Forum Discussion

Audioa_fan's avatar
Audioa_fan
Explorer
Dec 31, 2013

Overheating Brakes

We just took our first trip in our new 2001 HR Ambassador. Things were already off to a bad start due to a flat rear tire that I posted about separately. We made it fine up to near our exit. 5 Miles from the I-40 Pigeon Forge Tennessee exit the interstate shutdown. We moved a few hundred feet over the next hour or more. Inching forward like that didn't seem to me to be a problem with the brakes. But then the problem was cleared up and I made it to my exit and hit the always terrible traffic going toward Pigeon Forge. I think I hit every red light. Then I started smelling something. I thought it was the heat at first. But I turned it off and it continued. Then I found out that it pulled hard to the left every time I hit the brakes.

When we got to the RV park I walked around and felt of all the wheel hubs. They were all ice cold except for the right front that was pretty hot. I was very concerned about permanent damage to that brake. But when we departed 4 days later the brakes worked perfectly.

Another lesson learned. An enormous amount of kinetic energy is dissipated as heat when you try to bring 26,000 pounds from 45 MPH to 0 MPH, over and over. I thought I was planning ahead and being gentle on the brakes, but clearly I need to do a far better job of that. I also do not understand why only the front right wheel overheated.
  • One caliper getting hot means it was sticking; either dirty slides, bad hose or sticky cylinder in the caliper. At the age your coach is, you should consider rebuilding or replacing slides, hoses and calipers. You should bleed the system and use high quality high temp fluid.
    Then retrain yourself how to drive. Leave long gaps, do not tailgate, do not tap the brakes, use lower gears often. Basically drive like you don't have brakes.