Minnie Winnie

[B. Dode]

Hello, I have a 2000 24ft Minnie Winnie. Found this about 3 years ago. It now has 40,000 miles on it. On a recent outing, one of the front brake calipers started sticking. Of course this caused the coach to pull hard to that side and create a lot of heat. I'm not sure if these are the original brakes. Maybe not as they have quite a bit of life left in the pads.


Hoping to get some input on what may cause a brake caliper to stick like that. And what could be some remedies to keep it from happening again. One theory i've entertained is, it may have relatively low miles however just having that many trips around the sun could cause corrosion and result in a malfunction. Any ideas about the best way to proceed to eliminate the problem would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you

 

[Kirk]

Hoping to get some input on what may cause a brake caliper to stick like that.

In my experience, the most common cause of sticking brake calipers is the unit sitting idle for long periods, especially in a damp climate. If any rust develops in the pivot points it will cause them to stick. When you apply hydraulic brakes that supplies pressure to push the pads against the brake disks and only springs pull them apart again. With only 40k miles in 25 years means that the RV has only averaged about 1600 miles per year so it has sat idle most of the time. You may be able to free it up and lubricate it, but it probably should be replaced. You should also consider this a warning for the other 3 sets of brakes and service them ASAP. Modern brake pads last for many miles so I would bet that your brakes are the original ones and most likely they have never been serviced.

 

[B. Dode]

Kirk, thanks so much for your response. And I agree with your assessment. Reminds me of a mantra I heard recently "If you don't schedule your vehicle's maintenance, your vehicle will schedule it for you"! True Dat!!

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Chevy or Ford chassis, you should be able to get the brakes serviced just about anywhere. But, of course because its a motorhome you'll probably get gouged on the price.

 

[TheBar]

If your brake fluid has never been changed it needs to be. Brake fluid absorbs moisture. Corrosion and buildup inside the caliper causes the brakes to stick. Don't buy a caliper rebuild kit. It isn't a major job or expense to replace the whole caliper. But replace the pads too with a quality set. They may look good but over the years lose their performance. Replace both sides at the same time or you'll have uneven braking which is dangerous.