Left brake drag 2010 F150 2WD
10-21-2017, 09:45 PM
#1
Left brake drag 2010 F150 2WD
This issue has been bugging me for a long time and I need some suggestions:
2010 F150 2WD. Bought the truck in 2015, unfit, and here's what I found back then:
Pulled the wheels to check it for the safety inspection and found that the left front wheel was hard to turn/spin/rotate, and that same wheel was fairly warm.
There was a new left brake caliper, new pads and a new flex hose installed by the previous owner. The hose was twisted and as well, the previous owner had installed a right front flex hose onto the left front wheel.
Perfect!! Solution is now obvious why the brakes seemed to be holding on the left front wheel right?
I purchased, installed and bled a correct left front flex hose to compliment the (already) new left front brake caliper, and also installed a new set of brake pads (the previous owner had installed new pads but put the pads in backwards and they were overheated as well.) Bled all 4 wheels with fresh brake fluid.... and.... wait for it... no difference...still tight
Still had brake drag on the left front wheel. Not extreme, but definitely tighter than the right front wheel. (keep in mind that this is a 2WD, so no driveline drag from the axles). Enough drag, that over months, it would eventually warp the rotor and cook the pads. Hard braking on loose gravel or sand on the road would cause the left front wheel to try to lock up.
I put up with it till last summer (2016), then had to machine the rotor (warped) and replace the front pads again (cooked and cracked). Still no solution...
Fast forward to today, as another year has gone by. Rotor is warped again and left pads are cooked again. Today, I pulled the left front brakes apart and found the front pads very tight in the anvil. Started to wonder if the past replacement pads were binding in the anvil, so I thoroughly cleaned and filed down the contact areas on the anvils where the top and bottom tabs of the pads touch. Cleaned the paint off the ends of the tabs on the pads. a dab of antiseize under the anti rattle clips and reinstalled the new pads. They move nice and free.
Cleaned up and lubed the sliders pins with brake lube. Pushed pistons back into the caliper (they went back in easily) and reinstalled the caliper. Rotor turns freely at this point.
Started the truck and gently pumped the brake pedal to seat the pistons and pads.
Brake rotor is now quite hard to rotate again. Cracked the bleeder screw loose and it only relieved a tiny bit of pressure on the brakes.
So, here is my dilemma: I dont want to cook my new rotor and pads again... There has to be a reason why the left front brakes are not releasing fully after application. I have no doubt that the previous owner was dealing with this issue, thus the new caliper, flex line and pads on the left front wheel.
I'm stumped... anyone else ever run into this?
2010 F150 2WD. Bought the truck in 2015, unfit, and here's what I found back then:
Pulled the wheels to check it for the safety inspection and found that the left front wheel was hard to turn/spin/rotate, and that same wheel was fairly warm.
There was a new left brake caliper, new pads and a new flex hose installed by the previous owner. The hose was twisted and as well, the previous owner had installed a right front flex hose onto the left front wheel.
Perfect!! Solution is now obvious why the brakes seemed to be holding on the left front wheel right?
I purchased, installed and bled a correct left front flex hose to compliment the (already) new left front brake caliper, and also installed a new set of brake pads (the previous owner had installed new pads but put the pads in backwards and they were overheated as well.) Bled all 4 wheels with fresh brake fluid.... and.... wait for it... no difference...still tight
Still had brake drag on the left front wheel. Not extreme, but definitely tighter than the right front wheel. (keep in mind that this is a 2WD, so no driveline drag from the axles). Enough drag, that over months, it would eventually warp the rotor and cook the pads. Hard braking on loose gravel or sand on the road would cause the left front wheel to try to lock up.
I put up with it till last summer (2016), then had to machine the rotor (warped) and replace the front pads again (cooked and cracked). Still no solution...
Fast forward to today, as another year has gone by. Rotor is warped again and left pads are cooked again. Today, I pulled the left front brakes apart and found the front pads very tight in the anvil. Started to wonder if the past replacement pads were binding in the anvil, so I thoroughly cleaned and filed down the contact areas on the anvils where the top and bottom tabs of the pads touch. Cleaned the paint off the ends of the tabs on the pads. a dab of antiseize under the anti rattle clips and reinstalled the new pads. They move nice and free.
Cleaned up and lubed the sliders pins with brake lube. Pushed pistons back into the caliper (they went back in easily) and reinstalled the caliper. Rotor turns freely at this point.
Started the truck and gently pumped the brake pedal to seat the pistons and pads.
Brake rotor is now quite hard to rotate again. Cracked the bleeder screw loose and it only relieved a tiny bit of pressure on the brakes.
So, here is my dilemma: I dont want to cook my new rotor and pads again... There has to be a reason why the left front brakes are not releasing fully after application. I have no doubt that the previous owner was dealing with this issue, thus the new caliper, flex line and pads on the left front wheel.
I'm stumped... anyone else ever run into this?
10-22-2017, 11:27 AM
#2
Are the pads oriented properly? There is an inboard and outboard pad, see pic below.
Notice the bumps on the inner pad, if the pads are not oriented properly, they will bind causing your concern.
.
Notice the bumps on the inner pad, if the pads are not oriented properly, they will bind causing your concern.
.
10-22-2017, 12:39 PM
#3
Yes, previous owners mechanic had installed them backwards (2 years ago) and they were jamming on the caliper. I wish that was the problem... I am very aware of the 2 humps on the inboard pads, but I have heard and seen many times where even licensed techs put them on backwards... 
10-22-2017, 12:53 PM
#4
Only other thing I can think of is the caliper slides/pins. If they are dry it can cause binding.
.
.
10-22-2017, 04:22 PM
#5
Pull the caliper mount and pad sliders and clean the rust/buildup where the pads sit, I started doing this on all brake jobs also make sure the pads slide easy in the mount. I added a before and after pic of where I clean, also I only remove till I get to clean metal then apply light grease.
Last edited by who_knos; 10-22-2017 at 04:28 PM.
10-23-2017, 09:36 AM
#7
Let the Fun Begin
Do you use the clips that are suppose to be in the Anvil? Also I tend to grind down the brake areas that sit in the Anvil...not the anvil itself bc when you put the clips in its usually still a bit tight.
Trending Topics
10-23-2017, 10:43 AM
#8
Yes, reused the stainless steel clips. Cleaned them up really good on both sides, cleaned up the anvils, filed and sanded clean of rust. without the caliper in the way, the pads move freely in the anvil.
10-23-2017, 02:20 PM
#9
Senior Member
Seems to me like it may be something further back in the hydraulic system not allowing the pressure in the system to relieve therefore releasing the brakes. Could this possibly be a master cylinder issue? I would follow the line from the master cylinder to the left front caliper to eliminate anything that may be there causing the issue.
10-23-2017, 08:15 PM
#10
Seems to me like it may be something further back in the hydraulic system not allowing the pressure in the system to relieve therefore releasing the brakes. Could this possibly be a master cylinder issue? I would follow the line from the master cylinder to the left front caliper to eliminate anything that may be there causing the issue.