Checked pads maybe 5,000 miles ago and pads were about 1/2 left. I leave driveway at 10,380 pds in 2003 Ford f 350 frame. Within spec's but sort of close to max on axles. I warmed up brakes pretty good last week on a long slow downhill grade and noticed smell was pretty noticeable. I believe smell was just getting brakes warmed up. I'm going to pull the rims and inspect them this week but wonder if you would replace them after smelling, and obvious got them hot. I suppose by now I maybe have 25% of padding left. Any brand names to consider when I do get new pads? Thanks

Question. Do you use lower gears going down hill?

Yes, I would replace them with some better performing pads from some place like EBC.Also remember to hit the brakes hard and slow down about 10 MPH and then let of and allow them to cool before repeating. Don't ride them.

Smell means they are overheating and fading, let it go too long and there will be no brakes at all before you get to the bottom. Brakes work by dissipating heat so they need to be able to cool and get ride of that heat.On long downhills pick a safe speed in a lower gear, allow speed to build to about 5 MPH above the target with NO brake applied, then brake firmly to get about 5 MPH below the target, then get OFF the brakes and let them cool until speed build to 5 MPH over target and repeat. Never ride the brakes going downhill.

Plus you can warp the rotors. More $$$$$ in addition to just the pads.

I see it all the time, cars going down hills in overdrive, the engine at idle, and the drivers riding the brakes all the way down the hill, clueless about what they are doing to the brake rotors and wearing out the pads prematurely. Downshift!At least lock out overdrive on the hills where you might need the brakes some of the time. On a road that is curving, and many of the curves are rated at 35 - 45 MPH, then you should be in second gear (of a 4 speed or 3rd gear in a 5 speed) going less than 45 MPH, and let the engine do more of the braking. As stated above, fading and smelling brake pads mean that a little farther down the hill, or a steeper hill, you might have brake failure, not just brake fade.Downshift, and everything will be fine.Some trucks, like the Ford, require using the cruise control to apply the brakes and change gears automatically. Put the truck into the "Tow/Haul" mode, then set the cruise control for say 45 MPH. The truck will downshift, and do it's best (with a exhaust brake on the diesel models) to try to keep speed under control. You should only need the regular brakes to slow from your target speed to 5-10 MPH slower every 30 - 45 seconds. I don't know how to describe it, but you want a firm brake application. Not quite as firm as braking to a stop at a stop sign, but more like the less firm, you might use when you see the stop sign 75' in front of you and are slowing from 25 to a stop.A application such as a panic stop will heat up the brakes very quickly at 55 MPH or higher. Even a firm stop, such as the brake application pressure that might be required when someone steps out 30 feet in front of you into a crosswalk would be a little to much pressure. Good luck, and you will find that the brakes will not heat up nearly as much once you start locking out overdrive, and you will be comfortable driving down the hills from now on!Fred.

Brake pad smell after long downhills | Good Sam Community

pauldub
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
You really need to use the transmission for most of your downhill speed control. It works very well with my 4R100.
byronlj
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
Quote:

"Question. Do you use lower gears going down hill?

No, because I have that 4r100 trans that is known for building up to much pressure in low gears and pressure blows up the front seal in trans."

That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.
Dave
Gale_Hawkins
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
byronlj wrote:
Quote:

"Question. Do you use lower gears going down hill?

No, because I have that 4r100 trans that is known for building up to much pressure in low gears and pressure blows up the front seal in trans."

That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.
Dave

I do not know about Ford but our 4L80-e holds our 15K MH down hill so there is really no reason to use the brakes for speed control when we did the Rocky Mountains. We however were in 1st or 2nd driving the horse shoe gate to gate route driving through Yosemite.

The questions about how long brakes last of course depends on how you use them. My guess is 50K-150K depending on several factors.
path1
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
byronlj wrote:
Quote:

"Question. Do you use lower gears going down hill?

No, because I have that 4r100 trans that is known for building up to much pressure in low gears and pressure blows up the front seal in trans."

That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.
Dave

Glad I could provide you with the "dumbest things you ever heard".

Direct quote out of owners manual:

"Descend a hill in the same gear you would use to climb up the hill to avoid excessive brake application and brake overheating".

I went up in "D" with O/D off why not go down in same gear?

Or would it be dumb to follow what owners manual states?
Handbasket
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
pauldub wrote:
You really need to use the transmission for most of your downhill speed control. It works very well with my 4R100.

