Jeep Cherokee Forum - Binding intermittently front brake

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Binding intermittently front brake

Hi all
I am looking for some advice please
i live in the North East of Scotland (UK). I have a 1995 Cherokee SE Limited 4.0 HO. I have owned it for 14 years and it has been a great vehicle. However it has been off the road for coming up to 3 years now. About 4 1/2 years ago it need a new copper brake pipe for its annual MOT Certificate. Since then it developed an annoying and random issue with the front RHS brake caliper (UK drivers side).
It is a stock vehicle apart from a Janspeed Stainless Steel exhaust. Stock 15 x 7 diamond pattern Alloys with 235 75 x 15 AT Tyres. It is not driven hard, it has covered 98,000 miles from new. It is mainly used to pop into town a couple of times a week, about 15 miles away. The road to town is a free flowing country lane, so not start stopping or on the brakes all the time.
The calliper does not bind all the time. On some trips it’s fine, sometimes you can feel some heat on the wheel, sometimes the wheel is pretty warm and you can smell the pads, other times the brake binds up and the disc is glowing. When it binds up I just leave it for 30 minutes to cool down and then it can be driven again, it might be a couple of days or more before the issue returns.
I have removed the caliper a few times. The piston appears to move freely. I have fitted new pads, filed the edges of the metal section to ensure they don’t foul on the caliper. Filed the sharp edges off and made the metal section of the pad slightly angled to aid its movement back and forth. Use copper grease when it is re-assembled. New set of discs fitted. The system has been bled, old school method by pumping the foot pedal and using the bleed nipple on the caliper.
So as you can see it is not like it just binds on and that’s it, sometimes it can go for up to a month with no issues, other times it might bind up a couple of days in a row, then be good for a week or so.
Any advice on what the cause of this issue would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
Tom

It sounds like you have checked all mechanical (moving) parts so I'd look at flushing the entire system with new fluid starting with the furthest brake from the master cylinder. Can you find/rent a pressurized system bleeder? It would make the job much easier. It could be that water incursion has created contamination that is acting like a non-return (check) valve to that caliper. The pressurized bleeder forces fluid into the caliper and back to the master cylinder and pushes debris out of the supply line.

Amazon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soarer (Post 3540887)

About 4 1/2 years ago it need a new copper brake pipe for its annual MOT Certificate. Since then it developed an annoying and random issue with the front RHS brake caliper (UK drivers side).

This keeps jumping out at me. I can only assume the brake pipe in question is the hard line from the master cylinder? How old are the brake hoses? The rubber bits. They can deteriorate from the inside and bits of the hose can act like a one way valve. The metal crimps can rust on the inside and do the same thing. Brake fluid takes its toll on that stuff after awhile.

My passenger side front caliper did the same. Tried to clean it up and re-lubricate it several times. Thought I fixed it for a while. I was always able to move the piston back when servicing them. Eventually, had it replaced, and it resolved the problem permanently. It would seize at random times, but got especially bad after a few water crossings that I did that spring.

But I highly recommend that you do NOT leave it this way. Get the caliper replaced if need be. For our vehicles they are very inexpensive. At best it can damage rotors and brake lines, and u-joint lubrication due to incredible heat. At worst, it can literally burn your vehicle to the ground should it ever flame up and get the vehicle body paint or under-hood items burning/melting.

Hi Idunno

thanks for the advise. Since I took it off the road I have bought a pressurised unit that I used on a couple of my other cars. For all it cost I am going to replace the flex hose to the front calipers, then flush out all the old fluid with new fluid.

Hi fb97xj1

Thanks for the advice. I will replace the flex hoses that go to the calipers with new hoses and then flush the old fluid out with new fluid.

Hi Jordon

Thanks for the advice. I am relieve to hear that I am not the only one that has experienced this, although ideally none of us would be better. You are right about the caliper prices, even in the UK they are only about £45. With the advice I have received so far I will be replacing the caliper, flex hoses and the fluid, about £100 and a few hours work.

Let us know how that turns out. I figured that it would either be the caliper at the point of seizure or the proportioning valve.

Hi Gat

Thanks for replying. I will post the outcome in a couple of weeks hopefully. I have to order up the bits and wait for the rain to stop for long enough to go outside and work on it".

You mentioned the proportional valve, I have not come across this before, could you tell me where that is, it sounds like it is something in the ABS Pump. Thanks

As you have ABS there won't be a proportioning valve to worry about.

Hi boxburn

Thanks for the reply and the information on the proportioning valve, one less thing to take into consideration