Why did I have a "brake fire"?

[Kakah]

I've had my '91 Exceed for about 6 months so far and had zero troubles......Until today! Drove to work this morning and all seemed fine. Went out for lunch and notived that the steering wheel seemed to be vibrating a bit more then usual. Next thing I know its pulling hard to the right when I brake. So I get out and check the front left wheel only to find that it smells like a brake pad fire is going down in there as well as the wheel/hub being hot to the touch.

All the above signs point to a siezed caliper on the left side to me but I don't know much. After work I drive home (slowly!) only to find out that not only is the pull gone but its also stone cold when I arrive. So figuring that I must have already damaged the rotor I decide to perform a expierement. I jump in and go for a 10 minute drive on some side roads above the speed limit and use my brakes a bit harder then I normally would. When I get home there is zero heat from the wheel, no smell, and there was no pull the entire time I was out!

I am quite confused. Could something have been stuck in there and now it has made its way through? To top it all off I'm leaving on a two week road trip in the van to Zion in southren Utah in a week or so. Tomrrow morning I'll go out and pull the wheel and caliper off to have a look.

[Green1]

know its pulling hard to the right when I brake.
...
All the above signs point to a siezed caliper on the left side to me but I don't know much

I'm no expert in this, but if the left side was seized, wouldn't the pull be towards the left? (seized should provide more braking than unseized, and therefore that side of the vehicle would decelerate more quickly than the other side pulling you to the same side)

or am I missing something there?

[mararmeisto]

You should be able to take your Delica in to a Midas or such and have them give you a free inspection. They really do look at them for free and tell you what is wrong. I don't imagine Delica brakes are so unique that they would not know what they're looking at.

I had that happen with a previous vehicle and it was a seized caliper, although it never let up. Can't think of why it would have stopped being a problem.

As for problem on left wheel and pulling to the right, could have been an imbalance in braking such that more braking fluid was being newly applied to the right when you braked, pulling steering to the right (because the initial condition was with some drag on the left). Left side could have been grabbing/dragging just enough to produce friction and heat, but not enough to provide any real braking force.

Speculation all around, but further inspection is probably warranted.

[Kakah]

know its pulling hard to the right when I brake.
...
All the above signs point to a siezed caliper on the left side to me but I don't know much

I'm no expert in this, but if the left side was seized, wouldn't the pull be towards the left? (seized should provide more braking than unseized, and therefore that side of the vehicle would decelerate more quickly than the other side pulling you to the same side)

or am I missing something there?

I know from dealing with a lot of disc brakes on bikes that the hotter the brake gets, the less stopping force it generates. Pads get glazed, wear faster, and the fluid heats up. When the fluid in the caliper gets hot then it will clamp down even hotter....That wheel was crazy hot. Its different when the materials change but when its steel on steel too much heat is bad news.
So then all the power is coming from the right, hence the pulling. I think.

I'll let you know what I find down there tomorrow.

[mararmeisto]

Did you take your Delica in for a look? What was the determination?

[Kakah]

Left caliper seized was the verdict. Not sure why it disappeared after the first day, regardless we're leaving on a two week bike trip to Virgin, Utah on sunday so it needed to be looked after. The Deli Wicki section was a big help... was a bit panicked about tracking down parts only a few days before departure. Lordco had what I needed although for whatever reason the fittings on the lines didn't match the threads in the caliper. Nothing a few extra dollars couldn't solve though.

Cheers.

[delicat]

Two weeks bike trip... Utah? I guess you're talking "pedal" bike, road or mtb? Planning on going to SlickRocks Moab? Very popular spot but so worth it. I've been there a few times and l'd go back anytime!

PM me if you want info or pictures... Have a great trip!

[Kakah]

I'd love to bring the 'ol ten speed down but its a bike bike trip. Besides, I'm so out of shape right now, don't need to drive for 24 hours to die of a heart attack when I can do it in Chilliwack!
I've been to Moab in the past, I was 16 so eleven years ago now. Too young to really appreciate it. My only mtb right now is a big DH race bike but when I get an all-mountain bike I will be returning to Moab for sure. This is our 5th year driving to Virgin, we just camp for 2 week and ride the Rampage site as well as some of the trails. Stoked to be heading south in the Deli though, home for two weeks!

Check out last years trip here: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/virgin-uta ... -2007.html

I'll post some pics for sure. I've made some neat mods to the Deli to make it a bit more bike friendly.

Mike.