Super duty brakes

newhollandnut · Apr 10, 2017

I have 2003 f250 6.0 that I have probably drove less that 200 miles in the last year and I've finally decided to sell it. The problem is I have been having terrible brake problems since I blew a line running to the left rear. My major problem is just running down the road and back my front right gets pretty hot like the brake is sticking but doesn't feel like it is. When I apply the brakes it pulls towards the sticking brake extremely hard. I've put in new pins caked with anti seize and the caliper seems to be working fine. Also since the line blow my pedal is much softer than it was before. I am debating if that is for sure the master cylinder. I have bled all four corners in the correct order more times than I can count. I would really like to fix this myself but I'm about swallow the repair bill and take it to the dealer

Janicholson · Apr 10, 2017

The antilock brakes are at fault. If you bleed the line to that brake, it will drive normally until you use the brakes. The system is way expensive new, but good used are in the 1 to 200 range. Removing the lines must be done with a Line wrench to avoid rounding them off. the lines are also likely to be corroded into the fitting compression nut. Very careful use of PB on the line at the nut, and many many cycles of just a little back and forth, will break them free. Patience on this will be radically valuable compared to putting in a new brake line. Jim

Ken Macfarlane · Apr 10, 2017

#1 - At some point they stopped making left and right calipers because the newer trucks have the rears flipped. If you have the older trucks sometimes the bleeder is in the wrong spot due to this and makes it almost unbleedable. If this is the case, its usually fastest to take it off and flip it to the right orientation, pop an old rotor in the caliper and bleed before replacing it onto the axle.

#2 - The masters get air stuck in them sometimes. I think there is a bleeder up on it. The only trouble I've had is with air in the MC it won't want to let off after braking to open the hole to let fluid back to the reservoir. It makes the brakes drag lightly until they heat up and eventually you can't move. It's so long ago I can't recall how we fixed it.

#3 - 9/10 times your symptoms are pin sticking maybe caliper too. I have put so many new pins and calipers in my 2001 F350 from it sitting around its crazy. Stuck pins will burn up a cheap pad and jam the backing plate in the caliper bracket in 10 miles, if it doesn't do that it warps the rotor. The rebuilt calipers sometimes don't have the right pin hole depth either so are jammed from new, always check the pin for full travel and nice lose fit. You can use anti-seize, I've tried the 20$ a tube Motorcraft silicone stuff, grease, nothing seems to work except regular driving to heat things up and dry it out.

Ken Macfarlane · Apr 10, 2017

I've never had a lick of trouble with the abs on mine for all the regular brake trouble. It would be odd to develop ABS issues at the exact same time a line was replaced.

Ivan in Mich · Apr 10, 2017

I had front brake trouble with mine. I ened up buying the pads and rotors from Advantce Auto because they has a lifetime war on them. I got so I could replace the rotor and pads in a half hour per side. I replaced the caliphers every couple of years because the pins froze up and they were covered by advantce auto. It was the best truck I ever owned other than the brakes

mtn.man · Apr 10, 2017

Take a small hammer and peck on the caliper just before bleeding it and see if you can get a little more air out of the calipers. Some times these anti lock calipers can be very hard to get all the air out.

jeremy in NE · Apr 10, 2017

You will need to replace the calipers. When it sticks the heat distorts the phenolic piston. Also put new pins in and replace the rubber lines to the caliper. They can collapse inside and will not let the pressure off.

VACLee · Apr 10, 2017

Might want to check the brake hose going to the right front. My 2000 250 was dong the same thing except it was the left front. Hose had collapsed internally and was not letting the fluid return. Actually have replaced several hoses on the front of vehicle in the 10-15 year range for that problem. Just a thought. Lee

Janicholson · Apr 10, 2017

Yes. The reason is that when bleeding, the ABS system can get particles in it causing one brake to stay applied. When the line failed, that specific ABS attached brake line had dramatic flow through it and probably caused the control unit to be moved to places it hadn't ever been. I have experience with one that failed after caliper repair, and one that failed after just pads. in both cases, the ABS unit became unreliable and would not release fully. A stuck caliper slider pin or piston in the caliper will not release from just bleeding. They are physically stuck. If the brake that is sticking releases when bled, it is very likely ABS. Jim

RBoots · Apr 10, 2017

X2 what Jeremy in NE says

Ross

Bob M · Apr 10, 2017

Had the same issues with my '99. Problem was phenolic pistons swelling/get stuck in the calipers.

