1995 Accord EX Coupe Front Driver Side Wheel Issues
Rianna
09-23-2007, 12:28 PM
I have a 1995 Honda Accord EX Coupe and it's had trouble with it's right driver side wheel. I bought my car about three and a half years ago with 42,000 miles. At around 60,000, I had a brake change. My routers were heat warped... but on the driver side front, it was especially really bad. The caliper was changed as well. My car was good for awhile, but then a couple months ago I notice a reddish dust all over this wheel. I asked my father about it and he said it was brake dust. Anyway, for some reason he never did anything about. About a month ago, my axle went on this wheel. Now, my brakes on this side need to be replaced again. Currently, I beleive it's sticking, dragging and making a horrible noise, but only on this particular wheel. The other side is fine. I'm begining to think it has to be more than coincidence that only this one wheel seems to have all the problems.
Update: My dad just changed mt brake pads. The passenger front was like new, but my driver side looked like this:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2943/0923071322gd4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4257/0923071323ym4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Any insight would be appreciated. :)
Thanks,
Rianna
Update: My dad just changed mt brake pads. The passenger front was like new, but my driver side looked like this:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2943/0923071322gd4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4257/0923071323ym4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Any insight would be appreciated. :)
Thanks,
Rianna
jeffcoslacker
09-23-2007, 02:41 PM
Soemtimes you have to look at it a couple of ways...what appears to be a brake that is wearing too fast and has a problem can also be an indication that it is the only one actually DOING anything, and the problem lies on the other side...
However the dust is a good indicator of a brake that is constantly dragging. So you have to think what causes this. The pads can tell you sometimes...you only showed us the friction surface of one of them in the pics...were they both worn to the backing plate?
Having one that is worn more than the other will tell you where the problem lies....the inboard (piston side) being worn more indicates a sticking caliper piston that won't properly retract, a worn outboard (sliding contact side) indicates the caliper is not able to glide on it's pins and guides like it's supposed to, so the sliding side drags after applying the brake.
Pads worn at angle (beveled wear) indicates slop or misalignment. Pads not properly seated in the caliper or worn out pin/sleeve hardware allowing the caliper to move in unwanted directions are to blame. Both conditions can cause disc brakes to drag.
If the pads seem evenly worn, the caliper seems to be easy to push the piston into and glides easily on it's mount, the hardware is all good and everything fits together properly, then you have to move onto a possible hydraulic issue.
Most common is a bad brake hose. A deteriorated inner lining can collapse inward, and act like a one-way valve to fluid movement...when you apply the brake pressure moves toward the wheel but can't return back toward the master cylinder when you release...as far as the caliper is concerned, your foot is still on the brake.
There's a couple of easy ways to figure this out. I take the car for a ride, and bring a proper sized wrench for the bleeder screw. Drive around for a while and get things good and warmed up. The run down the road at 45 mph or better for several miles without using the brakes...
Pull to the side, let the car roll to a stop or use the e-brake if you have to....the idea is to NOT use the front brakes...after driving this far without using them, they should be fairly cool.
OK so first feel the wheels....if you have one side considerable warm or even hot, and the other is cool, you have confirmed your suspicion about that wheel dragging. Now onto phase 2...
Drive it around, using the brakes heavily and repeatedly...then find a place where you can stop, parking lot, whatever. Cut the wheels so you can reach the bleeder screw, and open the screw on the affected caliper. Don't worry about getting air in, the only way you can draw air into brakes is if you were to have the pedal down with the screw open and then let the pedal up. Anyone who tells you different is WRONG....
OK so listen and pay attention closely as you open it. Do it quickly, in one short snap...if you have a hydraulic issue, like the collapsed hose I mentioned, when you open it a couple of things will happen...one is you will get a pressurized shot of fluid out of the bleeder, as if someone was pressing the pedal. The other thing is you may hear a little grunt from the caliper as it releases and relaxes it's grip. The car may even move a little. If so, you have definitely found your problem...change that brake hose.
Once in a great while you'll find one that has some other issue, like a crushed hard brake line or a bad proportioning valve or something, but I'm not going into that now...too rare...
However the dust is a good indicator of a brake that is constantly dragging. So you have to think what causes this. The pads can tell you sometimes...you only showed us the friction surface of one of them in the pics...were they both worn to the backing plate?
Having one that is worn more than the other will tell you where the problem lies....the inboard (piston side) being worn more indicates a sticking caliper piston that won't properly retract, a worn outboard (sliding contact side) indicates the caliper is not able to glide on it's pins and guides like it's supposed to, so the sliding side drags after applying the brake.
