Serious Brake Issues

[senez]

So a little background...

Bought a used 94 4x4 EB about 2 years ago, or so. Drove it for 6 months, no prob, then heard grinding from front passenger's side. Took the wheel, no inner pad (wore down to rivets) and was eating up the inside of the rotor. OK, just old brakes, need work. So I replace the rotors and pads, noticing the other 3 pads still have some decent life left.

Brakes still suck. So, 1 year after that, I went back in, checked the rotors (fine) and replaced the calipers (loaded, so new pads as well) because I knew they needed replacing as well. Bled the lines until sufficiently clear (read: tired). Pads are relatively loud (cheap NAPA pads), so think nothing of it.

All the while, the ABS light is on, and we dont' know the source of the problem. Every time I've tried to get the code pulled, the place was either too busy or the reader wasn't working.

Fast-forward to Tuesday afternoon on the way home. Hard stop, brakes are REALLY loud. After that stop, the grinding came back...

BUT THIS TIME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE! So I manage to get it home, get the wheel off, shine a flashlight down there, and what do I see? No inner pad again. ALL THE OTHER PADS ARE FINE. So, where do we go from here? The rotor is again eaten up, so much so it can't be turned.

Anyone have any thoughts? My first inclination is too much crap in the brake fluid may have gunked up the caliper, causing it to stick.

I also should mention when this brake work begain with new rotors, the bearings where cleaned and re-packed. I don't know if this has anything to do with it. I didn't check to see if all the slide pins were in place, mostly because I was too mad to think about it. Didn't know if anyone has any other things I might look at in the coming weeks. This is also to help me vent a little. Maybe I'll have updates and pictures of the pads and rotors when I get a chance to get the stuff apart.

Did I mention I don't have the money to spend on this now?

Any information is appreciated. If not, the Ex might meet Mr. Kero Sene and Mr. Match Box

 

[wolfnutts]

when u replaced ur caliper did u buy or get new pins with it ?? an put plenty of high temp brk grease on them so are able to slide ?? i dont know what to say about ur abs light being on .
if u get under their agian to replace ur pad take a wire brush an look for any cracks on the back side of the mounts not very likely u have any but just some thing to cheak on

 

[marragtop]

Does the truck pull either right or left when hitting the brakes? If so, consider a collapsed brake line.

 

[senez]

^ Don't even get me started on the pulling. The truck has always had an alignment issue that I need to fix. I have to install a camber adjustment screw/washer/whatever they called it. Needless to say, the steering wheel is not straight up when driving straight. I can check the lines when I go back under there to look.

^^ I did replace the caliper pins when I replaced the calipers, so the pins are new. Almost everything regarding the brakes on the front end is new. New calipers, slide pins, brake fluid, 1 yr old rotors, pads same age as calipers, grease.

I do need to replace the bearings, so there's that.

 

[ma96782]

You may wanna also look at:

The ABS or master cyl may have some problem w/ getting the equal fluid pressure to the correct wheel........dirt, corrosion, leak or bad valveing issue.

Aloha, Mark

 

[DeRocha]

Did you install the caliper slide pins correctly? The pins have a narrow and wide side and need to be installed correctly to allow the caliper to move without binding..

 

[senez]

pins went in correctly...

this sucks