Myc1972

Hey guys,
I just took the seven out for a spin, and on the road i noticed a kind of burning
smell. It was kind of like hot rubber or brake smell.

When i got home i tracked the smell to my front wheels. The drivers side was
hotter than the left. When i touched the rims they were really hot, burning hot.

The max speed i drove was 45mph. I don't downshift to slow down, i only put
it in neutral and brake to slow down. Could that have caused the wheels to heat
up so much?

btw...the car has no trouble rolling so i dont think anything is locking up.

Thanx, any input would be appreciated!

cpa7man

iTrader: (2)

Pull the wheels, check the brakes for anything really bad like a brake pad that's slipped out of place or something like that. It is normal for the wheels to get hot but if you smell burning that's bad. My guess, you have a fried wheel bearing. Time to pull the rotors and check them out.

31rx7

I would also suspect the wheel bearings. An easy way to tell is to jack the front off the ground and shake the wheel with your hands to see if there is play in it. Also, when you take it apart and look at it, the wheel bearings / races will likely be discolored and have other visual clues if they are bad.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

my guess is that the caliper on that side isn't releasing completely. on single piston calipers, the bolts that hold the caliper in place also allow the caliper to slide from side to side. if these aren't kept lubricated, it will continue to hold pressure on the out board pad. the same also holds true for the piston itself if it doesn't work freely as it should. i suggest pulling that wheel off and spin the rotor by hand to see how free it spins. if it seems to be stiff, remove the caliper and repeat. if it spins freely then, u just removed the problem.

edwin-82/rx7

iTrader: (1)

had the same problem on the pass side of my car, turned out to be a frozen caliper. took it apart and sanded down the residue on the piston, put in a new seal kit and its working wonderfully. Watch it tho, mine heated up so bad because i had to drive it that it ended up cracking the rotor.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

yeah, i would suspect the caliper not moving as freely as it should as well. it may resolve itself, but i wouldn't take th chance because too much is at stake. i'd replace it or take it apart, clean it and rebuild it.

Myc1972

Well,
I lifted the car from the front and checked the wheels for play, by shaking the
wheel to see if there was play, there was no play.

Then i took the wheels off, and spun the hubs with my hands.
I felt some more resistance from the wheel that heats up the most (drivers side),
than the passenger side, but it is also a little tight.

The drivers side has the pads fully resting on the disk brake.
While the passenger side brake pad is not resting all the way on the disk.
This is when the brakes are not applied.

What is your prognosis?
And what is the cure?

I only get to drive the car once a week. Could this have caused the problem?
Any inexpensive fixes?

Thank you guys for all the help you are giving me!

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

on the driver's side, does it look like both pads r against the rotor or just the outer? it's not really too expensive to fix, but IS a good idea to do both sides. caliper rebuild kits r fairly cheap and new calipers aren't too expensive either, if u don't know how to rebuild one.

BLKTOPTRVL

If, when you stop, the car pulls to one side, the driver brake may be doing most of the work. That would also require a pad/caliper check or rebuild.

Also, check the rear brakes to see if they are contributing to stopping dynamics.

Myc1972

I did not check the inside pads only the outside, i'll take a look at that next time.

What kind of caliper rebuild kits should i look for?

I have never rebuilt calipers or done any brake work. Pretty easy to do?

Thank you!

BLKTOPTRVL

Not much too it, just go to your local parts store and ask for a rebuild kit, and get some emery cloth.

After disassembly - use the cloth to "hone" the cylinder bores. Then clean it (brake cleaner) and put it all back together with the replacement parts.

Myc1972

I would have to bleed the brakes after, right?

Never done that either.

If i decide to go with replacement calipers what brands do you recommend?

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

just call ur local parts store and see what they offer and get whatever u can afford.

Fire85GSLSE

iTrader: (29)

When / if you bleed you brakes start with the caliper furthest away from the brake master. So start with the pass. rear, then driver rear, then pass. front, and driver front.
Make sure the master is full of fluid.

It is all pretty simple. Just remember to spray parts blaster on your bleeders. I had one break on me one time. That was a pain in the rear!
And remember to take your time.

BLKTOPTRVL

It is harder to bleed the brakes by yourself... But it can be done...

1. lift the car at all four corners using jackstands
2. remove all four tires
3. get four small bottles (like frappuchino bottles)
4. get small diameter hose that will fit snuggly over the bleeder screws
5. open and then close each of the bleeders... do this at this time just to be sure they will all open before you go farther
6. fill each of the jars with an inch or so of brake fluid
7. open the master brake cylinder and fill it to the top with brake fluid
8. place the free end of the hoses into the brake fluid - be sure that the end of the hoses are completely submerged
9. open the right-rear valve using an open wrench
10. press and release the brake pedal several times - do not allow the master cylinder to run dry - refill as necessary. After pumping a few times, you should be able to see dirty fluid in the jar and the level of the fluid in the jar should be rising. Never take the end of the hose out of the jar while the bleeder valve is open.
11. close the bleeder valve
12. move to the left-rear brake and repeat steps 10 & 11 above
13. repeat for the right-front and then the left-front
14. snug down all the bleeders
15. pump up the brakes again, through out this proceedure, when the valves are closed, the brakes should feel progressively harder
16. repeat steps 9 - 16 a couple of times.

It has been my experience that on the seven, it sometimes takes a few tries before the brakes get rock hard.

Notes:

• This is based on my experience with the 2nd gen - the first gen may be a little different.
• Do not spill the brake fluid on anything - especially your paint. If you do, clean it immediately.
• Do not leave any part of your body under the car while it is up on stands
• Be careful not to break the bleeder screws
• I think the rear brakes have two bleeders - you should only bleed with one - but I forget which - check a Haynes manual
• Break the bottles and toss the hose when finished

Myc1972

Thank you guys!