Pads worn at angle (beveled wear) indicates slop or misalignment. Pads not properly seated in the caliper or worn out pin/sleeve hardware allowing the caliper to move in unwanted directions are to blame. Both conditions can cause disc brakes to drag.
If the pads seem evenly worn, the caliper seems to be easy to push the piston into and glides easily on it's mount, the hardware is all good and everything fits together properly, then you have to move onto a possible hydraulic issue.
Most common is a bad brake hose. A deteriorated inner lining can collapse inward, and act like a one-way valve to fluid movement...when you apply the brake pressure moves toward the wheel but can't return back toward the master cylinder when you release...as far as the caliper is concerned, your foot is still on the brake.
There's a couple of easy ways to figure this out. I take the car for a ride, and bring a proper sized wrench for the bleeder screw. Drive around for a while and get things good and warmed up. The run down the road at 45 mph or better for several miles without using the brakes...
Pull to the side, let the car roll to a stop or use the e-brake if you have to....the idea is to NOT use the front brakes...after driving this far without using them, they should be fairly cool.
OK so first feel the wheels....if you have one side considerable warm or even hot, and the other is cool, you have confirmed your suspicion about that wheel dragging. Now onto phase 2...
Drive it around, using the brakes heavily and repeatedly...then find a place where you can stop, parking lot, whatever. Cut the wheels so you can reach the bleeder screw, and open the screw on the affected caliper. Don't worry about getting air in, the only way you can draw air into brakes is if you were to have the pedal down with the screw open and then let the pedal up. Anyone who tells you different is WRONG....
OK so listen and pay attention closely as you open it. Do it quickly, in one short snap...if you have a hydraulic issue, like the collapsed hose I mentioned, when you open it a couple of things will happen...one is you will get a pressurized shot of fluid out of the bleeder, as if someone was pressing the pedal. The other thing is you may hear a little grunt from the caliper as it releases and relaxes it's grip. The car may even move a little. If so, you have definitely found your problem...change that brake hose.
Once in a great while you'll find one that has some other issue, like a crushed hard brake line or a bad proportioning valve or something, but I'm not going into that now...too rare...
jeffcoslacker
09-23-2007, 02:52 PM
When you put it back together, eveything must move like it should, or you'll drag.
Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking the caliper moves on the mounting bolts, it doesn't. The bolts hold the sleeves (guides) and the caliper fits on them, with o-rings for alignment and to keep contamination out. Most calipers you remove the sleeves will require a lot of force to move in the caliper, or won't move at all....90% of the time nobody thinks anything of it and just puts it back together...
When you go back together, you'll have the pistons pushed back fully, assuming you are putting on new pads. So when you mount the caliper up, there will be a lot of gap between the rotor and the pads...
You should be able to grab the caliper with a thumb and a finger, and slide it with ease back and forth on the sleeves and pins. If not, it's wrong. I like to mount it before putting the pads on, just so I can see how easily it moves, and glide it back and forth over the entire range to make sure the brake lube is evenly distributed and all surfaces are coated.
http://www.agscompany.com/products/productImages/1129046117_sl_sil_Glyde.jpg
Use Sil-Glyde...it's silicone based brake lube. It won't wash off or harden over time. Don't confuse this with that packet D-squeal they give you with the pads....I've seen people think that was brake lube, didn't read the instructions...what a mess...
Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking the caliper moves on the mounting bolts, it doesn't. The bolts hold the sleeves (guides) and the caliper fits on them, with o-rings for alignment and to keep contamination out. Most calipers you remove the sleeves will require a lot of force to move in the caliper, or won't move at all....90% of the time nobody thinks anything of it and just puts it back together...
When you go back together, you'll have the pistons pushed back fully, assuming you are putting on new pads. So when you mount the caliper up, there will be a lot of gap between the rotor and the pads...
You should be able to grab the caliper with a thumb and a finger, and slide it with ease back and forth on the sleeves and pins. If not, it's wrong. I like to mount it before putting the pads on, just so I can see how easily it moves, and glide it back and forth over the entire range to make sure the brake lube is evenly distributed and all surfaces are coated.
http://www.agscompany.com/products/productImages/1129046117_sl_sil_Glyde.jpg
Use Sil-Glyde...it's silicone based brake lube. It won't wash off or harden over time. Don't confuse this with that packet D-squeal they give you with the pads....I've seen people think that was brake lube, didn't read the instructions...what a mess...
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