Since replacing all 4 with rebuilt calipers with METAL pistons, the brakes have given me no troubles.

newhollandnut · Apr 11, 2017

Thanks for the help. I searched it a lot but wanted to post it where I had some faith and trust in people

jimg.allentown · Apr 11, 2017

Sorry, but #1 is simply wrong. They DO make them for the right and left. Or, they make they fittings reversible so that the bleeder can be moved to the top. But they NEVER give you a caliper with a bleeder that is meant to stay on the bottom. That is simply NOT done!
You may have been told a lie by a parts clerk that makes $7.50 an hour and doesn't care if he tells you a tall tale, but there are no calipers intentionally made or sold with the bleeder at the bottom.

jimg.allentown · Apr 11, 2017

OK, now you have about 6 or 8 people telling you what is wrong.
Now, here is my professional suggestion:
Start with some diagnosis. When the brake is dragging, try cracking the bleeder open. This will let you know if there is a restriction holding pressure in the caliper. If there is still pressure in the caliper, it could be the flexible line, or it could be farther back in the system.
Next, try pushing the piston back into the caliper. If it goes easy, the problem is elsewhere. It should take some pressure. More than fingers but not a lot of force to move it.
Air in the lines does not usually cause uneven braking or pulling. Since the system is hydraulic, air is compressed first, then even pressure is applied throughout the system. Air in the lines will cause a soft pedal.

Most importantly, check things out BEFORE you start throwing parts at it. Otherwise, you will end up with an incomplete repair job that will end up costing more than if you took it to a professional in the first place.

rrlund · Apr 11, 2017

Darn,I thought one of these answers would lead me to what's wrong with my 07. The right rear has a squeal in it. If I tap the pedal or push it down about an inch,the noise goes away. It'll be OK for several seconds then it comes back. I took it apart. The pads were shot on that side like the caliper had been stuck. I replaced both rears,made sure the caliper was free and it didn't solve the problem. I sprayed some PB Blaster up in there Saturday when I changed the oil. It didn't do it yesterday when I hauled cattle,but I wonder if that might have just been some overspray on the pads and rotor? It doesn't seem to get hot,just squeals like there's a small wire or something rubbing end wise in the rotor is the only way I can describe it.

PA Case Man · Apr 11, 2017

I know it may sound a little strange, but in my shop we often find that the other side brake has a problem and isn't working. Then when the brakes are applied the vehicle pulls to the side that the brakes are working. Hope this helps.
PA Case Man

Ken Macfarlane · Apr 11, 2017

You're right, but if you work on super duties a lot you will tend to short cut sometimes as the same issues happen over and over.

Needle bearings in the knuckles because no body ever greases them as called for in the manual.
Coil packs and/or boots, usually the ones right below the body to hood gap.
Starter, aluminum all chewed up on the mount ears and electrolysis around bolts, look for missing/corroded ground straps.
Fusible link by battery on alternator charging circuit commonly fails.
Brakes lines along fuel tank rot out.
CPS in the 7.3's
Shift tube on the column- bolts falling out or tube breaking.
Etc, etc.

Ken Macfarlane · Apr 11, 2017

Its happened to me. Maybe someone returned some left/right calipers in the wrong box but it led to us opening a bunch of boxes and finding out they have the same caliper on opposite sides of the rear axle on the later trucks so they are the same bleeder location.

I suspect since then the rebuilders learned to drill a second bleeder so they don't need to stock lefts and rights because as you mentioned all the recent ones work both ways.

RBoots · Apr 11, 2017

You got most of the usuals listed lol

guido · Apr 11, 2017

Hello newhollandnut,

You had a good before the blow out. Evidently yoy have not gotten all the air out! Antilock brakes may need to be cycled to get the rest of the air out. You can do that by going on a gravel/dirt road. Braking hard on and off to cycle,(letting -activating) the antilock system. If that does not work then bleeding all of the brakes should take the rest of the air out. Are you sure all the air is out? How did you bleed the brakes?
Pulling on one side usually means that is the problem side. Low tire pressure can cause pulling on th e low side. Front brake hoses collaps inside and retain pressure, that drags the brakes, and gets them hot. May be that the other side is not working also.
Do this test for the master cylinder. Start the engine and step on and hold pressure on the brake pedal. A bad master cylinder will lose pressure and the pedal will eventually go down to the floor. If you pump the brakes it will come up, but if you repeat the test bad one will go to the floor. I'm guessing air is still trapped in the system,

Guido.

guido · Apr 11, 2017

Hello rrlund,

You said you replaced the pads on both sides. Did you have the rotors cut, or put in new ones?
If so, you may need to grind-cut a taper at the edge of the pads. Sometime it helps, but ones the taper wears off you may get the squeak back. Metallic pads are the worst offenders. Once you put some miles on the brakes though, they may just stop squeaking,

Guido.

W_B · Apr 12, 2017

(quoted from post at 04:42:45 04/12/17)
If so, you may need to grind-cut a taper at the edge of the pads. Sometime it helps, but ones the taper wears off you may get the squeak back. Metallic pads are the worst offenders. Once you put some miles on the brakes though, they may just stop squeaking,

Guido.

The pads I just put on my Chevy (the premium ones from Advance Auto) had a taper on the ends of the pads.

guido · Apr 12, 2017

Hello W_B,

Sometimes that is not enough. The long side need the same clearance or they squeak!

Guido.

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