Rear brakes...is this normal?

[BrianDye]

So I smelled a burning smell from the drivers side rear wheel well after some fast/fun late night driving the other night, seen a bit of smoke coming from that well too.

Someone suggested that it might be a frozen caliper, so I jacked her up, and took the wheel off, and there was like this sludy/oil/brake fluid looking build up, it smelled more like brake fluid than anything.

Pics:

Other than that, the brake seemed fine, I drove it 70 miles home, 75ish MPH, and didnt smell that smell, or see the smoke, when I took it out the other night it was just a few laps in my neighborhood, then out on a backroad around the corner, 0-60's like twice.



The brakes are REALLY nice, and very very good, nice and firm pedal, not much give in it, my 92 probably goes twice as far down. Theres no vibrations or warped rotors or anything!

Is this something I should be worried about? (All that buildup?)

Also, how do you think my lines look? Should I replace them soon?

 

[Maniak]

Umm.. which vehicle is that on? 1st gen X's don't have disc brakes on the rear.

But.. that sludge looks like weeping gear oil/dirt from a axle seal going bad..

~Mark

 

[BrianDye]

Woops, forgot to say its the 1995, hmm..is that bad?
Im not too underbody inclined haha.


EDIT:
Uh-oh...posted in the 91-94 section, meant to click on the 95-01!
(Moderators feel free to move this for me )

***Thread Moved*** ---~Maniak

 

[Anime]

The sludge could be from either the axle seal, or the caliper piston or brake line connection. I'd suggest disconnecting the caliper so you can slide off the rotor and locate the source of the fluid.

A leaking axle seal will be more work, but if it's coming from the caliper, you can either just get rebuilt ones and trade yours in on the core charge, or get a rebuild kit and do it yourself.

Lines look ok, you could always take a wire brush to them and spray on some rustoleum paint or something. Less work than having to buy and bend new lines.

 

[dogfriend]

I think you are starting to get a groove in the rotor - your pad(s) may be worn down so that the rivet(s) are making contact. Check your pads.

See pic below for badly grooved rotor.

I think the axle seals are leaking.

 

[BrianDye]

The pads are actually in great shape still really thick, like a good almost centimeter of pad left.


Whats an axle seal? And how do I go about fixing/replacing it?

 

[JCat]

Somebody is trying to kill you by spraying grease on your rotors.

 

[Maniak]

usually, the axle seal goes because the axle bearing is going bad..

Here is how to change the axle bearing, which of course means the seal too.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214805&highlight=axle+seal+replace*

~Mark

 

[brickwall]

Pull the brakes off and look at the axle where it goes into the axle tube, from the pictures it looks like the seal is leaking, letting it run too long with a low amount of gear oil will damage the bearings.