Hot Wheels (literally!!!)

[Triton46]

I commute 40 miles round trip in my Explorer. Friday when I got home I decided to wash the car. After about 30 min, I went outside and sprayed it down. The front driver wheel was hot. I couldn't hold my hand there for long. The passenger wheel was hot, but not nearly as bad as the driver side. When I shot the wheel with water, steam came off of it.

After another trip to the salt mines, I checked both wheels. They were equally hot, but the driver side stayed hot longer. What could be causing my wheels to heat up so much? I was thinking maybe a stuck brake, but the MPG is normal and it is not pulling to one side or the other. Anyone?

 

[tdavis]

One word.

Bearings.

check the wheel bearings. I bet they are either dry, or shot. Both are bad news.

 

[rpenner54]

Bearings and the brakes. I know that from time to time they do not release quite right and will cause that.

 

[irtySanchez]

A rim that is hot is the first sign of a bad caliper.

Good Luck

 

[Waverider]

you might have a caliper sticking. check to see if your lines are all straight. Also see if hte pads are wearing abnormaly or not. Then check the wheel bearing or hubs. I work in a Truck stop and this happens to a lot of the big work trucks. Bearing or hubs go dry.

 

[RFR2212]

I'm backing the bad caliper theory....I've had this exact same problem on my explorer awhile back
Pete

 

[jimbo74]

me too.......maybe not the caliper but the stupid slide pins.....they stick on explorers

 

[Triton46]

I got home yesterday and both wheels were just warm, not burning hot like before.

I beleive the brakes may be the culprit, one of them locked when I first brought it up to NC and the car pulled almost violently to the left. I'll get it checked out when I have my wheels rotated. I also have a service date coming up so for good measure I'll get the front wheels repacked.