Help. I have to "re-lube" driver-front brakes every 3 weeks. | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums

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Help. I have to "re-lube" driver-front brakes every 3 weeks.

Right on schedule....noise came back. CV axle was not related at all. I'm ticked.
 






Kinda figured it would. As suggested earlier, I would try going through 1 step at a time. Start by taking wheel off and replacing, without touching the brakes. If noise is not eliminated, then try removing the caliper and replacing without taking the pads off or making any other changes to it. Just keep working your way through one at a time and stop as soon as the noise is gone. That will narrow down the issue.

I still suspect either 1. the caliper is not working correctly or 2. the slightly warped rotor is working a little loose from the hub creating noise moving against the hub and lugs or 3. the hub itself crapped out or was defective when you installed it.

edit - Is it possible the rotor is being pushed just enough to contact either the dust shield or the caliper bracket when the brake is applied? If you look at the bracket make sure the rotor is centered in it, if not it may not be completely seated on the hub or possibly the bracket ended up slightly crooked when you reassembled after the hub replacement.
 






It was making contact with the splash shield at one point and I've corrected it. Wish I was able to put pics on here cause It's obvious where the noise is coming from, right where the pads backing plate contacts the hardware on the caliper bracket. I let it go too long one time and it ruined a bracket from wear at that point. It was cupped instead of the flat machined surface it should be. I can see where it's grinding together. Hope that makes sense. I understand if it doesn't!
 






I dug this up to say I found the problem. The Timken hub assembly that I bought new and installed had excessive lateral run out that I overlooked during this entire battle with my brakes. The bearing itself was fine, just the cast iron base or the wheel flange was machined wrong. I noticed it when I swapped the 12 inch Sport rotors/spindles on in a last ditch effort to cure this. I bolted a brand new rotor on, installed caliper bracket and loaded the pads into position. Spun the rotor and it pushed the pads about 1/8" from the face of the rotor. I swapped the hub for the junkyard hub that I pulled off the Sport spindle before installation and repeated above procedure. The rotor spun true. Been several months and several thousand miles now and brakes are perfect. I have been relieved of my demon.
 






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