Hot brake smell after rebuild....

[blackie2]

I replaced all four rotors and pads on my 2016 at 130,000 miles using stock parts. Installation went well and no problems doing the work. My question is that when I drive normally to work, a 52 mile one way trip, the brakes don't stink or anything and the hubs are cool to the touch. However, whenever I drive down a couple of hills near my house and pull into my garage the rear brakes then to stink and the hubs are hot but not burning hot to the touch. The brakes smell when too so is this normal or is there something else I need to check. Thanks in advance.

 

[bares]

I have noticed the same thing on our 17 4Runner. It has had this brake smell after driving since we bought it new. Figured it was “normal”?!

 

[fkheath]

I replaced all four rotors and pads on my 2016 at 130,000 miles using stock parts. Installation went well and no problems doing the work. My question is that when I drive normally to work, a 52 mile one way trip, the brakes don't stink or anything and the hubs are cool to the touch. However, whenever I drive down a couple of hills near my house and pull into my garage the rear brakes then to stink and the hubs are hot but not burning hot to the touch. The brakes smell when too so is this normal or is there something else I need to check. Thanks in advance.

If the rear brakes are getting hot and not the front, that is not normal. There is supposed to be brake force distribution so the front brakes work more than the rear. It could be that this distribution system is not working right. Did you bleed the brakes after the brake job? Could be air in the lines to the front brakes so they are not working as hard as they should.

 

[jp.vegas]

Might need to check the adjustment of the parking brake. Those act on the rear wheels only and could lead to similar symptoms if too tight.

The good news, that will self clearance on its own after more driving lol.

 

[Jeremy556]

Did you properly adjust the parking brake shoes inside the rear rotors and check for drag with the wheels off the ground? If they are dragging a little bit they will create heat, but if you go high enough speed you will get enough airflow to cool them off.

 

[blackie2]

Yes I bled them after I did the entire job and again today after you posted just to be sure. I was wondering the same thing because when I took everything apart the rear pads were worn a lot more than the front. I know that the front are supposed to get the lion's share of the load and not sure what to do if there's not something I'm missing on the truck that I don't know about or overlooked.

 

[jp.vegas]

Yes I bled them after I did the entire job and again today after you posted just to be sure. I was wondering the same thing because when I took everything apart the rear pads were worn a lot more than the front. I know that the front are supposed to get the lion's share of the load and not sure what to do if there's not something I'm missing on the truck that I don't know about or overlooked.

The parking brake assemblies are not the same as the rear calipers whose pads you changed as part of your normal brake service. There are separate brake shoes with their own adjustment and pads that run inside the inner circumference of the rear discs. There is no corresponding front pad so it sounds to me like you haven't looked at those or their adjustments at all.

 

[blackie2]

The only thing I checked on the parking brake is rotating the rear tires to see if there was any resistance and there wasn't. How do you check them?