hey guys,
just bought a 99 superduty and i can only drive the truck about 30 miles and then i have to pull over and let my brakes cool down before i can move again.both front and rear get very hot but the rear brakes will be smoking.

i'll be in 6th gear and it will take everything she has to move.once i stop...it will not move with out me really pushing her to go.i ordered a master cylinder but have not yet picked it up from the store.

i wanted your opinion on wether or not you think master or the hydro boost might be acting up.i'm new to the hydro part of the system and not 100% what might be causing the issue.

after the 30 miles driven the brake pedal is very stiff and hard to apply any pressure.while inspecting the brakes,calipers etc...it appears that everything is good and looks recently replaced.someone had also said there is a hose in the rear that over time will colapse and cause this?? im really stumped here.

if anyone have any suggestions they could point me to this problem it would be greatly appreciated.
thank you for your time!!

 

Before chasing after the booster or master cylinder I think you should physically check your caliper pins closely. They are prone to seizing over time. What it sounds like is happening is you have very little clearance between your brake pads and rotors to begin with and after 30 miles that clearance is gone due to friction and heat. That's my opinion.

 

Thanks langballs.I ended up pulling all four calipers and ispected them as well as the pins and pads.I only found one pin on the front to be hung up.I replaced all four up front.when I got to the back they were in new shape and were very loose.I still cleaned them and lubed both front and rear.drove to work this AM and the same thing again.back to the drawing board!

 

If you are in a road salt / corrosion issue area --- take all the calipers off, and rebuild them.

If the brakes were smoking, chances are the EPDM rubber seals have all been damaged.

Replace them.

 

Just to throw this out there. Have you checked to make sure you have ATF in the power steering pump and not power steering fluid?

 

I would try applying the brakes at home with the front wheels off the ground so you can see if the calipers are releasing fully when you take your foot off. It sounds to me that either you have bad brake lines which can cause the calipers to stay "on" or the calipers themselves are bad. I know for me and my '01 I had 1 stick and I ended replacing all 4 calipers and pins to completely fix the problem.

 

Hey miller_feed,

Are you saying if there is not ATF in the PSP to remove the fluid that's in there and replace it with ATF?also can you explain how this could be an issue.trying to learn something new everyday about these trucks.I wouldn't own anything else! Thank you

 

Hey mikesmayhem,
I'll give that a go after work today and see what's going on there.thank you

 

Yes, if you don't have ATF in the power steering pump, things like that can and will happen. We see that every once in a while in the 7.3 forum. These pumps are made to use ATF.

 

i'm gonna check the fluid in the power steering pump tomorrow.been dealing with my starter today.

is there any way to check a hydroboost or master cylinder to see if there working properly?this brake thing has me stumped?

after driving the truck for awhile just before i have to pull over the truck shakes very bad.
thanks in advance

 

if the fluid needs to be removed and replaced with ATF..what is the best way to remove all the fluid for the new? thanks

 

Just another side note to mikesmayhem, if when you check the brakes for releasing and they do not, there is a residual pressure valve inside your master cylinder to help keep some pressure on your calipers after a brake application. This is what helps keep your pedal up as the brake linings wear. If that is not allowing pressure from an application to release fully, that can cause this problem. Good luck.

 

What did you come up with as the problem? My rear brakes stick after a hard braking but release after driving a while. The calipers are newer and been replaced in last two years and this summer. they release in the garage on the jack so i think its a pressure valve or something.

 

I am interested in your fix for the sticking brakes. It sounds like I have the same problem and so far I have changed all the calipers with no luck. All four of my brakes stick so I am looking at places to investigate. Did you find out what was causing the stick? Please let us know.