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Problem with brake heating up

Hi guys, have a problem with my V70 P2 2001 2.4i. I was driving home, a

13 mile journey when towards the end, after a fast bit, I flt the car start to quiver, as if one rear wheel had thrown its weights, it became hard to maintain speed on a light throttle. I was sure I'd had a puncture so I pulled in once I found a safe place. I got out the car and walked round it to check things. The rear nearside wheel well was pumping out smoke, pad material stinking and the disk was glowing cherry red. I let the disk cool befoe I moved off again, did the final two miles to the house at @30 and disk was dull red when I stopped. Only thing different was that I had to pull the handbrake lever up a lot more for it to be effective Left it overnight, but had to go to work next morning at 7 AM. I drove like Miss Daisy for the 13 miles to work, set the handbrake which went up about 10 clicks instead of the usual 5 clicks, I checked the wheel which was cold to the touch and no cherry red glow. I have had to do the same journey for the last 4 days, with no time for taking off the wheel for a look, with no overheating issues. I haven't readjusted the handbrake or done anything at all. My main question is, is the problem coming from the handbrake shoes heating up the brakes, transferring heat to the disk and making the caliper stick? It hasn't stuck since and the brake pedal is firm with no travel to suggest a sticking caliper. I have ordered a new caliper anyway, on the assumption that if it gets warm, it shouldn't jam, so it is probably on the way out. Could a too tightly adjusted shoe make the whole thing heat up enough to make the caliper stick? I can't take a look at the state of things for another 4 days, but it is all running OK at the moment.
Reply to
Tunku
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I'd bet on the caliper itself, the main pads won't get smoking hot from sitting next to the disc without touching it & the handbrake won't get it cherry red in the 1st place.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

I had a quiver like this and it was the handbrake adjustment. It was just touching the inside of the drum surface and would get worse at speed. I guess the heating causes the mechanism to grow and makes things worse until you stop and everything cools down.

I think the handbrakes on these cars tend to shed shoe linings as they don't get a lot of wear, (usually only being applied whilst stationary,) yours may have still had its original shoes. Perhaps it shed a lining and it wedged itself against the inside of the drum. It sounds like the handbrake has worn 5 clicks of material away, so is probably worth taking the disk off and inspecting it anyway.

-- Rich

Reply to
Richard Crewe

thread about similar here:

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Reply to
Mrcheerful

Most likely a seized caliper. Seems to be common these days - and sometimes intermittent. Has it had the maker's recommended brake fluid changes?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

they have a drum for the handbrake, so seized caliper would not effect handbrake lever movement. apparently they suffer from linings falling off and the wheel can lock, it also snaps off a shoe pivot which means you need a new alloy housing: 480 quid. Volvo do not think it is a problem, apparently.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Think it would if the whole lot was red hot.

Right. My BMW has the same sort of arrangement. As has my brother's E46 which is newer than mine. He's had problems with calipers seizing both back and front. He's just fitted re-conned ones, though. I'd have liked to strip one to find out just why it seized.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I had a quiver like this and it was the handbrake adjustment. It was just touching the inside of the drum surface and would get worse at speed. I guess the heating causes the mechanism to grow and makes things worse until you stop and everything cools down.

I think the handbrakes on these cars tend to shed shoe linings as they don't get a lot of wear, (usually only being applied whilst stationary,) yours may have still had its original shoes. Perhaps it shed a lining and it wedged itself against the inside of the drum. It sounds like the handbrake has worn 5 clicks of material away, so is probably worth taking the disk off and inspecting it anyway.

That's exactly what happened to my 2001 V70D. When I removed the disc/drum the linings fell out on the floor. New set of shoes, re-adjusted the hand brake in the centre console and everything fine. Passed the MOT a few days after as well.

Reply to
Partac

"Mrcheerful" wrote in news:rMcrq.20752$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe18.ams:

I've heard that too. I have new shoes, shoe spring kit, disk/drum, pads. Only bit left is caliper, and that does look very rusty. Hopefully a new one is arriving soon. I'm not adjusting anything till it does. Funnily enough, I was thinking of a fluid change, every two years on this car, and I've had the car for just a year, It has an alledged full Volvo service history up to 87,000 when I bought it. My old 740s weak point was the rear brakes, maybe it's a Volvo thing.

Reply to
Tunku

I doubt it has unique brakes.

Trouble with handbrakes is they are exposed to all the elements, and rarely touched until they give trouble. A clean and lube once in a while would probably see them outlive the car. The maker's servicing probably calls for this - but I've no confidence that most main dealers would bother. Still charge for it, though.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk:

I fitted a new caliper and touch wood,that seems to have cured it. I just need to readjust the handbrake now.

Reply to
Tunku

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