Weird smell in Rear Wheel Wells??!!!

[Trapper50cal]

Okay,

This is a weird one...

After driving a bit, I'll stop the truck, get out, walk around back and get a smell of burning rubber?plastic? something? Along with this fact, the parking brake isn't working to well. Could it be a case of the parking brake not disengaging all the way? What is the adjustment point? Its much different than a 55 where its located at the transfercase...

Could it be related to the rear drum brakes needing new shoes?
Is the e-brake "self adjusting" and out of material?
Could the lift be extending the cable housing past ability?

Any of this sound familiar?

 

[cfdlighthouse]

Okay,

This is a weird one...

After driving a bit, I'll stop the truck, get out, walk around back and get a smell of burning rubber?plastic? something? Along with this fact, the parking brake isn't working to well. Could it be a case of the parking brake not disengaging all the way? What is the adjustment point? Its much different than a 55 where its located at the transfercase...

Could it be related to the rear drum brakes needing new shoes?
Is the e-brake "self adjusting" and out of material?
Could the lift be extending the cable housing past ability?

Any of this sound familiar?

adjustment is on the e-brake lever in the truck. if you take the boot off you will see a treaded rod end attached to the cable and a adjustment nut at the top of the lever cam(self explanitory when you look at it) . adjust the nut so your e-brake has 4 to 5 clicks before it gets tight. the e-brake uses a cam to activate your drum brake shoes, so not a seperate brake shoe. if shoes are worn the drum will most likey make a grinding noise when brakes applied. you may have a axle seal leak or a brake cylinder leak or both. sometimes that fluid once hot/burnt if in small quantities can smell weird. large quantity leak oe either fluid will coat the brake surfaces and the rear brakes won't work so well

 

[cfdlighthouse]

adjustment is on the e-brake lever in the truck. if you take the boot off you will see a treaded rod end attached to the cable and a adjustment nut at the top of the lever cam(self explanitory when you look at it) . adjust the nut so your e-brake has 4 to 5 clicks before it gets tight. the e-brake uses a cam to activate your drum brake shoes, so not a seperate brake shoe. if shoes are worn the drum will most likey make a grinding noise when brakes applied. you may have a axle seal leak or a brake cylinder leak or both. sometimes that fluid once hot/burnt if in small quantities can smell weird. large quantity leak oe either fluid will coat the brake surfaces and the rear brakes won't work so well

lift not an issue unless it is severe in that case a braket relocation might help. if its 3-4 inches should be no problem. smell also could be brake cylinder not releasing shoes and brake staying enguaged giving burnt brake smell. one sure way to tell is touch the brake drum. be carefull if the brakes are stuck the drum will be hot as hell.

 

[lovetoski]

one sure way to tell is touch the brake drum. be carefull if the brakes are stuck the drum will be hot as hell.

I suggest driving for awhile, without use of the brakes, then stopping to inspect. Try to use just engine braking to stop. Use your hand to evaluate whether the rear drum is hot or not. If it's pretty hot, then the "wierd" smell is from your brakes dragging. This happened to me...and I just backed off of the rear brake until the dragging stopped. (Used a brake adjust tool on the star wheel.)

If on the other hand your drum isn't hot after driving for awhile...then I've no clue what's the source of the wierd smell but it's not your brakes.

HTH...

 

[Trapper50cal]

gotcha

Right, good advice.

One weird thing though, it feels like there is resistance when driving especially right after start up, and the e-brake has 5 clicks until it becomes tight (the lever) yet on a mild hill, the e-brake will not hold the vehicle. Those attributes (when taking into account how it works) seem to be at odds with eachother.

 

[cfdlighthouse]

Right, good advice.

One weird thing though, it feels like there is resistance when driving especially right after start up, and the e-brake has 5 clicks until it becomes tight (the lever) yet on a mild hill, the e-brake will not hold the vehicle. Those attributes (when taking into account how it works) seem to be at odds with eachother.

try and pull a rear drum. if the ebrake it loosing hold then you may have a leak axle seal, brake cylinder or severly worn shoes where the rivots are not grinding yet but have glazed making the friction surface ineffective.

pull a drum and see what you have

 

[REKCUT]

Lift the rear end so the rear tires are off the ground and see if the wheel spins freely or there is a drag.

