brakes sticking

camo · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:47 pm

I drive 110 miles a day round trip for work. yesterday the rear driver brake was smoking when I got home, I took the wheel off and couldn't spot anything unusual visually speaking, then I check all other wheels and the front passanger wheel is kind of sticking a bit but again no sings of visual damage, any ideas? thnx

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:52 pm

Do you use your parking brake? If so you would not see problems with it just taking the wheel off :dizzy:

Our rear wheels have both drum brakes for parking and disks for normal brakes.
If one of the service brakes is sticking it would show up as heavy brake dust on one or possibly more wheel(s) then the others.
I've not been inside the rear drum section so can't help there.

Joe

jeepdan · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:11 pm

The parking brakes on both of my CRDs have frozen up from rust preventing them from releasing. The acutating levers pivot on a strut, which is located inside the backing plates between the top of the shoes. This pivot point will really rust up.

On one set, I could not salvage them and had to buy the parts from Jeep.

camo · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:49 pm

well, i have never use the parking brakes in the half a year i've own my libby. my libby has always been down here at houston and it is pretty much rust free but i will have to tell that you have to lift the parking brake level all the way in order to engage the parking brakes. Also, what do you think about the front passanger sticking a bit too?
im planning to get to this tomorrow morning. thnx

papaindigo · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:33 pm

The classic reason for front/rear disc brakes sticking/overheating is failure of the pads to retract from the rotor. On the front brakes of our CRDs the most common reason is related to, if I recall correctly, a swollen rubber boot on, I believe, a retractor pin. Check around on the forum as there is chat on this topic.

Another reason, I've not heard this on the CRD, is related to plastic/fiberglass pistons in the disc brake calipers. IMHO I hate these non-stainless steel pistons as I've had several brake jobs that were ok but for these pistons (they tend to absorb brake fluid and swell up) binding in the "bore" after they were pushed back enough to allow new pads to clear the calipers (e.g. step on the brake once or twice and everything locks up).

The rear parking brakes are another potential issue.

camo - it's a bit of a reach but modern vehicles, ours included, have split system brakes so it's possible to have one "side" of the brake system fail in semi-locked mode due to a bad master cylinder. I suspect, but don't know, that the CRD has a diagonal (ex. front left and right rear) type system. If that's the case and both brakes on the "side" of the system are a problem then I'd wonder about the master cylinder.

camo · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:55 pm

wow. i'll get to this tomorrow. I hope it doesn't turn into a nightmare. under what kind of title do you think I can search on the forum for this issue?

4x4kingx889 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 17, 2011 6:42 pm **Posts:** 235

Mine did this it was a caliper cost about 6$0 and took 15 mins to replace

papaindigo · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 10:12 pm

camo - take a look at http://www.greendieselengineering.com/f ... st/70.page . Best bet is jack up the CRD so you can spin each tire. If one is clearly dragging then check the brakes as to why. IMHO it's likely that you have a sticky retractor pin (a clean and lube job - no big deal) on the front. The rear may be a sticky parking brake about which I have no opinion or experience "yet".

I have had the retractor problem on other vehicles (Chrysler and Ford both) and the solution was cleaning and bit of brake grease on the slider pins.

The piston problem in the old days was a rebuild of the caliper assembly with stainless steel pistons. Don't know if that is still possible, if not the "today" solution is just to install a rebuilt caliper assembly hopefully with SS pistons.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:10 pm

Everything that has been mentioned so far is possible, but the most common cause of this in a KJ is either a sticking caliper or internal collapse of the flexible brake lines. The problem is that both of these tend to diappear when things cool down. So, after you have been flatbedded home, you jack up all the corners and all the wheels spin just fine.

Just prior to my wife getting stuck, I had replaced the front pads. This involved retracting the pistons. I recalled noting how much more effort it took to retract the pistons than I could recall it taking than on any other vehicle I had ever worked on. I was virtually certain because of this that the problem was the calipers, but since I could not have my wife getting stuck on the highway soon after, I replaced the flex hoses as well.

It is true that one of the two slider pins on each front caliper does have a rubber sleeve that should be removed because it grows over time and jams the slider pin.. I have never done the rear brakes myself yet so I can't comment on those.

