Diagnosing brake issue

Nuzzy · Jul 6, 2008

Thought about sticking this in tow rig but it isn't really tow rig specific...

I've been chasing a brake issue for a while now with my '00 Dodge 3500. Brakes haven't been what they used to and really started to act up recently. I changed the front pads prolly a year and a half ago so I had been thinking the issue might be related to the rears since I'd never been into them since I owned the truck (few years). Well I replaced the rear shoes a few weeks back and re adjusted which seemed to help some, but not cure the prob. Basically, it seemed to take way too much pedal pressure to come to a stop, but the truck wasn't pulling to one side or the other at all...

So I tear into the fronts today to check things out. Driver side seems to be wearing fine, still got pad left, and rotor looks good. But when I get to the passenger, the outside pad and rotor surface look just like the driver side, but the inside pad is totally worn through to the metal backing plate and is grooving the piss out of the rotor.

What could cause this? A sticking piston in the caliper? But if the outside pad looks like it's wearing normal, wouldn't that suggest the floating ability of the caliper is functioning correctly? And why the hell aren't I getting ANY pull to the left during braking and hard braking considering the right side is FUBAR...?

And should I even mess with this caliper or just trade it in on a remanned loaded caliper from the autoparts store?

help.

JOOP · Jul 6, 2008

you caliper pins need to be lubed. When one of the pads wears premature its usually because the caliper isn't sliding back and forth like it should. Also you should resurface your rotors on every brake job. slapping new pads or shoes on doesn't get rid of pulsation which is caused by warped rotor's. I can almost promise your rotors are warped too, might only be 0.005 run out but thats enough to feel in the pedal.

But what you have going on is the guide pins need to be lubed. Also check you caliper pistons to see if they compress easily. If they stick at all replace the caliper.

Nuzzy · Jul 6, 2008

If I just buy a caliper, that would have all new guide pins right?

**edit**

...reason I ask is I don't have time to be chasing problems with the piston. I'd rather just replace and be done with it even if not necessary rather than taking the chance...

JOOP · Jul 6, 2008

Nuzzy said:
If I just buy a caliper, that would have all new guide pins right?

**edit**

...reason I ask is I don't have time to be chasing problems with the piston. I'd rather just replace and be done with it even if not necessary rather than taking the chance...

No I don't think they will. Either way you should lube them before installing. Sometimes when you buy loaded cal's they come with the caliper bracket (which might have new pins) and sometimes they don't. Napa usually has them with the bracket.

War-Jeeper · Jul 6, 2008

NAPA offers them with the bracket and you can get new slide pins which i would suggest, sounds like you had a psiton hang up because of the slide pin, the dodges need to have those slide pins lubed every now and again or this happens

Nuzzy · Jul 6, 2008

Best lube to use on the slide pins...?

Will regular axle bearing type grease work? Or is there something more application specific...

BowtieGuy · Jul 6, 2008

When you buy a set of loaded calipers it should come with the lube.

BowtieGuy · Jul 6, 2008

JOOP said:
you caliper pins need to be lubed. When one of the pads wears premature its usually because the caliper isn't sliding back and forth like it should. Also you should resurface your rotors on every brake job. slapping new pads or shoes on doesn't get rid of pulsation which is caused by warped rotor's. I can almost promise your rotors are warped too, might only be 0.005 run out but thats enough to feel in the pedal.

But what you have going on is the guide pins need to be lubed. Also check you caliper pistons to see if they compress easily. If they stick at all replace the caliper.

You hti it right on the head as to what i was going to say. While you are there check to see if you seals are cracked out around your caliper pistons.

cheesemaker · Jul 6, 2008

See this alot on dual piston calipers. One of the pistons don't get pushed in square, and hangs up. I used to see this alot at Les Schwab. Most of the time it was better to buy a "loaded" caliper. And get the rotors turned too.

BowtieGuy · Jul 6, 2008

cheesemaker said:
See this alot on dual piston calipers. One of the pistons don't get pushed in square, and hangs up. I used to see this alot at Les Schwab. Most of the time it was better to buy a "loaded" caliper. And get the rotors turned too.

Ha. I used to work there too.#344 Thats were I saw many problems with all sorts of home jobs actually.

nevada · Jul 6, 2008

you should change both sides. pads on both sides also.

unloaded, and GOOD pads would prob be cheaper than loaded....

Nuzzy · Jul 7, 2008

The old caliper was definitely FUBARed. The new one came with pins and lube so all was good. The rotor has some grooves and will be replaced but they didn't have it in stock and I had to get the truck back together tonight since I'll be back down in Phoenix tomorrow. Got new pads on the other side too just to keep everything the same.

Thanks y'all

War-Jeeper · Jul 7, 2008

Nuzzy said:
The old caliper was definitely FUBARed. The new one came with pins and lube so all was good. The rotor has some grooves and will be replaced but they didn't have it in stock and I had to get the truck back together tonight since I'll be back down in Phoenix tomorrow. Got new pads on the other side too just to keep everything the same.

Thanks y'all

Where did you end up buying the stuff?

Bunk1 · Jul 7, 2008

fwiw some anti seize(gray stuff) works good as a lube for the pins.

Nuzzy · Jul 7, 2008

War-Jeeper said:
Where did you end up buying the stuff?

Autozone

Bunk said:
fwiw some anti seize(gray stuff) works good as a lube for the pins.

thanks.

cheesemaker · Jul 7, 2008

Bowtie! Yeah, store #222. Yeah, you get a good education on alot of stuff, including how the company likes to screw you! But I learned alot.
How long did you work there? I did 7 years, and my back to my ankles feels every year of that! It took a serious toll on my body.

Nuzzy you don't want to run those rotors if you have too!!! The pads will pick up the wear pattern and you will be back to where you started out.

The pads and rotors have to wear in together. Or the pads will glaze over and will be ineffective, make sure to get the rotors turned.

War-Jeeper · Jul 8, 2008

Nuzzy said:
Autozone

thanks.

Boo autozone

uke:

Sorry im kind of biased in auto parts stores though:redneck:

Nuzzy · Jul 8, 2008

War-Jeeper said:
Boo autozoneuke:

Sorry im kind of biased in auto parts stores though:redneck:

All that was open on that particular Sunday :redneck:

jprcrpr94 · Jul 8, 2008

I gotta agree with cheesemaker nuzzy. You're gonna ruin those new pads runnin' em on those grooved rotors like that. When I worked at Bucky's years ago we had quite a few people come in that couldn't figure out why the pads they just put on a couple weeks ago were gone and their brakes were grinding again!

And also X2 on the anti-sieze!!:awesomework: I've used that **** for years on caliper pins and also metal to metal contact points on drum setups!