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One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Hello, I have a 2007 Ford fiesta 1.6 petrol and have noticed that the passe ger side wheel is hotter than the drivers side. I have installed a new caliper and regreased all the parts that need greasing and the wheel is still hotter than the other side. The only thing that hasn't been replaced is the brake hose.

I have jacked it up and spun the wheel and it is definetely harder than the other side, however when the engine is on and I spin the wheel its easier? Could this be a brake hose problem, because when the engine is on the servo is releasing some pressure from the hose? Or is that a load of rubbis? Also, the wheel gets a bit stiffer at a certain point. Could this be pad deposits or because the hose isn't fully releasing the piston?

Cheers

Edited by Joe tuzzer on 28/05/2021 at 10:51

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

Hello, I have a 2007 Ford fiesta 1.6 petrol and have noticed that the passe ger side wheel is hotter than the drivers side. I have installed a new caliper and regreased all the parts that need greasing and the wheel is still hotter than the other side. The only thing that hasn't been replaced is the brake hose.

I have jacked it up and spun the wheel and it is definetely harder than the other side, however when the engine is on and I spin the wheel its easier? Could this be a brake hose problem, because when the engine is on the servo is releasing some pressure from the hose? Or is that a load of rubbis? Also, the wheel gets a bit stiffer at a certain point. Could this be pad deposits or because the hose isn't fully releasing the piston?

Cheers

Is temp the same as before, if it is its nothing to worry about, if its hotter get the wheel bearing checked out otherwise sounds fine to me.

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Hello, the temps are around the same as they were before, I just went out for a short 10 minute drive with some hard braking and measured the temperatures of the disc using an Infrared thermometer and got the following

Front drivers side 37 degrees Celsius

Front passenger side 44 degrees celsius

Both rears are around 25 degrees

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - edlithgow

Hard braking doesn't seem appropriate in that testing scenario.

With similar symptoms on the Skywing, I eliminated the brakes as a variable by taking them off and idling in second gear on stands.

The difference in temperature rise was much reduced, but there was still a consistent difference.

tw.forumosa.com/t/old-black-hands-checking-in-agai...9

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=134855

I interpret this as a failing bearing. This increases run-out (there is visible wobble of the brake disk) which causes secondary brake drag and heating when the brakes are present.

I'm putting off fixing it because its a captive rotor design and surgery could kill the patient, plus I dunno if I'll be able to get the parts. Using spray grease on the hub meantime

Edited by edlithgow on 29/05/2021 at 04:12

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

Hard braking doesn't seem appropriate in that testing scenario.

With similar symptoms on the Skywing, I eliminated the brakes as a variable by taking them off and idling in second gear on stands.

The difference in temperature rise was much reduced, but there was still a consistent difference.

tw.forumosa.com/t/old-black-hands-checking-in-agai...9

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=134855

I interpret this as a failing bearing. This increases run-out (there is visible wobble of the brake disk) which causes secondary brake drag and heating when the brakes are present.

I'm putting off fixing it because its a captive rotor design and surgery could kill the patient, plus I dunno if I'll be able to get the parts. Using spray grease on the hub meantime

If the OP is worried about it I would replace it, they are easy to replace and will then know it cannot be the problem, but I always have replaced the pair not one at a time as often once one starts complaining the other side is not far behind.....

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

I will have another look over all of it today and see, I measured the temps of the hubs after a a drive and they both read around 20 degrees celsius. There didn't seem to be any wobble front the bearing and there is no play at all when I rock the wheels with a good amount of force. It does seem like its more the brake is sticking. I'm going too replace the hose anyway as they are cheap and its still on the original hose so probably needs doing anyway. Will keep you updated

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

If the brake flexible pipe has a tear on the inside it can act as a one way valve that normally holds the brake on longer until it lets the fluid back to master cylinder, that problem can be difficult to diagnose if its intermittent but wont hurt replacing it, but its more likely to be wheel bearing

If you check disc runout it should be perfectly straight, if it has been replaced, if you turn disc and watch the pads you should be able to see if there is a wobble or non straight section of disc, if there is part of disc touching pad or gets closer than most of disc you either have disc runout caused by distorted

Disc, or the wheel bearing has play in it which is causing disc to run off centre

I would check disc runout first as that is more likely to be the problem

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Just been out and disassembled the brakes and made sure everything is working good. I spun the wheel with the caliper off and the wheel spins nice and freely with slight resistance from the wheel bearing but that's normal. I reconnected all of it and pumped the brakes and the wheel got slightly harder too turn. The piston moves in and out easily, the slider pins are moving freely, the pads move in the bracket easily and I filed the pad arms down too make sure they move and used copper grease.

The disc seemed too be straight with no noticeable wobble or anything and the pads are wearing evenly. There is a very slight scrape when turning the wheel but nothing ridiculous.

I opened the bleeder screw on the caliper and the wheel didn't get easier too turn so it probably not the hose. If I spin the wheel with 1 hand I can get around 1 - 1.5 spin before it stops.

Everything looks good but I will have too see how it goes.

If it's still doing it then I will get it into a garage

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

slight resistance from the wheel bearing

that resistance is from the diff/gearbox as your fighting oil drag in the box, not the bearing. the bearing should be- and sounds free to me.

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Yeah, there was no roughness when turning the wheel without the caliper on it was just a smooth action with slight resistance.

Really don't know what to do, don't want too keep throwing money away and wasting time when nothing seems too fix it and garages charge just too have a look so and they will probably say the same thing.

