Ok, im starting a new thread because the problem is not an alignment problem anymore. So im getting drag on my front brakes, both sides, after i drive it about 15-20 miles i jack up the front end the the wheels are real tight to spin by hand and you can hear the pads screeching against the rotor. The front rims are extremely warm (almost to the point of too warm to touch) as the backs are nice and cool. So my question is how do i determine the cause, is it the brake hose in the front or the calipers. Is there any way to tell. Or is it a trial an error thing, cause if its a trial and error thing, im going to take it apart once and replace both.

Also im having a little trouble finding the correct brake hose on Napa and Advance Auto Parts website, I have a 2004 f150 4x4 STX 4 wheel disk with a 4.6 in it, can anyone help me out? Thanks again!

 

If you give me your vin, I can get you some part numbers. Dan.

 

I think i got it figured out the ones i need, i called and got it squared away. Thanks though, i just need some input on the sticky calipers.

 

only thing you can really do is dissasemble both sides and try to compress each caliper.

your best insurance is just to replace both though

 

Im pretty sure that is what im going to do it replace everything, hose, caliper, rotor, pads, and fluid, i think that would cover all the bases. And hopefully cure my slight pull of the steering wheel i feel. Thanks!

 

I just rebuilt my calipers in all four wheels of my truck. The new calipers like in the 04+ trucks have phenolic pistons. They become egg shaped after about 100k or if you have heavy braking habits even sooner...

First Auto Parts here locally in Austin,TX sells the pistons and seals....which is all they replace to "rebuild."

You do have to have an air compressor to run brake cleaner and blow it completely out, but that is to the extent of it. BE SURE TO FLUSH YOUR BRAKE SYSTEM!!

It took me about 2.5hrs total from jacking up to droppin the truck back on the tires to do the front and about the same for the rear!

 

Ya, im prepared, im pretty good at ripping brakes and suspension apart from working on a racecar and ive had these off a couple times already. I have all the equipment. im actually going to do some tonight and the rest tommorow morning, so i dont rush myself. Thanks!

 

I'm lazy. Seriously. whenever I have a sticking caliper, I replace them both.

 

I had bad problems with Ford's phenolic caliper pistons in 1980 and 1990 models. I always replaced the pistons with stainless steel replacements and never had an issue with them again. I have to tell you when these things got stuck, it wasn't a light pull off center, it was a hard pull. I hope this works out for you.

 

I think i might have caught mine before it got to that point. I think regular people that experience what i am wouldnt notice it and be able to check the things out like some of can, so i think if i let it go it would probably get to that point. I ripped everything off tonight, calipers, brackets, hoses, rotors, and it took me about 45 mins total jacking it up and taking wheels off included. Ill know by noon tommorow if it works.

 

Ok got everything replaced except the hose, noone around me had the right hose, the bracket that mounts to the frame was the wrong angle to connect to the steel line. The dealership can order the right ones for me but they were going to be about $300 for the set, i thought that was rediculous, so i put the old ones back on for now cause i need the truck. Took the truck for a about a 20-30 minute ride afterwards. Drives pretty straight compared to what it was. Got back to my house and felt the rims, there were cool. I could just barely and i mean barely feel a little warmth. So i think ill try to find some of the hoses for cheaper and put them on in a couple weeks, but im happy with the result, so thanks to everyone who helped out!

 

I knew it couldnt have been that easy, so after putting a couple miles on the truck im back to the same scenerio as i was before, a slight pull to the right. I jack up the front of the truck and turn the wheels, passenger side is hard to turn and screeches from the pads on the rotor, the rim is also getting warm. The drivers side isnt as bad but still getting slightly warm and not as easy to turn. I jacked up the back and gave those tires a spin and they spin really free alot more free than the fronts and no pad grinding sound. So here is what ive done, calipers, pads, rotors, fluid. The only thing i didnt do was the hoses. I ordered them through Y2K Ford Parts. So ill have to wait for them. So im banking on the condition that the inside of my hoses are collapsing. What do you guys think? What else can it be. Its extremely hard to collapse the piston on the caliper to remove it. And here is another thing, the driver side when i was bleeding the brakes you could see the hose moving with the pressure of fluid when my wife was pumping the brakes, i didnt notice that sort of movement on the passenger side (the same side that gets warm and screeches) could that be a sign of a bad hose?

 

just throwing this out there but it may well be the master cylinder not properly draining back after the pedal is released

 

If that was the case, would it affect the rear wheels too? Because the rears seem unaffected.

 

Ive read about people adjusting the master cylinder rod for soft pedal, but what about if its too tight? Could it need adjusted the other way? But, if the rod needs adjusted would it make all 4 wheels drag, or could it make just the fronts drag. Im just trying to rule out all my possibilities, this is getting to me and i want to get it taken care of. If i take the master cylinder off and the brakes release could i take that as an indication that the rod need adjusted? Im getting the hoses in but i thought i could rule out the rod now if i could. If it does need adjusted i read that if you pull off the master cylinder and use some crayon or something thin that will coat the end of the rod and then reinstall the master cylinder and then take it back off and see if there is a indent or the coating is smashed, if it is pull the master cylinder readjust the rod inward (clockwise) coat the rod again and repeat untill there isnt any indent or smashing of the coating you put on the end of the rod.What do you guys think about that?