Hellspawn

Ok, for a month or two my parking brake lever has been VERY loose when you pull up on it, probably 5-10 clicks before you'd even feel any tension. One day I sprayed wd-40 on both return springs on the calipers thinking they were sticking.

Up and down on the parking brake lever, each time getting a little tighter until it felt perfect. Thought it was fixed.

Fast forward to yesterday had the windows down, came to a stop sign and smelled HOT brakes. Went home got the sears laser thermometer, LR disc was 797f and it was cracking and popping like an exhaust manifold.


Today - replaced the caliper with a rebuilt under warranty. Parking brake lever seems 'ok', but LR disc is running on average 30-40f hotter than the RR. Without using the parking brake RR was 119f, LR was 146f.

If I apply the parking brake on a gravel road at 15mph the LR locks up quickly and drags, the RR stays rolling.


Any thoughts on what I'm seeing here and how to attack?

thanks

ATTappman

The caliper piston isn't retracting far enough when you release the parking brake. You may just need to adjust the parking brake following the procedure in the FSM. Also, the cable can bind inside the sheath it runs in, or the lever that sits on a small cam in the caliper can come up off that cam just a little. You really won't know until you jack it up, take the wheel off, unhook the cable, and inspect it.

Finally, there's a TSB with the part number of a redesigned set of pad retainers that keep the rear pads off the rotors more effectively than the original retainers.

Hellspawn

Thank you for the reply - two questions if I may:

1. I replaced the caliper with a new rebuild.. this is the caliper that is still running hotter than the RR. (also the one that caused the disc to hit 800f as well)

2. When I jerk the parking brake cable, the RR never locks up on gravel, the LR will. I would presume that the RR should as well?

I'm going to check the cable ends tomorrow. It's almost like one is grabbing TOO much and one not ENOUGH.

HandsonMaxima.

iTrader: (2)

its kinda like a lever system, my driver side is also sticky but its a under greased pin i need to fix. but think of it as a teeter-toter assembly with 2 strings on either ends attached to pegs. if you pull both equally both will go taunt, but if peg A stays stationary in the tight position peg B has much more room to travel(an inch or so) because of the extra"loose" string attached to peg A. its hard to explain. if you replace your Ebrake line your understand immediately. just tighten up the ebrake lever a bit and its a good quick fix. but beware of stretching!
i drew a bad pictar. its not the best but you get the point.

Blakfreestyle

iTrader: (1)

I would suggest that when you change the caliper on one wheel, that you do the same with the other wheel as well. Why take a chance after it's been 10+ years of abuse? I'd also change the rotors and pads, because they are not that expensive and brakes are very important.

Luckily on the maxima the parking brake is auto adjusting via the spring that you see on the rear calipers. So replace the other caliper that may be locking up. I always remove the pins in the brakes and lubricate them. Bleed the brakes on the entire car several times to make sure there is no air in the system. Then verify that the parking brake cable itself is not binding.

With the rear wheels removed you can have someone apply the parking brakes and verify that the spring moves and that the parking brake cable is not binding. This should be a very simple repair. Especially compared to doing a similar repair on drum brake equipped vehicles.

Hellspawn

wanted to comment on your reply, thanks...

1. RR caliper was replaced about a year ago due to moaning/dragging when in reverse. (TSB about it somewhere I think).
2. Pads are about 1 year old, rotors about 2yr.
3. Pins lubricated within last year with synthetic grease, felt slippery the other day, think I'm ok there.
4. System is well-bled.

Checked again today, on a gravel road, applying the parking brake forcefully will lock up the LR very quickly, RR never will stop turning. Today the RR was 74f and the LR was 96. Always a minimum difference of at least 20f.

Makes me wonder if given the above that I shouldn't just go ahead and replace both cables at this point? I have not gotten under the car and had someone apply the parking brake, I intend to do this tomorrow I hope.

