samhain

99 4.0 aw4 127k miles. Did plenty of driving this weekend in 90 degree temperature. Cooking system is all fairly new. Never overheated but the two needle rose to around 220 or so. Needle slightly over halfway. Anyway I started smelling something burning and noticed that my steering kept pulling hard to the right. Then i saw smoke conning from the passenger side of the hood. Shut it down and didn't see any leaks or anything. Am I right into thinking my power steering fluid overheated somehow and that's what was causing the pull. After I let it cool down it drove fine with no pull again

salad

Power steering is entrely on the driver's side. Unless you suddenly lost and regained alignment it sounds like the brakes or a bearing locked up.

What did the smoke smell like?

jordan96xj

Your passenger side brake caliper/pad got stuck. The smoke was from the brakes. It probably smelled bad too. It unstuck once it cooled down, which means it was probably the pad binding on the knuckle brake pad rails.

Get some ceramic brake lubricant (high temp) and some new pads if required. Do your brakes and while you have the calipers off take some time to smooth out the pad slide rails. Clean them off with a wire brush, or a little sand paper if needed, to ensure that corrosion and debris has not made them rough (keeping the pad from sliding freely on them). Using the ceramic lubricant, make sure that all of the caliper slides can slide freely, and that their protective boots are in decent shape. Lube them up (inside the boots) as well. Then lubricate the pad slide rails as well.

When reinstalling the new brake pads, ensure that the pad end with 2 small tabs are situated on the bottom slide rail. And that the pad with the single tab is on the topmost slide rail. If they are installed backward (drive side pads installed on passenger side and vice versa) it will encourage the pad to bind on the lower slide rail. Leading to the condition you mentioned.

Don't ignore it. It will happen again. And INCREDIBLY high temperatures are involved.

If this is out of your comfort zone, take it to a shop.

samhain

That does make sense. It sucks cuz my brakes are all entirely new. Even my calipers. And yes it smelled like burning plastic

NM-XJ

This is an inherent issue with XJ front brakes. It's not an issue with the calipers per se, but rather an issue with the caliper sliders which are part of the steering knuckle (like jordan96 said).

If the grooves in your sliders are deep enough, you will need to repair them or replace your knuckles: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/xj...rooves-924713/

I thought the write up was here on cherokeeforum somewhere but couldn't find it...

BillyBoy

You wire bristle brush it. Fill it in with weld. File it off. Easier than replacing the knuckles. Cheaper too. Even if you ha email to buy a wire feed.welder.

jordan96xj

I was just suggesting you change the pads (assuming they had been in a while). But if they are new, you probably do not need to replace them to do the rest of what I said. As long as they are not damaged.

Radi

Sometimes autocorrect has a sense of humor.

NM-XJ

Have you never cooked in an XJ engine compartment??

Manifold burritos are a thing. A good thing.

BillyBoy

Humvee. Army. Spam cans on the exhaust mani. Yum!