Brake problem help requested

[vietec]

Hey so I have what I'm pretty sure is a brake problem. Every now and then when I drive higher speeds on the highway, I'll get a vibration that starts small then gets pretty crazy. When I stop and check it, you definitely smell burning brakes, so I went ahead and replaced the following:
-Rotors
-pads
-parking brake shoes (old ones were rusty)
-Calipers

I thought I fixed the problem but recently I had it happen again. Anyone know of a common problem that I have missed? I didn't install the bias springs that were included in the brake pad sets because the manual states "Note: If equipped. Install the bias spring(s)." That is the only thing I had to guess on and I didn't see one prior, so I figure it was not necessarily equipped with them. Anyhow, any ideas before I toss in the towel and take it to a car shop?

 

[Waterndirt]

Sounds like a wheel bearing issue to me.

 

[vietec]

Sounds like a wheel bearing issue to me.

curious, does that have a smell problem as well? I have tried giving the wheels a shake while jacked up, and have tried changing lanes whenever it vibrates to see if the vibration stops. Maybe I'm lucky and it's just really early on the wear

 

[Waterndirt]

If a worn bearing is allowing the hub assembly to "wobble" within the caliper / pads then you may be getting some brake smells. I'm no expert on this subject though. I'm sure others will chime in.

 

[stufrowin]

This happen to me with driver side rear, I had a significant verical (12 o'clock 6 o'clock) wobble and sure enough it was the hub bearing. Kind of a pita

http://www.landroverworld.org/threads/rear-wheel-bearing-hub-replacement.27958/

 

[ktm525]

More info please. Do you get a light shaking when applying the brakes? I have been fighting a similar issue. A very light shake under light braking at high speed. Heavier brake application and the shake disappears. I have replaced rotors and this time I double checked hub run out and disc run out while mounted and was under .002". Also I replaced the rubber bushings on the caliper pins and re-greased with a rubber friendly grease. The caliper pins were moving well. Lo and behold in the mountains on the highway the light shake returned a little on the new rotors. hmmm. The shaking on only light braking suggest to me the calipers are still not floating as well as they should be on the pins. Any other ideas? The wheel is smooth when not on the brakes. No hub noise, nothing.

 

[vietec]

More info please. Do you get a light shaking when applying the brakes? I have been fighting a similar issue. A very light shake under light braking at high speed. Heavier brake application and the shake disappears. I have replaced rotors and this time I double checked hub run out and disc run out while mounted and was under .002". Also I replaced the rubber bushings on the caliper pins and re-greased with a rubber friendly grease. The caliper pins were moving well. Lo and behold in the mountains on the highway the light shake returned a little on the new rotors. hmmm. The shaking on only light braking suggest to me the calipers are still not floating as well as they should be on the pins. Any other ideas? The wheel is smooth when not on the brakes. No hub noise, nothing.

I think we're fighting two different problems, mine does it whether or not I brake. Yours kind of sounds like what happened in my old BMW. It started out with a light shudder under braking and eventually got really bad through normal driving. That one turned out to be the front control arm bushings. They say on bmws that if you have someone standing outside of the car, that if you brake lightly while driving by, they would be able to see the front wheels move a lot during braking.

Not sure if that holds true in land rovers, but it's a guess.

This happen to me with driver side rear, I had a significant verical (12 o'clock 6 o'clock) wobble and sure enough it was the hub bearing. Kind of a pita

http://www.landroverworld.org/threads/rear-wheel-bearing-hub-replacement.27958/

part of me is really hoping it isn't a bearing, I don't have access to a shop press anymore.

 

[ktm525]

OK. I had the lower control arms replaced too and problem persists. For your issue it really does sound like a bearing. To diagnose my LR3 we put it on the hoist, took off the wheels and ran the truck in gear. A stethoscope on each hub pinpointed the two bad bearings.

 

[ryanjl]

part of me is really hoping it isn't a bearing, I don't have access to a shop press anymore.

You don't need a press. Just buy the whole Timken hub assembly off Amazon and borrow a gear puller from your neighborhood O'relly Advanced Auto Zone.

Here's a video of it being done without the gear puller.

 

[vietec]

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have to do more digging and hopefully the job won't **** me. Gotta love those AB videos, they cover just about everything

OK. I had the lower control arms replaced too and problem persists. For your issue it really does sound like a bearing. To diagnose my LR3 we put it on the hoist, took off the wheels and ran the truck in gear. A stethoscope on each hub pinpointed the two bad bearings.

You don't need a press. Just buy the whole Timken hub assembly off Amazon and borrow a gear puller from your neighborhood O'relly Advanced Auto Zone.

Here's a video of it being done without the gear puller.