Hellspawn

thank you for the diagram I have checked the haynes manual and found where the front cable splits down to the 2 rear cables.

If I'm reading correctly it's your opinion that the LR that runs warmer by a good deal even after caliper replacement is the faulty/sticking cable then?

I did go ahead the other day and replace the caliper that stuck, but I'm thinking perhaps it was the cable that didn't release instead of the actual caliper freezing up?

Hellspawn

(hope someone is still reading). If I disconnect the 'hotter' caliper ebrake cable and find that the temp is still high (or is the other side low?) then where should I go?

Blakfreestyle

iTrader: (1)

I can applaud you for using a digital thermometer to measure the rotor temperatures but it is overkill in my opinion.

To me the braking system is very simple. If you feel that the cables are causing your problem. Then jack up the car. Remove both rear wheels, remove both of the parking brake cables where they connect to the rear calipers. At least this way you can isolate your problem without spending any more money.

I never had to replace brake cables on the max, but on other vehicles it has cost me as much as aftermarket calipers. Most likely a dealer only part or ordered online aftermarket.

Hellspawn

Went on a day trip to St Louis, about 180miles round trip. Stopped to get gas at a Costco as soon as we got in town, checked the LR caliper that I disconnected the cable from.. 176.. RR 141. So from that I KNOW I either I have binding/sticking caliper pin(s) or the caliper metal pad hardware needs to be replaced at minimum.

So I basically did sort of isolate I guess. It's not the cable on the LR causing the high temps, right?

modenaf1

iTrader: (3)

Its the cables. Your issue sounds identical to mine. LR caliper replaced, still running hotter than RR. Parking brake cable for RR seized, Pbrake only works on LR. It's definitely the cable. I have yet to find a replacement cable for mine, but I am almost 100 percent sure that is my problem, and it sounds like my problem is the same as your problem lol.

Hellspawn

If it were the cable on my LR, why would the disc still run hotter with the cable disconnected yesterday on our trip? Not trying to be adversarial here but wanting to understand.. Is the cable you can't find the two that split off from the 'front' cable, correct?

The local oreilly store has both left and right here.

Hellspawn

Update: now both rear calipers have been replaced under lifetime warranty terms.. Greased new caliper pins with permatex ultra pin synth grease, new caliper spring hardware. I had someone pull the ebrake cable and noticed that it looks like both sides pull which makes no sense.

Tonight after using the ebrake to stop 3-4 times, 240f LR, 148 RR.

I'm so sick of this.

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Thanks. Just found NTB99-031A on Alldata. Hadn't seen that before.

maxsmooth

Hello, my 99 max makes a squeeking noise from the rear passenger wheel every morning for about 100 fy or so. It never does it after its been driven for a while though. Do you think I could have a similar problem?

made in china

iTrader: (7)

OP...
My car does the same thing.
It's the cables.

jkahng

i just did my passenger side rear's yesterday. PITA it took me 4 hrs

this is the part that made the cable seize

http://picasaweb.google.com/jkahng71...41683256753746


be sure to soak everything in wd-40. i soaked them for 20 mins and still broke 10mm 4 bolts.
haynes manual says that the heat shield for the cat should come off to get to cable end.
it is actually the resonator and fuel tank heat shields that need to come out.
actual job is very simple working underneath the car is very tight and struggling with the rusted bolts was the time consuming part. a lift defiantly would have helped.

99BlackMaxMS

iTrader: (85)

Like many others are saying, it is the cables.

I too, have the same problem and actually disconnected my passenger side cable because when the temperature went below freezing, the water and road crap that got in the line froze and didn't allow the e-brake to go down (if I pulled it after driving) making the pass. side caliper stick

Long story short, I fried a rotor and pads on the passenger side.

And whoever reman's the rear calipers on the 4th gen deserves a kick in the *****, seriously, I have been though 3 sets of calipers in 3 years. No wonder they give you a lifetime warantee at autozone...