Front Left Caliper locked up?

[SantaCruzin]

Hello all!

I recently replaced my brake pads and rotors on my 1997 Jamboree Searcher (Ford Econoline Chassis) and took it on a few trips (maybe 400 miles total without incident, including towing over a few passes).

On Friday I was driving in stop-and-go traffic with temperatures topping 100. When we finally broke through traffic I was driving at about 35mph for a mile or two. When I came to a stop light I noticed a burning smell, then noticed some smoke coming off of the front left wheel. I immediately thought I knew what it was and sure enough, when I pulled over and jacked up the front left I could not get the wheel to turn. I pulled the wheel/tire off, opened the master cylinder, and let it sit while I contemplated. When I got under the car, I noticed the bolt (with the bushing that allows the caliper to float) was sticking out. I took a few wacks at it with the hammer (I know, I know) and the caliper released, allowing the wheel to spin again.  I then proceeded to gingerly drive the 25 miles to the KOA and 35 miles back home without incident.

We have a 1200 mile trip coming up and I know, of course, I need to get this sorted before-hand. A few questions:
1. What would have been the likely cause? My guesses were:
    • Heat (100 degrees) + stop-and-go caused something (fluid, metal, etc.) to expand
    • Old brake lines and nasty brake fluid
    • The caliper got something stuck in it, causing it to lock up
    • I installed something wrong
2. Would this be a good plan-of-attack to get it fixed in the next few weeks:
    • Take it to a shop to have the old brake fluid flushed and replaced
    • Have them do a quick inspection of both calipers

I would prefer not to replace the calipers and/or lines unless I have to, but I also don't want us (wife, 2-year old, 5-month old) to be stranded somewhere, or worse.

 

[Rene T]

I had a issue with my truck last year. I replaced the rotors, calipers and pads and I still had the problem which was that it appeared a caliper was hanging up. To make a long story short, I replaced the rubber hoses going to the calipers. Problem gone. The hose one was side was collapsed on the inside. When I applied the brakes, the high pressure would force the brake fluid through the hose but the caliper would not release at first because pressure was trapped inside the hose causing the pads to drag. Yours is a 1997 so the hoses may be the originals. I would change them out.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Did you replace the caliper bolts, rattle clips and boot/seals?  If those are worn or rusted that can easily cause a caliper to bind.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[PJ Stough]

If taking a few whacks with a hammer allowed the caliper to release would lead me to believe there is a problem with the caliper, and since you just replaced the pads, perhaps something didnt get reinstalled correctly or is worn past usable condition.  I would start with looking at the bolt and bushing that allows the caliper to float.

If the problem had been with a collapsed hose, hitting the caliper with a hammer would not likely have caused the caliper to release, nor caused the bushing and bolt that allows the caliper to float to be sticking out.

 

[SpencerPJ]

Well, ya should have....
If it were me, I would take my brake job back apart, clean everything a whole lot better than I did the first time, and certainly exchange the brake fluid by bleeding through the system.  Not a hard job if your bleeders come loose (Hint, use a socket first time). If this is beyond your abilities, I certainly would pay to have it done.  There are things (many) that I am cheap about, brakes are not one of them.  If you break down on the road and need a tow, then a brake job, oh boy that gets costly quick.  Be safe, good luck with an inexpensive solution  ) 

 

[skydivemark]

I agree with PJ, not very likely it's the hose. If it stuck once there's a chance it could again. I would change the calipers on both sides.

 

[SantaCruzin]

Thanks all!

I did replace the clips when I replaced the pads, but not the seals or the bolts. I have done a lot of brake jobs on various vehicles over the years and am fairly confident in my abilities (I take things slow, clean as I go, etc.) but ya never know...I'm also sleep deprived beyond belief with these kiddos.

I am familiar and comfortable with bleeding brakes, but in looking at the fluid in the master cylinder (dark-ish brown) I am thinking the system could stand to be completely flushed. That part I'm not as comfortable with.

 

[ChasA]

Take it to a garage or even one of those quick oil change places. They have equipment to flush the system in a few minutes. Ford says the brake fluid should be changed every 3 years.

 

[Broke Boater]

Repeated Heat build up cooks the seals, old fluid needs to be replaced. Calipers are cheap, replace them, the lines are likely good,,,gregg

 

[Lou Schneider]

Next time the caliper sticks, loosen the bleeder nipple.  If you get a squirt of fluid and the caliper retracts it's a bad hose that's not letting the fluid flow back.

If the brake doesn't release, it's a stuck caliper, probably from the piston swelling from absorbed moisture.

Piston swelling is a known problem with the composite pistons in disc brakes of that vintage. It's only an issue when the brakes sit for a while between trips, if they're used daily they heat up enough to drive out the moisture. 

Sitting between trips is typical motorhome use.  Workhorse was forced into a mandatory recall because almost all of their production was used in motorhomes while Ford wasn't - they had more of their total production in trucks that were used daily so the problem brakes didn't rise to a high enough percentage of their total production to trigger a recall.

 

[Henry J Fate]

Bad hoses are very common. I have had 3 bad hoses on 3 different motorhomes all on the chevy chassis. All three acted a little different but each had good days and bad days. On a bad day the hose would hold the brake on for longer periods of time. On a good day the hose would not cause any problems.

If a front wheel brake was locked up to a very high degree, it will become very noticeable in the way the vehicle is steering. Usually it will severely pull to the side of the locked brake. If this condition was not realized, it is likely that the brake was just slightly dragging resulting it to over heat and creating the burning brake smell. This condition is very typical of a bad brake hose.

The time sitting on the side of the road may have been enough time for the hose to release the brake. It may have been a coincidence that the brake was found to be in the released condition after hitting it with the hammer.



If the problem did not exist before the brake job then more suspicion could be placed on the brake assembly. If the problem existed prior to the brake work then a bad hose becomes more likely.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Thanks all!

I did replace the clips when I replaced the pads, but not the seals or the bolts. I have done a lot of brake jobs on various vehicles over the years and am fairly confident in my abilities (I take things slow, clean as I go, etc.) but ya never know...I'm also sleep deprived beyond belief with these kiddos.

I am familiar and comfortable with bleeding brakes, but in looking at the fluid in the master cylinder (dark-ish brown) I am thinking the system could stand to be completely flushed. That part I'm not as comfortable with.

Brake hoses break down internally over time and the debris released internally can be bad and cause caliper lock up. Very common on the 50 year old classic cars I work on. This is evident as you say with darkened/contaminated brake fluid.

Experienced folks used to working on newer cars may never see the problems associated with 25-30 year old brake systems. I would change all the rubber hoses, front and rear, flush the hard lines, refill and rebleed. Also I change the caliper pins every second pad job. They are cheap insurance against binding as well. The pins need to be lubed slightly with a high temperature grease.

You did the hard part - the diagnosis - now put in the fixes... Also keep an eye on the master cylinder - the next thing to go bad are the internals of the master cylinder either an external leak or an internal leak.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Its the calipers themselves. I have had this happen twice on my Ford Ranger and I have had friends have this happen. The calipers use phenolic pistons rather than metal and while they work well when new, they tend to absorb a small amount of fluid and then also collect brake dust and when they get real hot, they seize up. If you let it cool they can be pried or levered to push the piston back in and they work just fine, till they get hot again.

Replace the calipers.

A Ford unit may not have bolts for the caliper to float on, many Fords use two V shaped metal strips facing each other with a elastomer material bonded between them. The caliper floats on these, a very good system that generally never causes any problems.

Charles