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

What I also found was that when I put the caliper back on with the piston back in, the wheel spun nice and freely. Then when I pumped the brakes too push the pads against the disc, the wheel was harder too turn as if the pads didn't fully release from the disc. Everything is moving smoothly and the brake hose test seemed fine so I'm really frustrated now. The disc seems straight and there was no visible run out or anything.

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

Yeah, there was no roughness when turning the wheel without the caliper on it was just a smooth action with slight resistance.

Really don't know what to do, don't want too keep throwing money away and wasting time when nothing seems too fix it and garages charge just too have a look so and they will probably say the same thing.

I would wait until you hear the bearing moan/whine then replace them, it sounds ok at the moment and could be years before the bearing wears to the extend of whining, may even last longer than your ownership depending how its treated

if it is brakes it will show up with wear so you will know in later miles done, but until then be inclined to leave it, as long as the brakes do the job then all is well...

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

There is a whine from the front drivers side bearing which I'm getting sorted but the passenger side is silent. After a 20 minute drive at 60 mph there is a bit of heat from the passenger alloy, not enough too burn your hand, just warm but the disc is hot too touch.

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - veloceman
The heat usually compounds the issue burning off the grease in the bearing speeding up the process.
One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Just an update, I replaced the rubber flexi hose and noticed that the metal part the screw into the caliper was bent. I wonder if that was causing a restriction and keeping the pads in contact slightly. Will go for a good drive tonight and see how it is with the new hose.

Edited by Joe tuzzer on 30/05/2021 at 10:31

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - edlithgow

Go your pads have return springs? If so were they replaced?

I've thought of fitting stronger ones and.or supplementing mine, to reduce brake drag

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - sammy1

This chap posted this on the 20th April in a slightly different format. I thought it was a wind up then and this sounds very much the same!

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

This site is made for people too ask about stuff. If you are annoyed I have put another one up then don't bother replying. Why waste your time just too put a stupid comment

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Hello mate, no the pads don't have return springs. I have solved the problem anyway, it was the brake hose. Thank you for all of the helpful comments

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

They rely on free moving pads and the calliper piston seal which is square to act as return spring, it pulls the piston back just enough for the pads to draw back from the disc

as it was the pipe, it might be a good idea to replace the other side as it must have been collapsing on the inside, probably due to age and possibly old brake fluid ?

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Joe tuzzer

Hello mate, the actual hose was bent, the metal part of the flexi hose was bent slightly which must have caused a partial blockage which is why the wheel still turned bit had a small amount of pressure still applied.

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

Hello mate, the actual hose was bent, the metal part of the flexi hose was bent slightly which must have caused a partial blockage which is why the wheel still turned bit had a small amount of pressure still applied.

the metal part is the joint between the rubber and metal connector before it screws into the caliper, which is unlikely to bend enough to force the rubber closed/cause partial blockage, at least I have never seen it happen- but doesnt mean it can`t -as anything can happen in mechanics

the rubber usually splits inside and makes a flap,(which cannot be seen from outside) according to pressure of the fluid, making a one way valve which remains partialy closed as the pressure is released which imo is whats happened and why I mentioned replacing the other side

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - edlithgow

Mine have (return?) springs, I don't know how important they are for operation, since the usual story is that its the distortion of the square cut seal that does the return biz, but I assume they contribute something.

They look like the wee levers you get on some kinds of document clips. I've thought of supplementing them with ball-point pen spring sections on the stub that locates in the brake pad, but havn't got around to trying it yet; Might not be able to get it to fit.

Another possibility might be a bit of silicone rubber tubing squidged between the arms of the spring.

Yeh, modifying brakes. THE HORROR.

I used to think that brake-hose-as-non-return-valve thing was a bit of a myth but I've had it happen a couple of times now, once on the Skywing, once on the Honda Accord i was "looking after", (this is presumably still doing it since the owner took it back) so it seems its not actually all that unusual.

Edited by edlithgow on 31/05/2021 at 01:59

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - Bolt

Mine have (return?) springs, I don't know how important they are for operation, since the usual story is that its the distortion of the square cut seal that does the return biz, but I assume they contribute something.

Yes they do, they assist in wearing the pad at an angle because they only partially work on the part of pad they are attached to, and if you get a build up of dust on pad mountings or a bit tight, they pull on the outside of pad but not the inner, so the pad relys on the square seal to allow it to pull back

bearing in mind they only need a few thousands of an inch gap unless you have a distorted disc which unless seriuos will push pads back anyway.

They often rust away as well, and those that push on ie not the wire types are very often left off as they don`t always work....

Edited by Bolt on 31/05/2021 at 06:33

One wheel harder too turn than the other side - edlithgow

AFAICT, the square seal distortion, and maybe the dust seal distortion also, will pull the pistons back a bit.

Since the pads aren't stuck to the pistons, only the springs (where fitted) and disk runout will be effective in returning them.

Mine seem to work OK (they are stainless steel). I don't seem to have much problem with dust buildup since I clean them occasionally, and I dont use any wet lubricant on the sliders. I just wrap PTFE tape around the pad ears, and sometimes scribble on the sliders with a 2B chippy's pencil

I think a lot of pad sticktion is probably due to rust build up behind the slider hardware, pinching the pads. I treat the calipers with sunflower oil and abrade with a beercan disk in a power drill, so no rust

I suppose if the springs were stronger maybe they might tend to jam the pads on the slides a bit, or a bit more.

If I try any modifications, and I live, I'll let yáll know how they work out,

Edited by edlithgow on 31/05/2021 at 12:22