Brake Problems...Opinions?

[Goofyexponent]

I think I know what the problems is, but I thought I would run it by you guys first.

I, like another member, I also have a nasty clunking coming from the brake system it seems. I have no noises while running at any speed, until I use the brakes. No matter how hard or light I push the pedal, I still have a clunk when I try to slow down or stop.

I worked all nigh tplowing snow, So I just got up and took some tools to have a look. First I check the obvious like ball joints being tight, lug nuts being tight, steering being tight and bearings being tight. Everything checked out on the front end.

I did notice that the driver side brake pad that is on the piston side of the caliper, is totally worn down, while the other 3 pads up front are thick with LOTS of wear left. Time for a caliper rebuild? I might as well do both if I am going to do one!

I don;t think this will solve my clunk. It seems I have a nother moaning noise that goes with the clunk. It is coming from the front passenger side wheel. No idea what this is, but it might go away when I take the calipers out and rebuild them.

Everyone thinks that my clunking is in the rear brakes. Should I throw in a hold down kit, and a set of shoes while I have it apart? God knows when it was last looked at. I may even rebuild the wheel cylinders if they look like they have been in there a while.

 

[SparkandFire]

Thanks to my wife insisting we were "too broke to do a brake job" on her explorer, I ran the thing too long and had to do the following:

4 new rotors (front and back)
2 sets pads (front and back)
1 reman caliper (found out it was sticking after my drivers front pad was worn down to nothing within 1000 miles after brake job)
1 more set of front pads (see above...)

If in doubt... change it out.

 

[yodermanks]

I would check to make sure that the little piece between your caliper and the H looking piece is good and not flattend out or worn. on every ford ive ever owned i had to make a little shim because things would get worn and would allow the caliper to move up and down in the brackets. thats my guess and i know its pretty common.

 

[franklin2]

I did notice that the driver side brake pad that is on the piston side of the caliper, is totally worn down, while the other 3 pads up front are thick with LOTS of wear left.

The one pad wearing on the piston side while the other is not wearing is a sign of the caliper housing not sliding in the bracket.

The piston is on one side, so when you hit the brakes, the piston pushes it's pad into the rotor. After it hits the rotor, as the piston continues to extend, it starts pushing back on the whole caliper assembly till the pad on the other side touches the rotor. The areas where the caliper mounts have to be kept greased with high temp grease or never seize. This is the area that has the caliper retainer with the two little pieces of metal with rubber molded in the middle.

The two piece metal/rubber retainer is also a common area for a clunking noise. The rubber gets worn out and does not hold the caliper tight enough, or the whole retainer falls out completely

I just repaired a 89 f350 chassis cab that had a serious clunking problem. I took the front wheel off and sure enough BOTH caliper retainers were gone. Just after I took it off, I was wiggling the rotor checking the front u-joint, and the whole caliper fell out onto the ground. I got suspicous thinking to myself "what was holding that thing on while it was driving down the road? You guessed it, the only thing that was holding tha caliper on was the wheel/rim. I turned the wheel over and it had fresh scrape marks where the caliper was rubbing.

 

[BigRigTech]

My caliper brackets on the 91 are worn pretty good, I've lost of few sliders.......Now I spreader the ends so they can't fall out....Make sure everything is free and moving in the front but I still be the issue is the e-brake arm in the rear..Been there and done that...I have lots of good brake parts here if you need them. Pads, shoes, drums, calipers and etc....Used but some look brand new.

 

[Goofyexponent]

Me thinks it's time to throw that D60 under the front lol. While I got her apart, I am going to rebuild the back wheel cylinders too...cheap and I got lots of preactice from doing that army truck earlier this week lol.

I am gonna pick up some parts today (U bolts for the rear if I can find them) and get some other things (brake fluid, grease and beer) so that when I do the swap I have everything.

 

[pafixitman]

I had a clunk in the front once when the retainer pin started to back out and caused the caliper to hit the inside of the rim.

 

[RLDSL]

I did notice that the driver side brake pad that is on the piston side of the caliper, is totally worn down, while the other 3 pads up front are thick with LOTS of wear left. Time for a caliper rebuild? I might as well do both if I am going to do one!

.

Get some new front pads, and take the calipers off, take some sandpaper to the sliding surfaces and clean them off of all rust, that includes where the pads should be sliding in and out, get some silicone brake grease like Sil-glide etc. and apply a thin film of it on all sliding surfaces including where the edges of the pads run, smear a film on the rear of the pads ( unless they are some of those newfangled kind that aren't supposed to have it on the back because of the built in consumable section like some Wagners) and smear it where the retaining pins go in and on those sliding surfaces.

Once you get the caliper freed up , it should quit rattling around down there and will increase your braking. You've been running on one pad on that side.
Take the other side off and since you have new pads in a set, do it up as well. Put on a tooth guard first time you slam on the brakes.

 

[Goofyexponent]

Get some new front pads, and take the calipers off, take some sandpaper to the sliding surfaces and clean them off of all rust, that includes where the pads should be sliding in and out, get some silicone brake grease like Sil-glide etc. and apply a thin film of it on all sliding surfaces including where the edges of the pads run, smear a film on the rear of the pads ( unless they are some of those newfangled kind that aren't supposed to have it on the back because of the built in consumable section like some Wagners) and smear it where the retaining pins go in and on those sliding surfaces.

Once you get the caliper freed up , it should quit rattling around down there and will increase your braking. You've been running on one pad on that side.
Take the other side off and since you have new pads in a set, do it up as well. Put on a tooth guard first time you slam on the brakes.

lol...you read my mind, I just got home from doing the exact same thing you posted here.

The clunk from the rear was the E brake. That is all fixed up and she stops on a DIME lol