X2 + infinity! That's how you control your downhill speed without burning up your brakes!

My rule of thumb after driving heavy vehicles in the mountains for the past 45+ yearsis to start down one gear lower than I'd need coming up, and control my speed with a little gas pedal pressure.

You probably also 'blued' the front rotors. They should be at least turned if they have enough meat left, or replaced if not.

If your unit is older and has rear self-adjusting drum brakes, you likely need to take it to an empty parking lot and do some hard stops while reversing at a brisk pace.

(on edit) Also change the brake fluid.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
sljkansas
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
If it was me and I was going to pull the wheels to check the brakes that been hot, I would at least put new pads on. (you know they are worn and you will need to change them sooner or later.)
guidry
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
path1 wrote:
byronlj wrote:
Quote:

"Question. Do you use lower gears going down hill?

No, because I have that 4r100 trans that is known for building up to much pressure in low gears and pressure blows up the front seal in trans."

That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.
Dave

Glad I could provide you with the "dumbest things you ever heard".

Direct quote out of owners manual:

"Descend a hill in the same gear you would use to climb up the hill to avoid excessive brake application and brake overheating".

I went up in "D" with O/D off why not go down in same gear?

Or would it be dumb to follow what owners manual states?

I think the owners manual means "gear" as in 2nd or 3rd gear, not necessarily "drive" vs "overdrive". Don't take it personally, that's how I learned many years ago. Fortunately you asked a good question and have good answers before anyone got hurt. You only burned up some brake pads. Change them out and downshift to use your transmission to control your downhill speed. Use the brakes only to quickly slow down then let off to cool them. Good luck and be safe.
j-d
Explorer II
Jul 22, 2014
Front Only? Both Sides or just One Side? Or Rear as well?

Funny you mention this. We got to a campground and I went back to disconnect the toad. Brake smell from a rear disc brake on E450. The rear calipers had been changed not all that long ago so I suspected the slides were sticking. Went under w/WD-40 and mallet. Knocked calipers till I could see they were loose. FYI, these brakes have the slide keepers pictured here by Cloud Driver

And I hate them. E350's have the typical booted slide bolts.
Anyhow, didn't overheat on the way home but IR heat gun showed right rear warmer than the rest. Took both sides apart at home (and found the tire problem that started me on another thread...). Found dirt, rust, grit, in the slides but no glazing or discoloration of rotor or pad. No heat checking pattern on rotors, just mirror surface. Made sure the pistons moved freely and assembled with this Permatex 24125 slide goop.

That's all I plan on doing. Will monitor of course.
I found the bleeder screws badly stuck, had to replace one, so I cleaned them up and applied a little Never Seez. Will do that on the front calipers as I install the wheels with those new tires. If you're up to it, I'd pull a wheel and inspect the brakes. New pads for these trucks have lining about twice as thick as the steel backing plate. From what Cloud Driver said in his brake thread, new Ford pads aren't that much more expensive than most others. When you squeeze the pistons back to make room for new pads (and maybe just to get the old ones back on) fluid'll go back to the master. Pull excess out with a baster. Then get it as low as you can and fill with fresh DOT3. Bleed LOTS of fluid through. Do all the brakes even if you're only working on one axle. Bleed till the fluid looks good then top off. Shade Tree brake flush.
Pops
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
I was going to question the condition of the brake fluid. Glad j-d mentioned it.
DiploStrat
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
I'll pile on - learn to use your gears!

With respect, you are misunderstanding the manual. Descend in the same gear you used to climb is about right, manual or automatic, but, as noted, that means gear, not selector position. I can assure you that while you may have had the selector in Drive, your vehicle was in first or second, depending on the weight and the steepness of the hill. Now, when you descend in Drive, it will be in your top gear. No wonder you are frying your brakes. And, for what it's worth, an automatic transmission has less braking effect because of the torque converter.

If you don't learn to use your gears, it won't matter what brakes you buy; they will never last.

The good news is that most modern auto transmissions work very well in the mountains. I used an Isuzu auto transmission for years in the Andes, the "Sport" range was perfect for avoiding excessive upshifts. My new Chevrolet has push buttons right on the selector lever, not quite paddle shifters, but effective. The Chevrolet manual is quite explicit about using the gears, and things like the Tow/Haul setting, to control descents.

Even the best brakes can be overheated and fade, especially on heavy RV's.