does exist. It needs to be used in lots of places on drum brakes but the slide-pins on the discs is a really good place for it.

One other thing. often a caliper gets older and has been functioning at a certain low pad situation for a little while. It gets kinda used to it and if old enough or perhaps getting more dirty that the others, it finds a nice 'groove' to stay in, forms a ridge. You come along and make it move to a place where its not as "comfortable" and it gets hung up; doesnt want to release. So in a sense, it has built up a small ridge leading to a personality disorder.

I know, strange to use a "personality", but I bet if you took it apart you could probably not SEE the problem. The caliper has to move in and out freely and you may have had a problem with yours to begin with. One hint may well be that a pad on that wheel was lower than the others, on the other wheel. Not a neccesity or always so, but this can be an indicator that the caliper had hung up before.

I hate to say this, but if it doesnt clear up with a good cleaning, it will need to be replaced.

I have a way of working on these that I dont advise others to do. I get the darn thing apart and then put something like a small piece of wood between the two pads and operate the brakes, forcing the pads on that wheel out to the thinner location. Gives me a chance to look and perhaps even see a problem and clean it. I do not reccomend anyone doing this. It's for us who are daring only( and poor).

I work on the assumption that it's already broke and I cant hurt it. This can be dangerous and I DO NOT have someone else operate the brake. I walk to the drivers seat while no-one is near the open caliper. That way I cant sqeeze anyones fingers in there??? Not even mine. I also do it SOOOO slowly and do not start the car. This way no power brakes are used.

If I were you, I'd try lubing and cleaning what I see and if it doesnt clear up, replace it.

 

I'd like to add to blazingsadles post.
If the caliper extended too far you will need to replace it. I think that is what he is referring to as a personality problem. The gaskets inside the caliper get out of whack and in most cases its just as cheap to buy a rebuilt caliper as it is to buy the rebuild kit. For example, my '87 front caliper were $10 each for rebuilt ones. At that price its not worth the hassle of rebuilding them.

Besides the hang slide pins, you might have the brake hose twisted, thus restricing the flow of brake fluid back. The force of the brake peddle will force the fluid into the piston, however there is nothing to force it back past the twisted hose. Or the hose has collapsed internally and needs replaced.

 

Glad you reminded us all of that hose thing. Have had that a time or too also. Its next to impossible to see it cause if it collapses on the inside the outer part of the hose could well look completely normal.


Forgot to ask. Did you get into anything that required bleeding the brakes? Normally a person would not, just a question.

 

You did not mention if you replaced the rotors as well. The reason I ask is when did a complete R&R of the brakes the rotors were thicker than the old OEM rotors that combined with new pads and old OEM calipers made for a very tight fit and caused the "brake smell" for about 20 miles in stop and go traffic, in order to get them to wear in together, then they worked fine. Just a thought.

About replacing the calipers, I too have found that replacement is best way to go both money and time wise. Usually when buying calipers you will find the terms loaded and unloaded caliper; loaded is the whole caliper, unloaded is the rebuild kit.

 

Actually loaded is complete caliper with pads and unloaded is without pads. Rebuild kits are either termed exactly that or termed hardware kits.

But I do agree that the pads do fit tighter on new rotors & new pads. It is possible that they just bed in and you may not have any problems. Brakes always smell different right after a change.

 

WOW I dont know where my head was. Must be too much exhaust fumes LOL. Kyle is right on.

 

LOL happens to the best of us!

Now if you are going to go through the trouble of replacing the calipers with rebuilt ones, You really need to think about replacing your brake hoses. For the cost of them, they are cheap insurance against what could be a costly brake failure!

 

Sorry if i didn't mention it in the first post. Have new rotors,pads, and caliper. Guide pins are not seized and i regreased them. The weird thing is i have no noise comeing from the wheel and the pads are wearing out. You woudn't even know something was wrong if wasn't for the smell. I'm gonna replace the brake hose going into the caliper and see if that helps. Anymore help would be great this is driveing me nuts.