Another question, I recently had my truck lowered from a 12 inch lift on 40 inch tires to a 6 inch lift on 35's (trust me I know its tiny compared to what it was, but it is still pretty beasty). When I am traveling at low speeds and stick my head out the window while I am driving I can hear a squealing noise. Whenever I press the brake in, it almost sounds like it is metal on metal rubbing on the left side. Not too loud of a squeak, but a small one. I can hear the metal on metal grinding sound every time I brake. It almost sounds like it is coming from the front and rear driver side of the truck, around the back tire and front tire. Took it back to the place where they lowered the truck and they said my brakes and rotors looked really good. Now I am really confused.

Lee

 

sometimes when you have a screaching noise and you know that everything looks fine it maybe a vibration on the brake pad holder and where the brakes slide into it. There is a lot of stress in that area when the brakes are applied. My car did that and the wife wined louder than the brakes about the noise. I put water repellant grease in the slots and vibration metal to metal noise stopped.

 

I really do nto have anything to put the truck on to take the wheel off. I am just going to try to inspect it and see. I was driving home from work today and when I slow down to a slow speed and apply the brake I can really hear it coming from the rear driver side and as I am almost at a complete stop the truck shakes and feels like it is going to die. It feels like it is almost spuddering, which is really weird. Got any ideas, my wife is starten to screach louder than this mysterious noise and where its coming from.

Lee

 

ok, so this problem actually turned for the worse. I was driving home last night around 830 at night and I was only about 5 miles away from my house and I was breaking and coming to a stop and all of a sudden my brake pedal went all the way down and I wasnt stopping; my breaks went out. So, I drove rest of the way home and made it safely. I parked the truck and only after about 10 minutes there was break fluid leaking and coming from the rear driver side tire. I looked and all the cables to the caliper look good. I think it is a blown seal somewhere in the caliper. Attaches are some pictures, tell me what you think. The only problem is I dont have a jack to do this, I might have to pay an automotive place to do this. Do you guys think the problem is the caliper? And do you think I should just buy a new caliper and put one on? Please help, I cannot drive the truck until this is fixed. Attached is the link to the pictures.

caliper and brakes pictures from trucks photos on webshots

Lee

 

I think a decent floor jack would be cheaper than labor for a brake job...

 

Do you guys think the problem is the caliper and a blown seal?

 

From what I can see it looks like your rotor is shot. The grinding sound was metal on metal contact from the pad being worn down so the backing plate was "grinding on the rotor"
I would change the rotor pads and the calipers. I did mine both sides all new for around the $300.

It is a very easy job to do, if you have your factory jack all you need is a jack stand for safety and a metric socket set and your good to go,

We even gravity bled the lines and they are perfect.

 

You can get a pretty good look at the brake caliper by just crawling under the truck. I'd look for where the fluid is coming out. The line leading to the caliper or within the caliper. Blowing a piston out means the brake pads are gone. That is very easy to "see" if one looks.

I wouldn't take it back to the shop that told you everything looked good.

 

Please use jack stands to support your truck when you have the wheels off. I bought a set of stands and jack and creeper as a combo from Sears and told the wife thank-you for the Christmas presents..... don't pass up the chance to get new tools for 'Safety'.

The Brake RR is easy to do. If you need new rotors or have them turned now is the time.

 

From the looks of the pictures, the brake pads were worn down beyond the the "safe" wear limits, and into the bare metal backing plate. Chances are the rotor is now beyond a safe wear limit and can not be made good by "turning". If it was my truck I would replace the rotors on both sides, rebuild the calipers, due to being pushed out beyond the normal operating limits (which caused the leak) and replace the pads with new. Bleed and re-fill the system and you should be good to go. Use a quality jack and jack stand are a must, your life depends on it!
Nicki

 

Lee,

I was happy to help you with your other problem, but.....

An old saying from my youth reads: "The Lord helps them, what helps themselves".

And that's what this forum is all about, folks helping others fix their own problems.

It's pretty hard to help someone who can't even remove one of his own tires.

Call the Auto Club. Tell them that you've so radically modified your truck that you're now completely helpless.

They'll know what to do for you.

Sorry, but something just snapped when I read you can't even take a tire off your truck to take a look! It would be very different if you said you believed you had a noise from inside a major drive-line component, but that's not what we've got here.

Pop
Increasingly Intolerant Ol' Fart......
Note to mods: Feel free to remove this unnecessarily-contentious post.

 

Pop,


Trust me I know how to take off my tire and inspect. If I had the time and tools I would. I recently moved and have been training and working a lot (in the Marines and we train and work a lot). Again, if I had the time and tools I would have looked myself. I have about 1 year experience with the PSD. That is why I posted up some pictures to get others opinions. Maybe there is a certain way the fluid flows or drips that might signify what is blown or damaged. Since I did not know these things, I posted up some pictures for the senior members and people with many more years of experience than I have, to take a look. Maybe they could tell something I could not from the pictures. In addition, your response to me was that I don’t know how to take off my own tire. Come on, really. I had to get the truck up and running in a hurry that is why I posted here. Yes the mods can delete this post. The truck is fixed and issue solved. And thank you to all the supporters and comments you have posted. I ended up replacing both rotors, both calipers, and pads on both sides. And yes myself Pop with the help of a friend. I hope there is no bad blood here.

 

Did you locate where the leak was coming from? Cylinder? Hose?

 

The Anaconda

Good Job!
Well done, and thank you for your service, especially since since some of us ol' dogs can't do what you do! Welcome to FTE.
Nick

 

This is what your caliper and pad will more then likely look like when take it off. The rotor will not because I can see the back side. You let the brake pad wear to the metal and over extended the pistons in the caliper which blew the seals. You did almost the exact same thing my brother did to my 94. If you feel grinding when you hit the brakes that means that the brakes are worn out and need replaced. You shouldn't continue driving it and the shop that said your brakes looked fine should not be working on brakes. That is all of my rant please continue.