Questions and Answers
Front Brakes In Drag?
Q. 1986 Chevy Suburban, 6.2 liter diesel, two wheel drive, auto OD, 350,000 miles, P/S, A/C, The front wheel temperatures are 160° F or better after six miles at highway speed. The rear wheels are only warm.
Calipers, hoses, pads, and proportioning valve have been replaced; wheel bearings checked and packed. I think wheels hot enough to melt the skin off the soft side of my hand are too hot and may be dangerous. Help!!
Thank you for your presence and response.
A. It is normal for the front brakes to be hotter than the rears. And yes, sometimes too hot to touch. There is a constant, but minimal, drag on the fronts while there is always some clearance between shoes and drums.
There used to be a general rule of thumb for front brake drag. If I remember correctly it is 14 to 16 pounds. What you do is jack up the wheel and remove the tire. Then hook a fish scale to the outside of the rotor and slowly pull out. The rotor should start turning below 14 to 16 pounds.
If it turns higher than 16 pounds, crack the line at the caliper and retest. If it goes down, you have a problem. Probably with the master cylinder. If it stays the same, then it is okay even if it is above the 16 pounds.
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