Brake Issues

mjdxtreme · November 6, 2009

I need some help with my brakes. For the past several days now I have driven home from work, parked the truck in the garage and within a few minutes I have this burning brake smell that fills my garage. I though it could be a dragging brake pad on the rotor but after looking at them it does not appear to be the cause. I have GM 22's on my 08 denali and I am wondering if the rolling mass is just causing the brakes to heat up a lot more than normal causeing the smell. Now the first question is am I driving the wheels off it, NO. I have actually been taking it pretty easy with it trying to see if I can come up with a cause. What could be the cause? What could I do as a solution? Are there any brake upgrades I can do, such as brembo brake calipers, slotted rotors? Thanks

mjdxtreme · November 6, 2009

What is the best new rtors to go with? Slotted or slotted and dimpled? Also what brand?

CapitalTruck · November 6, 2009

I would get me one of those infrared thermometers and right after you stop go around and check the temps of the wheels. If one is way off from what the others are that would be where I would start looking.

Bowler807 · November 6, 2009

From your symptoms I suggest checking for a sticking or improperly adjusted parking brake cable. I noticed when I rotated my wheels last week that my parking brake cable was pulled, in my opinion, tight. I could feel the drag on the back wheels. I pulled on the cable several times and it seemed to release. I know for a fact that my parking brake was never used.

minibike132 · November 6, 2009

I would get me one of those infrared thermometers and right after you stop go around and check the temps of the wheels. If one is way off from what the others are that would be where I would start looking.

+1 You may be smelling something that smells like brakes but isn't. I would check temp and narrow it down to one wheel before ripping away at the brakes.

mjdxtreme · November 7, 2009

I would get me one of those infrared thermometers and right after you stop go around and check the temps of the wheels. If one is way off from what the others are that would be where I would start looking.

What size variation am I looking for? I know the fronts are going to be hotter than the rears. So between the front wheels/rotors I am seeing a 5-10 degree difference between the two. It is about the same for the rears. Today I drove it a little harder to see if I can get the smell to happen and nothing today.

GasHog369 · November 7, 2009

This is how mine started out on my truck before my calipers were hanging up so much that i would be driving along and come to a stop and see a stream of smoke coming up from the wheel... My pass side one got so hot couple times that i could stand 2 feet away from it and feel the heat on my leg!

I got new calipers from dealer that gm paid for, and i got powerslot rotors for it... like em so far

pm26 · November 7, 2009

A simple check is also jacking up the vehicle and rotating the wheels by hand to see if the brakes are dragging. You could have a sticky caliper. Who knows, maybe GM has recently switched to high quality Chinese made calipers. After all they are already using Chinese brake rotors, so why not cheapen the rest of the system with shitty parts?

I absolutely detest Chinese made parts. They appear to be made without any quality control or manufacturing standard in place. Recently I installed a set of "new " Chinese made GS-P brand CV axles in my Mazda 626. Absolute junk from day one. Vibration at all speeds, clunking, popping, you name it. I have rebooted the original CV axles that the car came with, which have 200k miles on them. They are going back on the car.

mjdxtreme · November 7, 2009

A simple check is also jacking up the vehicle and rotating the wheels by hand to see if the brakes are dragging. You could have a sticky caliper. Who knows, maybe GM has recently switched to high quality Chinese made calipers. After all they are already using Chinese brake rotors, so why not cheapen the rest of the system with shitty parts?

I absolutely detest Chinese made parts. They appear to be made without any quality control or manufacturing standard in place. Recently I installed a set of "new " Chinese made GS-P brand CV axles in my Mazda 626. Absolute junk from day one. Vibration at all speeds, clunking, popping, you name it. I have rebooted the original CV axles that the car came with, which have 200k miles on them. They are going back on the car.

isnt this going to be hard to tell. I was always under the impression that the pads are always rubbing the rotors a tiny bit. I mean it the pads are sticking all together I understand that it would be really easy to tell. I have taken the wheel off and there was a very slight drag on the rotor but it was not hard to trun the wheel at all.

minibike132 · November 7, 2009

I would get me one of those infrared thermometers and right after you stop go around and check the temps of the wheels. If one is way off from what the others are that would be where I would start looking.

What size variation am I looking for? I know the fronts are going to be hotter than the rears. So between the front wheels/rotors I am seeing a 5-10 degree difference between the two. It is about the same for the rears. Today I drove it a little harder to see if I can get the smell to happen and nothing today.

A 5-10 degree difference is nothing. Ignore anyone saying to jack it up and check drag if you don't have a temp difference there isn't going to be any noticeable drag difference.

If you didn't smell it when you were checking the temp wait till you smell it then check.

pm26 · November 7, 2009

A simple check is also jacking up the vehicle and rotating the wheels by hand to see if the brakes are dragging. You could have a sticky caliper. Who knows, maybe GM has recently switched to high quality Chinese made calipers. After all they are already using Chinese brake rotors, so why not cheapen the rest of the system with shitty parts?

I absolutely detest Chinese made parts. They appear to be made without any quality control or manufacturing standard in place. Recently I installed a set of "new " Chinese made GS-P brand CV axles in my Mazda 626. Absolute junk from day one. Vibration at all speeds, clunking, popping, you name it. I have rebooted the original CV axles that the car came with, which have 200k miles on them. They are going back on the car.

isnt this going to be hard to tell. I was always under the impression that the pads are always rubbing the rotors a tiny bit. I mean it the pads are sticking all together I understand that it would be really easy to tell. I have taken the wheel off and there was a very slight drag on the rotor but it was not hard to trun the wheel at all.

A slight drag is normal. If you have a sticking caliper you will know it, as the wheel will be hard to rotate and drag will be very substantial. In extreme cases, you may not even be able to rotate the wheel by hand. Years ago, I had a problem with sticking caliper piston on a small car and it was so bad that the rotor actually got red hot and glowed in the dark when I got out of the car to inspect it.

Spurshot · November 7, 2009

I'd stop chasing it and do something like pull the calipers, clean/inspect the guidepins and bores, replace as appropriate and re-lube them with the proper hi-temp lube.

mjdxtreme · November 7, 2009

I'd stop chasing it and do something like pull the calipers, clean/inspect the guidepins and bores, replace as appropriate and re-lube them with the proper hi-temp lube.

That what I have been considering. I figure if I am going to go that far I might as well replace the rotors with something a little better. However I am not sure what is out there. I have been having a hard time finding aftermarket rotors. What should I look at getting, I was looking at EBC slotted or EBC slotted and dimpled but it does not look like they fit my vehicle. What brands out there would fit my 08 Sierra Denali. Thanks