DOC

camo · **Posted:** Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:29 pm

So, tomorrow when I check the brakes, how hard the calipers should be to retract if they are normal? Im planning to take all of them out and check them one by one. i'll report what i see in the morning.

camo · **Posted:** Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:32 pm

ok, at rear, the parking brake is engaging and disengaging just fine. I clean and grease what had to be grease and seem to be ok now. but at the front it is still sticking a bit tough I clean it and all. the only suspicious thing I saw at the front caliper was that the rim arround the caliper cylinder was worn out and had a small rip, could that be it? :?:

DynoPax · **Posted:** Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:33 am

True, the parking brake system on the KJ sucks big time! I replaced all parts with a maintenance kit and still have issue, especially with the rear dust cover holding rivets that popped due to rust...

This week-end, I actually did some maintenance as well on the rear calipers. I noticed a slight dragging on the rear right side, so went with regrease sliders and replace rubber boots. Oddly enough, this has actually made it worse. I noticed that the sliders actually seize a bit unless forced back-and-forth repetitively until loose again. I suspected wrong grease type and went to test different ones (graphite - high temp - lithium), but with same result every time.

This morning on my way to work, I checked the rear wheels and they felt quite warm, on both sides. So go figure, sliders are probably offering too much resistance. I've done this type of work before but never had this as a result. My guess is these reman calipers are poor quality so I'll look for new ones of better standard...

AUG16: A little update... I removed both calipers last night, tight as hell so went ahead with cleaning sleeves and rubber boots thoroughly. Used dielectric grease (did not have brake grease handy) and voilà, no more seize, slides like a charm. It seems the type of grease will have an effect on rubber (swelling with petroleum-based, no prob with synth)...

OldSkull · **Posted:** Wed Aug 17, 2011 1:59 pm

I just change my front rotors and pads (Akenobo ceramic) and the calipers cylinder dont move freely like in butter (AKA need to mutch pressure to move)
I search and never found SS cylinder, all auto part around sell phenolic piston caliper.

Can anyone tell me where he find those stanless steel cylinder caliper please?

papaindigo · **Posted:** Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:16 pm

Me to if someone knows of ss pistons in rebuilt caliper assemblies. I've been on the hunt but no luck.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:32 pm

When I was searching for brake pads previously, I swear I was some s/s piston calibers for the Liberty a couple times. Sorry..no specific links, but give Google a try.

DynoPax · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:35 am

According to RockAuto, some are steel but no mention of stainless:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?carcode=1432225

papaindigo · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:14 am

I surfed around a bit and at least for the rear caliper assemblies OEM replacement caliper assemblies (w/wo pads) appear to be available thru several (NAPA, O'Reilly, RockAuto are what I checked) suppliers with "metal" pistons. I'm sure one can double check but without doing so it's likely these are SS pistons as I have not seen chromed metal pistons in decades. I had less luck with front calipers as they all seem to have phenolic pistons.

I will note that the better, if you go by price, assemblies come with a limited lifetime warranty on the caliper assembly which makes me a bit happier about non-metallic pistons but....

I'd like to hear other opinions/experiences with phenolic pistons that seem to be common today. I've experienced several episodes of "plastic" pistons sticking after a simple pad replacement or in regular service such that the pads would not retract (most spectacular was a 1993 Dodge D250 Cummins that took to random violent "hopping" up/down in the front end due to sticking pistons and somewhat warped discs) on vehicles up through the 2000 or so model year. Experiences I have less than no desire to repeat. The story I was told is that the "plastic" pistons tend to absorb brake fluid and swell up hence stick in the bore and metal ones do not. How true that is and whether it applies to phenolic pistons I don't know.

Input welcome on the forum or via PM or email. Thanks.

RAF 3829 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:05 pm

Well I decided to to pull the right front wheel on mine today, it was starting to get that crud on it again like a brake was dragging. Sure enough, the brake hose was buldging in 3 different spots, driver's side has 1 spot that I can feel. Funny thing is the hoses looked OK when I put brakes on a few months back. Makes you wonder who made them since it's only a bit over 5 years old. Decided to change the r/f caliper too since it has gotten hot.

nissanfrontier · **Joined:** Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:09 pm **Posts:** 145

I would recommend a through brake bleed with Dot 3 fluid! When I did CRD I found clear plastic material came through lines. Do not be shy about running lots new fluid through system. Start and rear have a helper push down on brake pedal open the bleeder to allow old fluid to come out. Mightyvac helps big time, air in lines is baddddd. Never allow RES to get low with abs manifold keep filled while doing this infact have 2 other people to helpout with job, one filler,brake pedal,bleeder

brakes sticking

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