Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

I have a jeep cherokee 1995 sport with just over 151K miles on it. I
noticed the harmonics were off, even after having the tire shop
rebalance and rotate.

Took it in to the local shop and they said the front bearings were
going bad--come in "when I wanted the noise to go away".

Yesterday, I noticed a metalic smell right after the AC controller
quit (had to replace the unit twice already becuase of bad switches).
I assumed it was the AC fan switch burning out again and continued
driving.

After driving the rig another 20 miles (lots of stop and go traffic) I
noticed the rig was jerking to the right when I braked at 50 mph. At
an intersection the front left wheel assembly started to smoke and I
pulled over. A grey/white smoke was pouring through where the brake
cable enters the wheel assembly.

I have yet to pull the wheel off--but I do know when I orginally
jacked it up to get a better look and tried to rotate the wheel it was
seized. After 10 minutes, I tried again and the wheel began to rotate
slowly. After 20 minutes it was rotating freely again.

Has this happened to anyone before? I will be looking at it
today/tommorow and I expect to find that it is the bearing/hub. If I
am lucky it didn't damage the rotor/brake assembly/axle. Real pity
about the rotor as it is brand new :/

Thanks for any input anyone might have!

Dustin

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Hi Dustin,
Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
as a unit.
If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dustin Grimes wrote:
>
> I have a jeep cherokee 1995 sport with just over 151K miles on it. I
> noticed the harmonics were off, even after having the tire shop
> rebalance and rotate.
>
> Took it in to the local shop and they said the front bearings were
> going bad--come in "when I wanted the noise to go away".
>
> Yesterday, I noticed a metalic smell right after the AC controller
> quit (had to replace the unit twice already becuase of bad switches).
> I assumed it was the AC fan switch burning out again and continued
> driving.
>
> After driving the rig another 20 miles (lots of stop and go traffic) I
> noticed the rig was jerking to the right when I braked at 50 mph. At
> an intersection the front left wheel assembly started to smoke and I
> pulled over. A grey/white smoke was pouring through where the brake
> cable enters the wheel assembly.
>
> I have yet to pull the wheel off--but I do know when I orginally
> jacked it up to get a better look and tried to rotate the wheel it was
> seized. After 10 minutes, I tried again and the wheel began to rotate
> slowly. After 20 minutes it was rotating freely again.
>
> Has this happened to anyone before? I will be looking at it
> today/tommorow and I expect to find that it is the bearing/hub. If I
> am lucky it didn't damage the rotor/brake assembly/axle. Real pity
> about the rotor as it is brand new :/
>
> Thanks for any input anyone might have!
>
> Dustin

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Hi Dustin,
Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
as a unit.
If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dustin Grimes wrote:
>
> I have a jeep cherokee 1995 sport with just over 151K miles on it. I
> noticed the harmonics were off, even after having the tire shop
> rebalance and rotate.
>
> Took it in to the local shop and they said the front bearings were
> going bad--come in "when I wanted the noise to go away".
>
> Yesterday, I noticed a metalic smell right after the AC controller
> quit (had to replace the unit twice already becuase of bad switches).
> I assumed it was the AC fan switch burning out again and continued
> driving.
>
> After driving the rig another 20 miles (lots of stop and go traffic) I
> noticed the rig was jerking to the right when I braked at 50 mph. At
> an intersection the front left wheel assembly started to smoke and I
> pulled over. A grey/white smoke was pouring through where the brake
> cable enters the wheel assembly.
>
> I have yet to pull the wheel off--but I do know when I orginally
> jacked it up to get a better look and tried to rotate the wheel it was
> seized. After 10 minutes, I tried again and the wheel began to rotate
> slowly. After 20 minutes it was rotating freely again.
>
> Has this happened to anyone before? I will be looking at it
> today/tommorow and I expect to find that it is the bearing/hub. If I
> am lucky it didn't damage the rotor/brake assembly/axle. Real pity
> about the rotor as it is brand new :/
>
> Thanks for any input anyone might have!
>
> Dustin

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Hi Dustin,
Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
as a unit.
If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dustin Grimes wrote:
>
> I have a jeep cherokee 1995 sport with just over 151K miles on it. I
> noticed the harmonics were off, even after having the tire shop
> rebalance and rotate.
>
> Took it in to the local shop and they said the front bearings were
> going bad--come in "when I wanted the noise to go away".
>
> Yesterday, I noticed a metalic smell right after the AC controller
> quit (had to replace the unit twice already becuase of bad switches).
> I assumed it was the AC fan switch burning out again and continued
> driving.
>
> After driving the rig another 20 miles (lots of stop and go traffic) I
> noticed the rig was jerking to the right when I braked at 50 mph. At
> an intersection the front left wheel assembly started to smoke and I
> pulled over. A grey/white smoke was pouring through where the brake
> cable enters the wheel assembly.
>
> I have yet to pull the wheel off--but I do know when I orginally
> jacked it up to get a better look and tried to rotate the wheel it was
> seized. After 10 minutes, I tried again and the wheel began to rotate
> slowly. After 20 minutes it was rotating freely again.
>
> Has this happened to anyone before? I will be looking at it
> today/tommorow and I expect to find that it is the bearing/hub. If I
> am lucky it didn't damage the rotor/brake assembly/axle. Real pity
> about the rotor as it is brand new :/
>
> Thanks for any input anyone might have!
>
> Dustin

