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« Last post by Eric Wallace on April 20, 2024, 04:56:22 PM »
This topic has not been added to in awhile, but I hope it will still be seen by some of you who have done your own brake work, particularly front, on Beavers near my build date, 2001. I have the 33' Monterey Trinidad model. I have had three different truck shops do my front brakes in the last ten years, with very low mileage in between jobs - anywhere from 4000 to 7000 miles. The problem shows up exclusively on the right front side. Generally, it starts while/after descending grades, which is understandable, but I do come down slowly, always use my PacBrake, and operate the pedal gingerly, knowing I have an ongoing problem. The right front begins to smell, then smokes, and occasionally has started little spots of fire on various surfaces of the hub and caliper, presumably from leaking fluids. The shops act dumbfounded and give me no assistance after multi thousand dollar jobs. I won't use them again. I have done all my car and pickup brakes since high school (55 years) but haven't wanted to deal with size and weight issues of my Beaver front end parts. Well, that reticence is finally gone. I've invested in heavy duty impacts, torque wrench, Jack stands, etc. and have started the work. My right front wheel/hub/brake assembly is all apart. I am going to replace the whole brake line system as others have written about, both hard lines and flex. I discovered the phenolic pistons in the most recently installed front calipers were totally frozen in the bores. My problem now is I have found the correct calipers, but not ones that don't have the phenolic pistons that others have said can cause lock up problems. Have any of you been able to find a source for calipers with an alternate piston material than phenolic?
Also, any ideas on whether a defective master cylinder and/or booster pump might be causing some of the overheating? As long as I'm this deep in, I'm committed to doing the whole thing as right as I can. After spending many thousands at shops to no avail, I'm OK with spending a few thousand for the peace of mind that an all "new" system will give me.
Thanks for any advice you might have.
Eric