I just put some performance EBC pads and rotors on my Explorer and the pads begin to bind after 20 miles or so. The front rotors get very hot and are dragging through the pads. They free up when they cool down.

I have done several pad/rotor changes including one on this vehicle with no problems.

EBC suggests bleeding the system since air can heat up and expand causing pressure to move the pads.

What is the proper order to bleed from the wheel cylinders, I have a Motive Power Bleeder kit. Any preference as to Dot 3 or 4? Something else?


thanks,

Rob

 

Does the binding only happen if you've used the brakes in those 20 miles? Have the brake hoses ever been replaced?

-Rod

 

1-Yes.
2-No.

Do you know the proper order to bleed the wheels cylinders?

Right rear,
left rear,
right front,
left front?

 

Air in the lines will never cause the brakes to hang up. When the master cylinder is in it's rest position the circuit has an opening revealed to the brake fluid reservoir so it's an "open" system. Any expansion of the fluid or air would be relieved into the reservoir.

I'm actually dismayed that a EBC tech service person would state air as a possible issue as that displays a lack of understanding of automotive brake hydraulics.

The reason pads would be hanging up and causing the brakes to heat up would be:

Pads not fitting well in the brackets and not moving freely (usually only with aftermarket pads).

Sliding pins stuck.

Caliper pistons binding in the caliper.

Brake hose deteriorated and acting as a one-way valve, often if calipers are hung by the hose or the hose was twisted during rebuild, especially if the hose is a decade old.

Restriction causing the master not to return all the way to its rest position so the compensating port is open by a hang up around the pedal system, rust between the M/C and booster, or with a new M/C improper length of the booster pushrod due to M/C piston manufacturing differences (aftermarket).

 

^ What Jack said.

If you replace the brake hoses (good preventive maintenance, even if it doesn't fix the immediate issue) and flush the fluid, you'll need to bleed the brakes. The order is: RH rear, LH rear, RH front, LH front. The general rule of thumb is you start with the bleeder furthest from the master cylinder and work toward it. Per the service manual order, the Explorer seems to follow that rule of thumb.

The service manual also recommends High Performance DOT 3 Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid C6AZ-19542-AB fluid meeting or exceeding specification ESA-M6C25-A, DOT 3.

-Rod

 

my 2005 explorer had an issue with new brakes once. as i drove they got really hot and started smoking i noticed in my mirror smoke coming from the back of my truck and it was brakes never figured out why they did it only lasted a day not sure why they did that never happened before.

 

Well I thought this was just a matter of pads not fitting brackets so I disassembled them, cleaned the contact points, relubed and reassembled them. Now this has become an intermittent problem, some days it happens, some days it doesn't. Also the amount of drag changes, I can tell by the amount of heat from the wheel.

But the strangest thing is the wheel that drags changes, sometimes none, sometimes left front, sometimes right rear, sometimes the others. Never seems to be more than one wheel at a time.

It also is more likely to occur the longer the truck is driven. Once, on a short trip towing a trailer, as soon as I started driving someone cut me off so I had to lock up the brakes, hard. It drove fine the rest of the 30 min. trip.

Another time, after driving 30 minutes with very light brake usage they began to bind. Nothing as bad as it used to be, no smoke, just the truck would come to a stop from the drag.

Thought I would check in here one more time before changing hoses and all. I checked them and none are twisted.


thanks,

Rob

 

what I read in your post is that you disassembled the brakes, cleaned and lubed the slides and pins and now 75% of the problem is gone..... seems like your on the right track. Normally when you have random brake drag, it is due to pins, slides, binding. I think I would disassemble again / clean/ and get everything sliding easier.

 

In terms of the order to bleed brakes, always start at the wheel furthest (based on brake line) distance from the master cylinder.

Given that most MC are on the driver side, the order would be:

Right Rear
Left Rear
Right Front
Left Front

 

Recoil Rob,
Did you isolate what the problem was? Did it get resolved and how?

My wife's 2005 Mountaineer has been doing the same thing and I can't figure it out.

Thanks.

 

Hi Pop's,

Do you have EBC's installed?

The short answer is no, I was never able to definitively isolate the problem. The weather here got cold and I had another vehicle. I since sold the other one and had to drive this more often. When I did I took great care to use the brakes as sparingly as possible, a lot of downshifting. Only once did they heat up. Then one day I was in a hurry, got in and forgot I had the problem and drove normally. I realized before I got to my destination, got out and checked, again no problem. I have been driving it since, about 500 miles and no problems.

Not to discount any of the good advice given here, it struck me that everything was fine until I changed pads and rotor. I had done a complete brake fluid change about 5K miles before and had absolutely no issues. In my mind this could not be a problem bleeding would solve. If anything it was a fit problem, something sticking or the performance pads heating up and something was binding.

So in the end, like kevinjackson94, I drove it carefully and the problem subsided. I imagine the pads wore in but I can't be sure. Truck sure stops well though.

I still keep an eye on it and if anything changes I will let you know.

Rob