Just got back from a half hour highway run, go to get something out of the back seat when I get home and notice a funny smell. Thinking its the brakes, I grab a flashlight and grab the rear drivers side wheel as I lean down, to find the rim is very hot to the touch. Tire seems fine.

Wheel bearing/hub about to explode? caliper stuck on? (no abnormal noises, pulling to any side, vibrations etc) checked the other wheels, they are all stone cold, and the rotors are all nearly the same temps w laser thermo buuuut I kinda forgot to really check the affected wheel. Ill check tomorrow after my short hop to work. didnt see any fluid leak or anything "out of the ordinary".

 

caliper seized

 

agree. your braking is breaking and baking

 

seized caliper guide pin

 

Checked this morning thinking the pads where draggin from the caliper... however the caliper temp was equal all around, the rotor however was reading 250-300 F where all the others where about 120-130. guess ill pull the wheel off tonight and see whats goin on. dodged a wheel bearing scare I think haha I dont have anymore money to throw at this hunk of ****, its been fallin apart since I've been taking the highway to class... only 1 more month to go, hope she makes it!

 

careful. i called mine a hunk of ****, as it had just ate a front diff........only to have it catch fire as I was mouthing off at it.

 

pulled the wheel off, sprayed some cleaner all over the place, wrapped on it with a rubber mallet abit, picked some crap out and the rotor seems to slip through the pads now without any resistance... ill do the same check tomorrow with the ir thermo going to work see if that helped any.

BUT... when i took the wheel off, i found 2 nice nails in the tire... so BACk to the ****in garage it is anyway to get that patched. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

meh, just jab a couple of plugs, in there. 5 minutes.....done

 

Sounds like a stuck caliper piston, 5$ rebuild kit, hone out the caliper some so your (in good shape) piston moves freely back and forth. Check caliper guide pins really well, I've seen them bent before?? Not sure how that happens?? You should check each guide pin in there bores for any binding too before reinstalling everything. Use caliper guide pin grease.

Brake on!!

 

Defo sounds like a caliper piston hanging up and binding the pad(s) on the rotor. Lift the caliper off peel back the rubber boot carefully and check the piston for rust or crap. If rusty clean it up with a brass wire brush or replace it with a piston repair kit. If just crap, clean it, spray some white break grease on the piston and retract both pistons in fully making sure you don't overflow the brake fluid reservoir (rots the paintwork). Pump the brake pedal a few times and then repeat the retracting and brake pedal pumping. Hopefully it'll free up and job done. When you think about it the pistons stay in the same positions for a long time and get a hammering with road crap and corrosion and inevitably stick. The only other vague possibility is a dry wheel bearing but I don't think it's that.