I just did a front brake job on a 1996 F250 4x4. I replaced the rotors, calipers, and pads (installed semi-metallic). I blew compressed air through the hoses in both directions, I saw no reason to think there is any problem with the hoses. I also cleaned and re-packed the bearings.. I lightly torqued the bearing retaining nuts, but torqued the jam nuts pretty hard. I did some heavy braking when I first started driving it to test the brakes, I got them pretty hot. Now in normal driving, I think the rotors are getting hotter than they should. If I drive the truck, stop it, shut it down, and get out and check the rotors with an IR temp gun, the drivers side is at about 280 deg F, the passenger side is at about 235 deg F. Hubs are around 130 to 140 deg F. I felt the drums after driving, they are warm. Judging by the pedal and the drum temp, the rear brakes are working. I pulled the wheels and checked the rear brakes, the shoes were worn quite a bit, but since this truck gets driven so little I didn't change them. The amount of pad that's left should last many years.
I've tried to research this on the internet, but haven't found much information that I thought was good. The one post I did think was pretty good indicated that the rotor temp should be more like 150 deg F after normal driving.
I haven't jacked up the front of the truck and spun the wheels to feel for resistance to turning yet, but I have stopped on some pretty shallow angle hills, put the transmission in neutral, and let off the brake, the truck will start rolling. Also, on a decent downhill grade the truck will accelerate with my foot off the gas pedal.
Anyone got any knowledge and/or experience to pass along on this?
Thanks.

 

The last part of your post saying the truck rolls on a slope when not on the brakes makes me think things are okay. Rotors get hot. I have never temp checked one on these trucks, but I know I've heard them sizzle before. Especially when towing and hitting a puddle of water. So that had to be at least 212 degrees to boil water.

 

I replaced my rotors, pads, wheel bearings, drums, shoes, spring kits, and wheel cylinders a few weeks ago. First drive I bedded in the pads, they were really hot. Next drive I still thought they were running hot. The other day I checked the rear brake adjustment again, they were pretty slack. Got them tightened up. Front brakes seem to make less heat now. But yeah, brakes do make some heat. I don't know what a "normal" running temp is though.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure I adjusted the rear brakes after putting the drums and wheels back on, but it wouldn't hurt to check again.

 

Have you ever watched the videos of a 24-hour race? The brake rotors will glow bright red/orange when the brakes are applied! The friction of the brake pads will cause the rotors to heat. The energy of the vehicle at XXXmph must go somewhere as it slows - so it is released as heat from the brakes! You can literally see it in the video! look at around the 1:15 mark...

 

Not saying they are, but that video probably shows carbon/carbon brakes. They are suppose to glow like that. Steel rotors would not without having some real issues.

 

That may be, but I can also tell you that I've seen steel/iron rotors glow red as well. Go to your local dragstrip and watch some good-old bracket racing. My track is so busy that we're still running after midnight. Watch the cars as they hit the brakes in the shut-down as they slow down from 130+mph.

 

Weird, I thought drag strips were all about the go and not about the whoa.

I suspect that drag cars are probably using brakes that are way smaller than they should be. They probably get abused for the short time they are being used. Real racing, brakes are consistently used more than a 1/4 mile.

Yes, I have no clue about drag racing. It's not my thing.

 

I get that rotors get hot, but if they get too hot they warp, crack, etc. I know 300 deg F is not that hot, but that's running empty, not driving far, and not using the brakes much. What happens when it's loaded, and it's driven at highway speeds for an hour, or going down a grade and using the brakes a good bit? I'm just trying to figure out now if what I am seeing is hotter than it should be, meaning I have a problem, or if it's normal and I don't need to worry about it.
I appreciate your trying to help, but I don't think comparing race cars to this truck is even close to 'apples to apples'. Do drag racers change their rotors often because the heat/cool cycles warp them in a short period of time?

 

I was simply trying to point out that brake rotors get hot. VERY hot in some circumstances. As for riding the brakes going downhill...I don't. prolonged heat can glaze the brake pads, and lessen their effectiveness. that's when I prefer to downshift and engine-brake instead.

 

I saw your thread earlier, figured I’d check mine with the IR thermometer today when I had it out.

New front brakes (Power stop z36 pad, rotor, cal) two yrs and 4-5,000 ish miles ago. Rear adjusted. New hub bearings etc.

1996 F250 Dana 60, same hubs and brakes as D50.

Starting Parked inside at 65*F. It was 85*f and humid today.


Drove for an hour - half highway / half city driving. 55 mph highway / 35 mph city. Unloaded. Hubs measured on the outer lock hubs, I have hub caps.

Hubs: 105-110*f
Callpr: 135-140
Pad: 155 -165
Rotor: 130-150

Drove for another 30 ish minutes around town, stop and go, checked it again:
Same as above.

Drove for another hour. Half city / half highway. I live in a valley. The last 10 minutes or so are all down hill, 3 miles down hill, then another 3 miles up and down until home. Using the brakes on and off down hill, enough to warm them up.

Hubs: 105 - 100*f
Callpr: 160 - 165
Pad: 170 - 180
Rotor: 160 -190. Inside the rotor I saw it jump to 220 in one spot. Tough spot to measure inside. 160ish on the outer edge, and higher when I tried to get the ir inside the rotor.


No loss of feel, pedal, or brake fade what so ever at those temps. Brakes felt good, in fact these really grab at any temp I’ve been using them. Even towing down the long hills, I didn’t experience any fade with them.

I have experienced brake fade, and complete loss before in other trucks yrs ago, over heating brakes down hill, grossly overloaded.

I have had callipers stick closed due to bore corrosion and the piston not retracting, as well as rear drums sticking from parking brake cable corrosion. Both will really heat things up, but in my experience when they over heated, they smoke, they smell, too hot to touch. It was obvious there was a real issue.


Next time I have it loaded or the trailer hooked up, I’ll check again out of curiosity.

Maybe yours are slightly dragging, not fully retracting. Tight bearings, after market pads and rotors that are slightly thicker than they should be, etc. Are they fading or do they smell at all?

I don’t know about anyone else, but the after market parts I’m getting lately especially over the past year, even Motorcraft, is really lacking in quality - It’s obvious it’s farmed out to the lowest bidder. Some have gone right back in the box, not installed, and returned.

 

Thank you JJF20! That is some excellent data, Ican work with that! I really appreciate your collecting that data and posting it.
I'm convinced now that I have a problem I need to sort out.
Yes, I can smell the brakes after driving it. It's faint, but I can smell them. I haven't noticed any fade, but
I haven't driven the truck much since I did the brake job, and mostly short trips down the hill into town. Also because I am concurrently working on trying to find a fault that puts the transmission into limp mode, throws a 452 code, and shifts hard.