4x4mike
07-04-2011, 02:25 PM
This has happened a couple of times and last night was a bit nerve racking so I wanted to run it past you guys. My '99 4Runner has stock brake parts all around. The rear liners are a little over a year old, they fronts are as they were when I bought it more than 3 years ago.
Last night we were leaving a large public fireworks show and it was a snails pace leaving the parking lot, bumper to bumper. I've got the 5 speed so I never left first gear and moved about 5 feet at a time. When I would put the truck in gear to go forward that little bit it felt like one of my front tires was up against a curb then it would let go slowly and I'd move forward my little bit. I felt it most when making a turn, not full lock, but also when going forward. When it was time to stop I'd push the brake pedal, not hard - just right, and it felt like the front brakes just locked. Granted I never went over 2 mph but I looked like that guy that jumps on the brake pedal to scare the passengers. A couple of times the tire would screech, even though I wasn't going all that fast, and others it sounded like there was a clicking but only when the wheel was turned.
Half way through the hour long, 500 foot journey I put it in 4WD because it felt like I needed that extra bit to get through that sticky brake feel. After a while I used my parking brake instead of the pedal and everything seemed fine. We had a 5 mile freeway drive after the parking lot and it seemed fine. No pulling or diving but it did seem like the rpms were a little high but maybe that was in my head, (2500 rpm, 70 mph, 5 speed, stock gears and 265,75's). When I got home I reached in and touched the rotors and they didn't seem overly hot for the drive we just did, plus the 2 sides were about the same temp.
One other time I've noticed this problem is bumper to bumper traffic coasting to a stop, mostly on a slight downhill. It seems like the ABS is kicking on but I'm only going 5 mph and coasting. FWIW the ABS light has not gone one during any of this (about a month now). On the slight down hill, it's the back side of a freeway overpass, this chattering scares me a bit. Braking performance hasn't lessened, in fact it feels like it will lock up with little pedal input.
I haven't had time to jack up the front to take a deep look or pull the wheel but visual inspection looks good. No scoring on the rotor, no fluid leaks, CV boots are all in one piece and the upper and lower ball joints look intact. Under regular braking and driving everything seems fine but at slow speed it feels like I'm driving a covered wagon with a drag brake along with all the noise.
Any insight? I'm headed to the mountains next weekend and need this thing to get me there and back. No 4wd use but still I don't want to walk.
Last night we were leaving a large public fireworks show and it was a snails pace leaving the parking lot, bumper to bumper. I've got the 5 speed so I never left first gear and moved about 5 feet at a time. When I would put the truck in gear to go forward that little bit it felt like one of my front tires was up against a curb then it would let go slowly and I'd move forward my little bit. I felt it most when making a turn, not full lock, but also when going forward. When it was time to stop I'd push the brake pedal, not hard - just right, and it felt like the front brakes just locked. Granted I never went over 2 mph but I looked like that guy that jumps on the brake pedal to scare the passengers. A couple of times the tire would screech, even though I wasn't going all that fast, and others it sounded like there was a clicking but only when the wheel was turned.
Half way through the hour long, 500 foot journey I put it in 4WD because it felt like I needed that extra bit to get through that sticky brake feel. After a while I used my parking brake instead of the pedal and everything seemed fine. We had a 5 mile freeway drive after the parking lot and it seemed fine. No pulling or diving but it did seem like the rpms were a little high but maybe that was in my head, (2500 rpm, 70 mph, 5 speed, stock gears and 265,75's). When I got home I reached in and touched the rotors and they didn't seem overly hot for the drive we just did, plus the 2 sides were about the same temp.
One other time I've noticed this problem is bumper to bumper traffic coasting to a stop, mostly on a slight downhill. It seems like the ABS is kicking on but I'm only going 5 mph and coasting. FWIW the ABS light has not gone one during any of this (about a month now). On the slight down hill, it's the back side of a freeway overpass, this chattering scares me a bit. Braking performance hasn't lessened, in fact it feels like it will lock up with little pedal input.
I haven't had time to jack up the front to take a deep look or pull the wheel but visual inspection looks good. No scoring on the rotor, no fluid leaks, CV boots are all in one piece and the upper and lower ball joints look intact. Under regular braking and driving everything seems fine but at slow speed it feels like I'm driving a covered wagon with a drag brake along with all the noise.
Any insight? I'm headed to the mountains next weekend and need this thing to get me there and back. No 4wd use but still I don't want to walk.