Front brakes Dragging

[OLDBULL8]

Just checked Azone for 92 and 99 rotors. There is quite a difference in the pad width surface, rotor thickness, offset and OD size. If he got the wrong calipers that would account for the brake drag. Wherever he got the calipers from I would double check it out. No way should you have the heavy drag with the correct parts.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

I got my callipers from car quest. the old callipers were dragging just the same as w/ the new ones. i got new ones because we thought that might be my problem and the fact that my dad and i screwd up the bleeder screw on the driver side.

I have thought of the wrong pad and rotor thikness also. my dad din't seem to think so but ya never know. the guy i bought the truck from also talked about how he could never seem to get the correct parts for it. ie air filter, oil filter, fuel filter. but i don't have a problem w/ that. the po did a front brake job on the truck shortley before i got it.

Does anybody know the specs for how thick the rotors or pads should be.

Thanks

 

[OLDBULL8]

When i take the tire off and try to spin the rotor it is extremely hard to turn. I know that it is not a wheel bearing issue b/c when the calipers are off the rotor spins just fine

When you did this, did you put the wheel nuts back on so that the rotor is held in place?
Do this on one side with the wheel off. Remove the caliper, push the brake cylinder back in as far as it will go. Put all the wheel nuts on to hold the rotor in place. Now, with the pads installed in the caliper, put the caliper back on, DO NOT APPLY THE BRAKES JUST YET. Does the rotor turn freely now? If not, then I would think you have the wrong calipers and/or pads. If the rotor turns free now, apply the brake now several times until you have a good brake peddle. Now see if the rotor turns free, may be a slight drag. If the drag is heavy, then I have no idea what might be wrong with the set up. Make sure the rotor mounting surfaces are clean so there is NO wobble on the rotor.

IIRC: the 94 still has the 6.5" bolt circle. The change of the bolt circle was to a 170MM bolt circle. The rotors will not interchange so they must be the correct rotors.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

i did not put the wheel nuts back on.
my dad puyt a c-clamp on the callipers while they were still on the rotor and compressed the pistons just a little bit and that made a world of difference in the amt. of drag. but then you apply the brake pedal and you are back to dragging.

Today on my way home from school i pumped the brake pedal as i pulled up to a stop light and i was able to get the pedal real hard and right at the top. once the pedal got hard it doesn't fade. the thing is once the pedal is hard my braking power is still very low. i think my rear brakes are not working or are very far out of adjustment. i don't know if they are the original rears but about how long do you guys find the shoes last on these trucks.

 

[Optikalillushun]

it was change for the 95 MY, so 1994.5 was the switch. Happened to my friend who has a 95 F-250 (build is late 94). Pulled two rotors at the parts house n there were two differenr ones. asked my parts guy @ ford and he said 1994/5s are different to get parts for.

compare the rotors, u'll see.

 

[OLDBULL8]

it was change for the 95 MY, so 1994.5 was the switch. Happened to my friend who has a 95 F-250 (build is late 94). Pulled two rotors at the parts house n there were two differenr ones. asked my parts guy @ ford and he said 1994/5s are different to get parts for.

compare the rotors, u'll see.

That's what I was thinking , but wasn't sure of the year. I still think he has the wrong calipers.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Please forgive my ignorance, as it may be a difference in year-model/construction, but how can the lug-nuts or lack thereof, have any bearing on holding the rotors of a 3/4- or 1-ton in place ??

All I have dealt with were either held in place by completely independent bolts, or held to the BACK SIDE of the hub by the wheel-studs being driven through ??

I know that on many smaller vehicles the lug-nuts hold the rotors, but I have not seen this on any 3/4- or 1-ton truck.

Enlighten me please.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I will also add that this wheel-dragging must be a very common problem with probably two-thirds of the vehicles on the highway, cars and trucks alike.


Our shop ONLY does tires, no brake work whatsoever thank goodness.


That being said, probably two of every three vehicles we do tire work on have at least one wheel that it would take Goliath to rotate the tire, even after being on the jacks for a spell.

 

[jhenson2211]

Today on my way home from school i pumped the brake pedal as i pulled up to a stop light and i was able to get the pedal real hard and right at the top. once the pedal got hard it doesn't fade. the thing is once the pedal is hard my braking power is still very low. i think my rear brakes are not working or are very far out of adjustment. i don't know if they are the original rears but about how long do you guys find the shoes last on these trucks.

With that being said, its one of two things: 1. bad vacuum pump or 2. bad brake booster. While the engine is running, pull the big vacuum line off the booster and see if it has plenty of vacuum (if this is bad your HVAC controls won't work either) If you've got good vacuum there, the booster is bad. I can almost guarantee you its the booster (its cheaper too). Hope this helps and good luck!!

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I was thinking of going to carquest to see if the rotors that come up on their computer are the same as what are on the truck.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Today on my way home from school i pumped the brake pedal as i pulled up to a stop light and i was able to get the pedal real hard and right at the top. once the pedal got hard it doesn't fade. the thing is once the pedal is hard my braking power is still very low. i think my rear brakes are not working or are very far out of adjustment. i don't know if they are the original rears but about how long do you guys find the shoes last on these trucks.

Many is the master-cylinder that gets wrongfully blamed when the second (or third) pump brings up the brakes.

More likely, the rear brakes are way out of adjustment.

Thin front pads and worn-out rotors will also cause the pedal to need a second pump.


What happens is that, when the brakes are thin or out of adjustment, it takes more fluid volume to bring the brakes into contact.

This increased volume of fluid is often more than the master-cylinder is capable of displacing in only one stroke.


Although it will do nothing for your front dragging situation, bringing the rears into proper adjustment will be to your benefit.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

This weekend i might take a look @ the rears and see whats what.

 

[Cucamongan]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I was thinking of going to carquest to see if the rotors that come up on their computer are the same as what are on the truck.

you can go to NAPA online and check parts numbers as well, from the comfort of your own computer

www.napaonline.com

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

i went to car quest today after school and got the specs on the rotors for my truck. tomorrow i am going to check the rotors i have on the truck.

 

[franklin2]

What happened to the troubleshooting session? All I have read is guesses. You loosened the master cylinder and pulled it away from the booster, and the problem didn't go away. The next thing I would do is crack the line at the master cylinder that goes to the front brakes. Most vehicles have the lines swapped, the rear one goes to the front brakes and the front line goes to the rear, but check yours to make sure.

If you crack the line at the master and the brakes release, there is something wrong with the master cylinder.

If cracking the line didn't release the brakes, go down to the caliper and crack the bleeder open. If it releases, then you might have a line clogged or kinked. If it never releases, then I agree you might have a parts compatibility problem.