Brake failure, first it sticks then it fails altogether???
 

I just go ahold of my Dad's 1992 XLT and am pretty new to vehicles like this having spent most of my time wrenching old Italian cars. Anyhow, I've had the truck only about 2 months but yesterday it developed a pretty scary problem with the brakes. I didn't really find the answer using the search so I hope this is a new one.


In the morning as I was driving I heard a clunk come from the right front wheel area like some metal part breaking or falling off. I did not see anything in the rear veiw mirror and the truck was fine so I went on to work, about 25 miles.

After work I came home and as I got almost home I noticed that it felt like the right front caliper was sticking and the truck was pulling to the right. I pulled over in a gas station to look at and really couldn't see anything much. I checked the fluid and it seemed full but pretty dirty so I decided to go on home and park it and change the pads, fluid etc. on the weekend. It was really sticking but I only had to go about 2 more miles so I went on.

As I got home the pedal lost almost all pressure and when it got within 1" of the floor the wheels would lock up on the rear! Pretty scary but since it's a stick I got it home.

I have to admit, I've never seen anything like this on any vehicle (I'll also confess that I consider a 1992 to a "new" car, most of the cars I own are 25-40 years old and I do all the work on them).

I am suspecting something like one of the pads fell out and the piston fully extended letting air in or something like the fluid boiled but I am not familiar with this truck at all and don't even have a manual for it yet. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

You have a leak somewhere in your system

sounds to me like you had a locked up caliper, then you most likely blew the seal out of that caliper when you applied more pressure to the brakes.
now you might have to rebuild the caliper or replace it, whichever one is easiest for you.
if it was me, Id just go through and redo the entire braking system to be safe, if 1 caliper goes, another might just follow in a few months.

I just did my driver's caliper. I damaged it whey I heated up the bleeder valve with a torch. After that, it gripped pretty hard and locked up once. After the core, rebuilding vs replacing is about the same...easier to just replace. I bought a cheap-o bleeder from Advance Auto for 9 bucks, some fluid, and a packet of caliper lube and had it done in about 1.5hrs. It was relatively easy & painless. I'll do my other side later in the year.

Slide pins get stuck, only the inside pad wears, then it gets to the point of the pad getting out of the holder and the caliper's piston getting too far out and blowing the seal. I'd get a new caliper (most of the time they come with slide pins and the mount) rotor and pads.

the calipers for our trucks are around 15 dollars just get a new one

Are you kidding me???? Who sells them for that price? As cheap as that is, I'll just replace them and be done with it.

advance auto

Brake Caliper-Front by Cardone Friction Choice - Part 18-4197 - Advance Auto Parts

ok i lied there 19

$41
Brake Caliper-Front by Cardone Friction Choice - Part 18-4607 - Advance Auto Parts
:biggthump

plus fluid & lube & tax, add another 10