My Dad has a '98 F150 4.6L 2WD 115000 mi. Yesterday he pulled his camper to Myrtle Beach, about a 3 hr trip. Everything was fine until he got into town and stopped at the first traffic light. As he took off from the light the truck felt sluggish, like something was in a bind. He pulled off at the next gas station and found that the right front wheel was so hot that it had discolored the rim. The left was hotter than normal but not like the other. The brake rotor/caliper was smoking and the pedal was soft. He let things cool off for a while and limped on into the campground. After he dropped the camper he jacked up the truck and checked things out. The wheels spin freely. The bearings sound and feel smooth. This truck hasn't had any brake work done lately, but the pads are not worn out. I believe everything but the pads are probably original equipment. The trailer brakes on the camper were working fine. Anyone have any thoughts/ideas on this???

 

I'd suspect that either:

the front brake hoses have swollen shut and are not allowing the calipers to release

or the calipers are binding internally

or that the slider pins are corroded and keeping the calipers from releasing..

Steve

 

I would also suspect a caliper issue from what I have read. However if you can't find any fault with the caliper then check the hose. Also the wheel bearings can feel ok and still be dry of grease or failing for any number of reasons look there as well.



Jason

 

Update: He drove the truck for a mile or so this morning and then jacked it up again. The right front seemed to be dragging so he pulled the wheel, looks like the caliper is not releasing completely. He's gonna change it and see what happens. Don't know why the other side was hot yesterday, maybe just because he was stopping a 6000lb camper. He said that it didn't seem to be "grease cooking" hot just hotter than normal driving. I think I'll check his rear brakes over as well. I'm guessing the shoes are worn and not helping the front much.