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Hi Dustin,
Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
as a unit.
If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Dustin Grimes wrote:
>
> I have a jeep cherokee 1995 sport with just over 151K miles on it. I
> noticed the harmonics were off, even after having the tire shop
> rebalance and rotate.
>
> Took it in to the local shop and they said the front bearings were
> going bad--come in "when I wanted the noise to go away".
>
> Yesterday, I noticed a metalic smell right after the AC controller
> quit (had to replace the unit twice already becuase of bad switches).
> I assumed it was the AC fan switch burning out again and continued
> driving.
>
> After driving the rig another 20 miles (lots of stop and go traffic) I
> noticed the rig was jerking to the right when I braked at 50 mph. At
> an intersection the front left wheel assembly started to smoke and I
> pulled over. A grey/white smoke was pouring through where the brake
> cable enters the wheel assembly.
>
> I have yet to pull the wheel off--but I do know when I orginally
> jacked it up to get a better look and tried to rotate the wheel it was
> seized. After 10 minutes, I tried again and the wheel began to rotate
> slowly. After 20 minutes it was rotating freely again.
>
> Has this happened to anyone before? I will be looking at it
> today/tommorow and I expect to find that it is the bearing/hub. If I
> am lucky it didn't damage the rotor/brake assembly/axle. Real pity
> about the rotor as it is brand new :/
>
> Thanks for any input anyone might have!
>
> Dustin

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Bill,

"Thanks" doesn't quite cover the level of gratitude here! I know
these forums sometimes take on something like asking a doctor at a
cocktail party to diagnose a symptom for free--so your
advice/info/expertise is really appreciated.

The link you attached was also right on topic and gives me some idea
of what I am in for.

Dustin


L.W.(ßill) ------ III <----------@cox.net> wrote in message news:<411903F8.1057EF63@cox.net>...
> Hi Dustin,
> Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
> as a unit.
> If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
> yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
> the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Bill,

"Thanks" doesn't quite cover the level of gratitude here! I know
these forums sometimes take on something like asking a doctor at a
cocktail party to diagnose a symptom for free--so your
advice/info/expertise is really appreciated.

The link you attached was also right on topic and gives me some idea
of what I am in for.

Dustin


L.W.(ßill) ------ III <----------@cox.net> wrote in message news:<411903F8.1057EF63@cox.net>...
> Hi Dustin,
> Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
> as a unit.
> If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
> yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
> the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Bill,

"Thanks" doesn't quite cover the level of gratitude here! I know
these forums sometimes take on something like asking a doctor at a
cocktail party to diagnose a symptom for free--so your
advice/info/expertise is really appreciated.

The link you attached was also right on topic and gives me some idea
of what I am in for.

Dustin


L.W.(ßill) ------ III <----------@cox.net> wrote in message news:<411903F8.1057EF63@cox.net>...
> Hi Dustin,
> Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
> as a unit.
> If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
> yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
> the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

Bill,

"Thanks" doesn't quite cover the level of gratitude here! I know
these forums sometimes take on something like asking a doctor at a
cocktail party to diagnose a symptom for free--so your
advice/info/expertise is really appreciated.

The link you attached was also right on topic and gives me some idea
of what I am in for.

Dustin


L.W.(ßill) ------ III <----------@cox.net> wrote in message news:<411903F8.1057EF63@cox.net>...
> Hi Dustin,
> Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
> as a unit.
> If your wheel bearings are worn than replace them before you kill
> yourself, with no brakes, as the looseness pushes the piston back off
> the disc: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...2_feb/bearing/
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>

Re: Smoking Front Bearing/Hub/axle/brake
 

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 10:20:56 -0700, L.W.(ßill) ------ III
<----------@cox.net> wrote:

>Hi Dustin,
> Brake caliber piston jammed, usually cheaper to replace the caliber
>as a unit.

You might also want to replace the flex hose going to the caliper.
Internal failure of this hose is most likely what caused the brakes to
lock up in the first place.
Of course, since Jeep uses a composite piston in the caliper, you'll
have to replace it also as the heat has probably melted it..

Funny, I, too, had to do this to my '95 Wrangler within 2000 miles of
replacing the front pads and resurfacing the rotors.
--
Old Crow
'82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl'
'95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande
ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1
TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51