Brake drag?

[mct75]

Are the pads supposed to be touching the brake discs at all times? It seems like mine do. There's a brand new master cylinder on it, so the PO was trying to fix something. My braking force seems to be lower than I would like, but I don't really know how to go about fixing that.

 

[Pin_Head]

Yes. Lose 1,000 pounds and that will help.

 

[mct75]

Cool. I always urinate before I drive the LC, so that shaves some weight off. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something else going on.

 

[retrofive]

One thing overlooked is a lot of the soft lines if original are just flat old. They will expanded causing poor braking.

 

[mct75]

These are definitely old. I was going to get some nice steel ones but it turns out there's a raging debate about what's best. I probably ought to replace them all and bleed it real good.

 

[retrofive]

Just go with OEM or Napa in the proper length and you will be fine IMO.

 

[Heckraiser]

If the rubber ones lasted this long, they'll be a fine replacement. I have run steel brake lines on a racecar I used to own and it reduced fade. The cruiser is not likely to generate enough heat to cause this type of fade unless you're taking it out to a track day.

:edit: Also if you're not happy with your brake performance, a couple things to look into:

1) these trucks need the living snot bled out of the brake system. Try bleeding them 15 more times

2) Read up on LSPV delete. I disabled my LSPV and it was a night-and-day difference in my case. Soooo happy with my brakes now... makes my little DD runabout feel unsafe.

 

[mct75]

I'll probably stick with rubber. It looks like the front 3 can be had for less than $40 aftermarket, so that's not terrible.

 

[Squash]

Pads can run pretty close, so if you decide to drive do so but stop and check all affected hubs and discs for heat.
Pick a road where you will not have to brake or idle around the hood, get out and carefully touch making sure all four ends feel the same.
Another thing is just letting her roll, she should roll smoothly.
So: if she rolls smoothly, and there is no skin burning heat or funky smell I'd call it good.
One thing that can bugger your day after a pad change is a buggered caliper, again use the above method.

 

[Nathan King]

Pads can run pretty close, so if you decide to drive do so but stop and check all affected hubs and discs for heat.
Pick a road where you will not have to brake or idle around the hood, get out and carefully touch making sure all four ends feel the same.
Another thing is just letting her roll, she should roll smoothly.
So: if she rolls smoothly, and there is no skin burning heat or funky smell I'd call it good.
One thing that can bugger your day after a pad change is a buggered caliper, again use the above method.

Resurrecting an old thread here... Sorry it got long, but I wanted to tell the entire story to provide as much context as I could.

Been having some issues with my brakes. My front right caliper seized up. I replaced it because it looked like it had 413,000 miles on it (which it did). I also changed my front pads while I was at it. Took it for a test drive and it started dragging. I pulled into a parking lot and then it would not budge without reving the engine to 2000+ RPMs. I grabbed a wrench and loosened the banjo bolt to release the pressure. The caliper released and I drove it home.

Next, I replaced the hoses on the right side. (I have hoses for the rest of the locations, but have not gotten to changing them yet.) I drove the vehicle about 200 miles over a week since changing the hoses and thought all was well.

Today I got in to run to the hardware store and felt significant drag. It wasn't far, so I pressed on got the stuff I needed an came home. The drag was there on the way home. I checked everything and decided to take it for another ride to determine full symptoms. 1st couple of miles, no issues. Then the drag started again. I could not get the vehicle above 60 at 3200+ RPM. Also, the engine temp got up to about 225 (I normally run about 186-195.) I pulled over popped the hood and checked all my vacuum lines and looked for anything that might stand out. Nothing. After 10 minutes. I closed the hood and cranked the engine. I drove back towards home about 15 miles at 60 mph with no drag and the temp stayed at 185-190 the whole way. I made a stop 3 miles from my house, shut off the engine for 10 minutes, cranked back up and immediately had the drag again as I backed out of the driveway where I was stopped. The engine temp climbed to 220 and I pulled over and popped the hood. I crawled under and looked at the brakes, and wheels. I could not see anything wrong. However, the hubs and rims were almost skin-burning hot. I could not hold my hand on them. I stayed there about 1 minutes and then drove the 1.5 miles home and the drag was with me the whole way home.

When I got home, my hubs and rims were still extremely hot. My engine temp was about 205 (I stayed at now speeds on the way home, but 205 is still hot for my Cruiser. also, let me add that when I feel this drag, the vehicle will not roll at all in drive without pressing the gas. I let everything could down and loosened the banjo bolt on the front right caliper again to let off the pressure. With the banjo bolt loosed, I pumped the brakes several times with my right hand and watched underneath the vehicle as fluid freely came out with each pump (into a bucket).

I tightened up the banjo bolt and took it for a test drive. I drove 3 miles down the road without any issue---No drag and engine temps were between 186-192. I pulled into a parking spot and shut the engine off. I sat there 10 minutes browsing mud. I cranked back up and drove home---No drag and engine temps were between 186-192.

Another detail: The pedal is high and I barely have to touch the pedal to get a response.

And one more detail: I did a rebuild on my front axle---birfs, seals, bearings, etc. About 2 months ago. since then I have driven the vehicle about 1000 miles and loved every second of it until this issue started.
This is baffling me. Probably because I do not know enough about brakes. Or I am keyed in on brakes and the brakes are not the problem at all. I am looking for any suggestions at this point. what should I do next? Is it time to replace all the brake components?

Thanks in advance for your help.