Hi all,

I'm having trouble with the brakes dragging on my '97 F-150. It first happened about a year ago, the brakes wouldn't release all the way after stopping. When this is happening the brake pedal feels like it's almost all the way to the top. Normally, you can push it about halfway to the floor. It just done this one time, and I changed both front brake hoses to the calipers, and I thought problem solved.
Well, last week it happened again, the brakes almost locked all the way up! They got hot enough that you could smell the front pads burning. The pedal was hard and almost all the way to the top again, just like a year ago. I let the truck set a few minutes, while trying to figure out what to do. I got back in the truck to try to move it, and the brakes had released, and the pedal was back to feeling normal. This was a a week ago, and it hasn't done it since.
Does anyone have any ideas what my problem could be??

 

First guess, caliper slide pins are seized. Take the calipers off and make sure the pins and pads both can move freely, and while you have the calipers off make sure the pistons will press back into the caliper.

 

Did you change the calipers or just the hoses?

I had a caliper stick on my 97, and while I was in the store it cooled down and freed up.
Didn't stick again for 2 days until I had time to change the calipers and hoses.

As Ron said, make sure the slide pins are not seized.

If not, I'd say you have a caliper issue.

The manuals all say to use silicone grease on the slider pins, but I have been using anti-sieze on them.
I have been able to free sticking pins with anti-sieze and have never had any problems. Just use sparingly and make sure you don't get any on the rotor or pads.

Anti-seize was suggested when I had a stuck pin and needed to get the car back on the road and could not get a replacement pin.

I cleaned the pin with a wire wheel on a bench grinder, and I used an oil gallery brush on the pin bore, then lubed with anti-seize.

 

Sounds like caliper slides to me as well. One of the most forgoten about brake components that people forget about. Anti sieze will work but silicone grease is better.

 

It wasn't that long ago that I changed the front pads, and the pins were in good shape and I did grease them with silicone grease. And i'm almost sure when the brakes are dragging the back ones are doing it also. Could something be going wrong with the master cylinder or the booster??

 

Well don't know if this helps but I had a similiar problem mine caused by dirty brake fluid (lack of maintenance) Taught me to change brake fluid anually. Had to replace calipers and cylinders which cured prob

 

Those slide pins were the worst design. I had them on my full size Bronco. I would anti seize them and two months later they would hang up and wear out one side of the pads.

I did have a caliper freeze and go bad though.Wondering if the caliper has gone bad on yah.

I'd also get a friend and for the heck of it try bleeding the brakes again,to make sure there's not any air trapped in the line.

 

Thank you all very much! I will check my pins this weekend, as well as change the brake fluid and bleed the whole system. The brake fluid does look pretty bad, the truck has 100,000 miles and I know it's never been changed. I'll let everyone know what I find out. Thanks again!!!

 

I have been having trouble with my brakes sticking after I apply the brakes (98 F150). For about 2 seconds I can feel them dragging. So far I have replaced the 2 rear cylinders, rear drum, rear pads, all the e-brake cables, front calipers, rotors and pads, and flushed new fluid thru the lines. Could the master cylinder be not releasing pressure after apply the brakes? I'm not sure how the system releases the pressure. Any ideas?

 

As it turns out, it is the rubber brake hoses that go to the front wheels. What happens (according to my parts guy) is that the metal bracket that wraps around the hose rusts over time. As the rust builds up on the ID of the bracket it restricts the flow more and more. I pried open the brackets and sure enough the ID had a layer of rust that was pinching the hose (the hose was visibly deformed). I cleaned it up and reassembled and the problem went away. I have my brakes back!

 

I had the same problem once the pads wore down. I replaced both rotors, greased the pins (they were original rotors, replaced in 08) I have not had a problem since. I believe (though I did not mic it) the rotors were well past their prime causing the calipers to over-extend and freeze up. My front hoses broke while changing the rotors so those are new too, you should be happy you did them.

John