Every had disc brake pad freeze to disc?

[WCVanHorne]

So it's been a mini snowmageddon up here in Edmonton today (certainly not a Buffalo thing, but pretty good). Probably around a foot by the time it's over with much deeper drifts. Basically a nice 4Runner day plowing around though the oatmeal and snow banks. Certainly a day to leave it in 4H as there isn't a patch of blacktop in sight.

Earlier this evening I pushed though the 1+ foot of snow in the back alley and parked in my partly shoveled driveway for perhaps 1/2 an hour. When I backed out (straight) there was a bit of resistance but I wasn't too shocked since there was still a couple inches of snow under me. With a bit of gas there was suddenly a thunk/chunk or similar from the left front wheel area and I rolled back without as much trouble. Now I thought it might have just been a frozen lunker I backed over but when I checked there was nothing. Drove around a bit and all seemed fine but don't forget I'm plowing though windrows and ~6+ inches of oatmeal so it's tough to evaluate tracking or pull.

Since it's -18C with 20+ km/h winds those discs would have certainly chilled down really fast. I'm thinking when the discs were warm a bit of snow crammed around that area melted and then refroze between the pad and the disc. The resistance and noise I heard was perhaps my literally snapping loose my frozen pad from the disc. This is, however, just a theory and I don't think I have ever noticed this happen on any vehicle before.

So my fellow northern tier friends: ever had this happen on your 4Runner or any other vehicle for that matter?

 

[fourwd1]

Sure, packed in snow freezing things up, should be no surprise.

 

[BOVADS]

Who made all the oatmeal ?

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

So it's been a mini snowmageddon up here in Edmonton today (certainly not a Buffalo thing, but pretty good). Probably around a foot by the time it's over with much deeper drifts. Basically a nice 4Runner day plowing around though the oatmeal and snow banks. Certainly a day to leave it in 4H as there isn't a patch of blacktop in sight.

Yep, happens in my Subie when it gets cold. The problem is worse in humid climates, and will stop the vehicle from moving until I power through (with a very loud POP when it lets go). Not a big deal just drive for a min, and you're good. You are operating a piece of machinery, and as such it is subject to the environment and what ever conditions it will throw at you. The vehicle is made to handle these conditions and will have no trouble doing so. Many people don't realize that a vehicle will behave differently in different climates, mostly because they don't often drive on those climates. Truth is, vehicles like the 4Runner are tested far beyond what most people would imagine, and the only reason we can buy them is because they passed those tests. With todays tech, it's always good to get a reminder that you are actually operating a huge machine, and not something out of a video game.

 

[AirspeedX]

Happened to me last night.

The heat from your brakes when you parked previously will melt the snow and ice, turns to water and re-freezes on your disc/rotor. You can try stopping, creep up a bit to a stop. Repeat a couple of times.

I'll just let it crack free... Also, metallic pads are more prone.

 

[WCVanHorne]

Who made all the oatmeal ?

Might be a local/Canadian term like "lunkers". Oatmeal is the nice, churned up snow mush that you get on an unplowed street before it can can pack down. Lower temperature scenario, perhaps -10C and below. Not slush. So named because of the similarity in consistency. The 4Runner with winter tires eats it up but it's a pain when twits with "all" seasons venture out and make it an obstacle course. Hell on fuel consumption of course

 

[WCVanHorne]

Happened to me last night.

The heat from your brakes when you parked previously will melt the snow and ice, turns to water and re-freezes on your disc/rotor. You can try stopping, creep up a bit to a stop. Repeat a couple of times.

I'll just let it crack free... Also, metallic pads are more prone.

Might be the pads on the 4Runner. I must have lived a charmed life since, with 30 years of driving up here in a dozen vehicles, I have never really noticed it; not like the pop I got this time. And I have driven though my alley axle deep in snow and parked many a time. Must have always evaporated or dripped off the warm rotor before it had a chance to freeze, or everything was too darn cold to melt it anyway.

As I said I thought it was this but never noticed anything like this pop/snap before, glad to know it's not an unheard of occurrence.

 

[NoDak]

I keep a hammer handle in the backseat for pushing snow out of the wheel wells.

and I never park it outside with pack wheels. the snow will melt around the hot brakes and eventually lock.

on rare occasion they have caused damage, from minor (flat spotting tyres or other more expensive issues.

I also take it you didn't nothing but city speeds of less than 60 kph to were you didn't notice the out of balance tyres.

 

[934x4]

In one of last years episodes of this same crap, I had the brakes freeze on my Mighty Yaris. As said, packed with snow and disc heat. The Yaris isn't powerful enough to break them free, so I had to get a torch in there to heat the pads up. You can hear them pop open.

 

[WCVanHorne]

I keep a hammer handle in the backseat for pushing snow out of the wheel wells.

and I never park it outside with pack wheels. the snow will melt around the hot brakes and eventually lock.

on rare occasion they have caused damage, from minor (flat spotting tyres or other more expensive issues.

I also take it you didn't nothing but city speeds of less than 60 kph to were you didn't notice the out of balance tyres.

Wheels weren't packed but there was probably just enough sitting there to drip down. We typically get fluffy stuff up here so usually not crammed in there. In the past I have definitely had a lump or two in a wheel with more closed spokes and had to pull over before I could go speed. I choose fairly open rims for my winter tires so haven't had that problem on the 4Runner.

 

[WCVanHorne]

In one of last years episodes of this same crap, I had the brakes freeze on my Mighty Yaris. As said, packed with snow and disc heat. The Yaris isn't powerful enough to break them free, so I had to get a torch in there to heat the pads up. You can hear them pop open.

That's what my other baby is. She's snug in the garage until the plows get out. Got studded Hakka 8's on her but that doesn't help when you get high centered or are literally pushing snow with the low front air dam (never mind that that plastic is not rated for plowing) .