Brakes/rotors/caliper

[Mark Rinker]

Yesterday I took the '02 in for what I though would be a front brake job. The mechanic called me back to report that in addition to fronts, the left rear pad had failed, taking the rotor with it. The right rear had about 50% remaining...

The rears were replaced at 150K, calipers, pads and rotors were replaced at that time. I am looking at new hardware only 40K miles later...

To complicated things, I the truck is apart at a different service shop. So, I'll have to ask them to button up the rears 'as is' and take the truck back to the first shop to warranty out the rears. Obviously, the reman caliper failed.

ARRRGGGHHHHHH...

[rob from bc canada]

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/images/icons/icon8.gif Injectors, Cooling Systems, Brakes, Fuel prices, and whatever...

You've got to be wondering if there might be an easier way to earn a living.

If it's any consolation, bad spells are called spells because they usually come to an end.http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[Mark Rinker]

Accelerated miles = accelerated maintenance. Sometimes it does seem like when it rains, it pours, however!

As for the transportation industry, the margins have tightened up considerably. There are simply too many providers available for the amount of work, since our economy has slowed. The efficient will survive.

[Kennedy]

Curious what brake pads you used?

[Mark Rinker]

The fronts were the ones the truck came with - unknown origin. The newer rears were most likely NAPA parts. The (former) shop knew to always order 'HD' or 'severe duty' parts for my trucks when available, but I can't verify that happened by the invoice.

The left rear pad had come apart, and was metal on metal. The other three corners had 60% pad remaining, but rotor surfaces were cracked and delaminating. The pads were cracked as well. The LR caliper wasn't the problem as I suspected - the pads and rotors simply weren't up to task, and failing from heat stress.

New rotors are Raebestos and pads are Akebono ceramics. The new shop mechanic I am using has the same on his Chevrolet 3500 truck that pulls a 15K, 38' race trailer.

I'll get some closeup pix of the carnage, and post them soon. Quite a pile of failed parts....I am wondering if one of my operators isn't too heavy on the loaded stops.

[40grit]

any chance the previous brake job was charged for but not done? sounds fishy to me...without knowing the whole story....

[Mark Rinker]

It was done - in fact I inspected all the brake surfaces and pads ~10K ago when rotating tires. Everything looked fine then.

Since then, the truck has been worked pretty hard. Plowing snow, hauling heavily loaded trailers, etc. A younger driver has been in the truck and I am pretty sure he has a heavy foot.

I plan to show him the heat stressed parts and ask him (again...) to slow down. I think that may be the key - combined with replacing some very 'ordinary-duty' parts used on a truck that gets 'exta-ordinary' use. This truck literally NEVER is off the trailer or the plow. No commute miles. All work.

[DADGLW]

just did a brake job on my 02 today.. new pads all around and new rotors on the back.. a little over 40k since the last one. back pads were completely gone, took rotors with them, and they were NAPA parts.............

[SoTxPollock]

Wow you guys must be really hard on the brakes to have them last only 40,000 miles. I've go 98,000 on mine right now and a few nights ago comming home way too late I had to haul it down from 95 because of 3 deer in the headlights up ahead. I still have lots of pad left and the rotors still look good.

Mark, your new guy may not be adjusting the trailer brakes to do their share of the work, maybe he just uses the truck brakes and doesn't mess with the adjustment. I always adjust for load and make the trailer brakes do their share of the stopping.

[MaxACL]

SoTxPollock,

I agree on the 40,000 mile changes. I have more than 200,000 on my '02 with all orginial brakes. Last alignment the mech said no need to do the fronts as they are still in great shape.

Mike

[letsgo]

Drive in Ontario Canada, the salt will eat the rotors before the pads wear out.

drive safe

[mark45678]

I just checked the pads and rotors on my 2500 hd , at 33,000 miles there is less then 15% wear on the factory pads..... thats the good news, the bad news is all 4 rotors are glazed and the truck stops like ****! I did notice the rear inside of both rotors has some issue that causes the rotor face to scale , its all most like a small depersion in the rotor surface. I find this odd since I am the only drive of the truck is only 14 months old and I watched it come off the GM car transport truck so it hasnt sat around anywhere. I lightly sanded the rotors and put a new set of performance friction pads in it hoping the problem cures it self.

[gillguy]

The rear pads normally wear out before the front. Unlike with the drum brakes.