Hey guys.

I recently changed my front brake pads to bendix heavy duty brake pads.

I did this about two weeks ago and still getting brake burn smell. Reminds me of train brakes smell.
Car is otherwise braking fine.

any ideas?
I did notice the front left brakes more worn than the right when i changed them.

 

Check to see if there are grooves worn into the knuckles, particularly on the left side. The pads will get stuck in the grooves, keeping the tighter to the rotor than they should be when released. If found, the can be welded and grounded flush... Minor grooves are "normal". Next check then would be a hose collapsing and not allowing the caliper to retract.

 

Test to see if dragging brake. lift off ground and check if wheel free spins or if brakes drag. firmly pump brake and give them a spin. besure to firmly press brake immediatly prior to the wheel spin test.

if there are deep grooves made in the rail on the knuckle that the pads are guided by, that will need repair, as that can cause this issue, likewise a bad hose.a hose can internally swell, causing a restriction. high pressure while braking will get pass this swollen restriction, but it wont release pressure well when you let off the brake, so the pads will keep rubbing. the swollen hose acting as a check valve, or one way valve. hose can look just fine from the outside but be internally swollen.

dont ingore this. if dragging brakes, you can ruin the pads, rotor, even the caliper and wheel bearings do to heat.

gooves on the disc can also lead to sticking of the pads, it is recommended that grooved discs be turned or replaced.

dont skimp on the brakes, get her done right!

safe stopping to all, and too all a good drive.

 

Thank you for the advice. I will check.
could you please explain the “knuckles”?

is this where the pad sits onto the calliper? The little notch cut out for it to sit in place?
I saw a video where a guy has little inserts that sit in there to stop the pad from moving. Correct me if I’m wrong please. I’m an Aussie so our terms are backwards over here.

 

Check this thread for pictures.
https://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/x...rooves-924713/

 

A more correct term would be Steering Knuckle or Spindle, like these: https://www.quadratec.com/vehicle/19...ering-knuckles

The groove forms on the "Rails" built into the Steering Knuckle, or a bracket bolted to it if you have an early-model, that the Brake Pads slide onto prior to slipping the Caliper over top of the Pads. Some brands of Pads come with little clips, but they slip over the Pad, not the "Rail", defeating the purpose. An 8.8 rear axle, for example, has clips that slide over the "Rail", protecting it from wear. You can see the 8.8 clips to the right of this image: http://zeebone.com/gallery/d/33936-1...moval__001.JPG

As stated, some bit of grooving is "normal". A sticky caliper or worn-out hose are just as likely the issue...

 

is it possible that the heavy duty pads are just wearing in? As the smell is becoming less? And as I said the braking feels great apart from that random smell after coming down a hill to my house.
Today I’ll get the wheels off and have a look if the wheel spins freely and I’ll come back and let you guys know where it’s at.

thanks

 

Can't say for sure, but I've run some of high temp pads before and I've never smelt my brakes after the initial break-in. Crazier things have happened. Best way to diagnose brake issues is by temperature. Right after braking, jump out and use your hand, or IR thermometer, to measure the temperature of the center portion of the wheel. If you're smelling something, one of them should be HOT. If one of them, at least side to side, is hotter, that's where your issue lays...

 

I checked and you were right the left steering knuckle had some grooves worn into it.
instead of going and doing this repair by welding or anything like that.
Would it be better to just buy a new steering knuckle for that left side?
My brakes seem to be experiencing other symptoms along with this. My assumption is that i need new rear brake shoes.
When going down a hill the other day i noticed the smell coming from the front and i was slightly loosing what felt like brake pedal pressure and had to travel lower to the ground.
On the same day my rear brakes locked up.
Im going to go ahead and buy all new rear brake components (spring set, brake cylinders , shoes, drums) and Front rotors and steering knuckles.
If non of that helps im assuming my master cylinder may be not funcitoning properly?

 

No it would be better to buy a grinder and a cheap stick welder. Or just a grinder and use the abutment clips.
Also try some high temp silicone grease as called for in the service manual. Silicone grease. Can use it on any part of the brakes.
Also pick up an infa red temp scanner cheap. It will tell you the rotor temps helps spot a problem.
Front is 9 times out of 10 going to be rusted in pads. Use the grinder on the pads and fix the abutment. After that its sticking caliper piston or collapsed brake hose *never seen this myself but it does happen I'm told.
One pad worn more than the other on same wheel means a stuck pad.
Back brakes locking up, very common to have the parking brake cable rusted solid causing the shoes to stick. Check that it moves with the pedal, and retracts.

 

New knuckles are $125 each and a lot of work to replace. Plus you might as well do the ball joints, u-joint, and hub while ya got it apart. Check around and see if there are any mobile welders. They'd probably charge $100 to lay some weld and grind it smooth again.

 

Im going to do that then.
Its definately the pads sticking.
Not rusted pads theyre brand new and i just checked them when i checked the knuckles.
It has those groves that should not be there and it smells burnt after braking as if it slightly sticks. Also the center of the wheel feels hot and if i stick my nose close to it theres that burnt smell almost like a trains brakes.

id rather repair it myself instead of buying new ones ive seen how ****ty that job is to do. Plus i am good with a grinder. Ill figure out how to stick weld too.

So i stick weld where the grooves are so it has some meat on it, then i grind down that meat smooth to the factory knuckle edge so its a straight smooth line. ?

Is that all there is to it? Any recommended grinder disc for the job? how smooth does it have to be?

In terms of lube, if i put some on the knuckle where those grooves are and the pad meets, would this help a bit?

Thanks for your help.

 

Exactly. The weld material will likely be harder than the base metal, btw. I don't think I'd go with more than a 36-grit. It needs to be reasonably smooth so the pad can slide. A touch a lube or anti-seize will help.

 

beauty! Thank you. For now I’ll add a touch of lube as it’s still only a slight groove and isn’t too bad yet so maybe it will help temporarily until a buy myself a stick welder.
As for rear brakes sometimes locking, i have decided to do a complete rebuild of rear brakes. Hopefully this will help.
thank you for the advice.
my Cherokee appreciates it.

 

can I use an arc welder or does it have to be a stick welder? Just before I buy one.