 

[Bucky'sRig]

Spooky - Trapper50cal described the issue I'm having to a T. I had the "burning rubber" smell (which seems to be strongest at the rear wheel wells) and had a frozen parking brake cable. I replaced the cable, properly adjusted it, made sure the brakes were releasing and not rubbing with the parking brake disengaged...and I still have the smell. Hubs/wheels not hot to touch at all and the parking brake only stops the rig when I really pull on it. I anxiously await the collective genius of the group to solve my (our) problem.

Oh yeah, mines a white 90 - fj62 "Baby" just so you all can channel the appropriate cruiser gods. TIA. -Scott

 

[jmylie]

Check the wiring in the rear drivers side quarter panel.

If water gets in there, it could short out some of the rear light wiring causing the rubber or plastic burning smell.

Check to see that all your rear lights are working.

Burning brakes have a distinctive smell.

 

[Trapper50cal]

Spooky - Trapper50cal described the issue I'm having to a T. I had the "burning rubber" smell (which seems to be strongest at the rear wheel wells) and had a frozen parking brake cable. I replaced the cable, properly adjusted it, made sure the brakes were releasing and not rubbing with the parking brake disengaged...and I still have the smell. Hubs/wheels not hot to touch at all and the parking brake only stops the rig when I really pull on it. I anxiously await the collective genius of the group to solve my (our) problem.

Oh yeah, mines a white 90 - fj62 "Baby" just so you all can channel the appropriate cruiser gods. TIA. -Scott

weird huh? it totally doesn't smell like brakes, definitely rubber or plastic. My rear cargo areas are snug as a bug no leaking. I too am curious to hear from the lifers on this

 

[jgordon]

plastic bag wrapped around your exhaust pipe?

 

[dmede808]

Have you checked to be sure your spare tire is not rubbing the exhaust pipe?

 

[Bucky'sRig]

Good suggestions. I'm going to have to crawl under there when I get home and be a little more curious (and observant) I guess. Recently (three weeks) had the muffler replaced, I suppose there could have been a sticker or plastic coating attached to it that is still burning off. I recently performed maintenance on my spare tire lowering mechanism (per 3FE discussion board) and didn't notice any clearance issues, but again will take the suggestion and investigate. Thanks for the ideas...we'll keep plugging.

 

[dmede808]

I mentioned it because it happened to me. The problem was not clearance, the spare had been lowered at some point and then when I cranked it back up I don;t think I tightened it enough and it was able to slide over to make contact with the pipe after a good bump somewhere. Burt a small oval into the treads, but no smell that I could recall. Shot in the dark, hope you figure it out.

 

[Trapper50cal]

Spare

Spare is a 35 and in the back instead of underneath, the exhaust is semi-close to the rear tire but i would think the inside of the sidewall would get crispy or cracky and wouldn't happen on pass. side

 

[Ducks]

So, just to clarify. You consistently get a burned rubber/plastic smell from both the driver and passenger side rear wheel wells? Is it only after you have been driving for a little while and stop? If you drive a long ways does it still smell when you stop? Is the smell stronger than other times? There is no grinding noise. The brakes aren't hot. It doesn't smell like burning brakes. If it were only on the driver's side, then I would assume it is associated with the exhaust system. Been doing cookies in the parking lot?

 

[Trapper50cal]

So, just to clarify. You consistently get a burned rubber/plastic smell from both the driver and passenger side rear wheel wells? Is it only after you have been driving for a little while and stop? If you drive a long ways does it still smell when you stop? Is the smell stronger than other times? There is no grinding noise. The brakes aren't hot. It doesn't smell like burning brakes. If it were only on the driver's side, then I would assume it is associated with the exhaust system. Been doing cookies in the parking lot?

Yeah, you caught me, the astounding amounts of horsepower from the 2F with those 35's on has allowed me to just rip doughnuts and smoke half those MTR's into oblivion. (jk) It doesn't smell all the time but there doesn't seem to be any quantifiable or qualifiable correlation that I can identify.

 

[dmede808]

Well, it might smell from both sides even if it is the exhaust, so I'm not sure that discounts it entirely. You might try to do a test where you start the truck from cold and let it run for a while without moving to see if you get the smell then or only after driving. That could at least rule out the exhaust only possibility.

 

[Trapper50cal]

Good idea

truth, truth

In fact, now that you mention it, it seems to be only after actually moving for a while, which leads me to think something axle/brakes.

 

[MYFJ62]

Ditto

I've been following this closely - though I haven't posted up yet. I have the same issue ('88 FJ62) brakes certainly not hot to the touch. Does seem to be worse (more smell) after longer periods of driving though. The search continues....