left rear brake pad - outboard side - HOT Wheel !!

Morning all,

Getting the new used auto ( 92 euro, 3.0, auto trans, 159 k miles) up to speed. As with all used cars we know there are maintenance issues to be resolved. This morning it is a hot wheel !

Drove it last night and when I got home the brake had the "smell". The left rear wheel was also hot as heck ! The other three were normal cool.

This weekend I went through the rear brakes per Jeff's advice and lubed with wd-40 and the calipers do move and are not locked up. This morning I pulled the left rear wheel off and looked things over. The inboard pad looks ok, plenty of pad left, and the rotor is clean, shiny and smooth. The outboard pad looks ok, with plenty of pad, but the rotor is covered with brake pad residue but not rust. The rotor is very slightly grooved as well. In my opinion the pad is against the rotor at all times but the wheel turns ok but the slight rubbing noise is evident. I fiddled with the hardware ( not removing anything) and took a small hammer and "tapped" around the caliper. * PLEASE NOTE - I'M SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHERE AND WHERE NOT TO "TAP"


This did free up the outboard pad slightly and I felt a difference in turning the wheel. Am I lucky enough just to take it to the local shop for adjustment / cleaning of the slides , guides , etc ?

Humor me folks..... I just spent enough last week buying it but I know maintenance of a used car comes after initial purchase.

Thanks,
Stan

What happened is that one started applying, but the slides didn't allow it to return fully (inboard drag, caplier piston sieze, outboard, caliper not sliding). Take that caliper off, and clean the surfaces that it moves on, and coat with syl-glyde, it will probably be OK unless the slides are really badly pitted. Sometimes when you free them up, not everything starts working all at once.

You may have broken it loose sufficiently to work afetr tapping it. But if corroded, it will freeze up again unless cleaned and lubed.