Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Car Maintenance Question

rotors are cheap.

I took the truck up to the mechanic this morning. He said it is brake pad dust. He shined a light onto the rt front wheel, and you could see about 1/8 of an inch of brake pad remaining. He shined a light on the left front, and you could not see the pad. I am just about to lose my left front brake. That could be a bad deal on these steep mountain roads, driving around with 1,700 pounds of gravel on board, as I did last week. [They weigh your vehicle at the quarry.]

Y'all boys did a good job with the diagnosis, following your suggestions I quit driving the truck 2 days ago. I'm lined up for a new left caliper, and a front brake job on Wednesday.

Why would the left brake wear out before the right brake wears out?

Calipers were not adjusted right and could have been dragging on the pad.

Supposed to be a slight drag on the rotor from the pads. More than likely that the left caliper quit retracting due to over extension as a result of no pad thickness.

Good the OP found out the best way rather than having his brakes fail.

If you replace JUST the Left front caliber, you are just leaving yourself open for the problem to return later on the right caliber. you need to replace both of them at the same town.

After that is done, I'd clean the wheel rim with spray lube, and then wipe it down. That will leave a thin layer that the dust will not easily adhere to the wheel. But it does matter what type of spray lube you use, some can be more tacky than others.

Exactly. If one goes bad the other isnt far behind. In this case I always replace rotors possibly warped or gouged, calipers and pads. Cheap compared to the possible consequences.

Maybe no counterweight in the passenger seat? Does your truck sag to the left?

The disc is probably warped now and probably needs replacing

I always replace rotor, they're cheap enough. Rotor/pads - do both sides. It's a 2 to 3 beer job, depending on how fast you drink.

Pads have protrusions on them that ride in guides cast in the brake assembly. They need to be lubricated when new pads are installed and the pads used to come with little packets of lube. The slots need to be lubed periodically especially in areas that use salt on the roads. Check your owners manual maintenance schedule. I had a brake job done and they did not lube the slot. The pad hung up and ruined the pad in less than 10,000 miles.

If that left rotor is dragging, do the usual clean the caliper pins, and re-lube, etc. Make sure you use a silicon-based grease, not a petroleum-based grease. I learned the hard way, the pins on these trucks have a rubber bushing, and petroleum-based grease will swell that rubber, causing a sticky caliper pin. Have been using silicone grease, and my brake maintenance lasts a lot longer, as do the pads and rotors.

I've never had a problem with the brake dust, assuming it has to do with particular brands/materials of pads.

I just called the shop and ordered the right side caliper. Thanks for the info.

Unfoucking believable you’ve never observed brake dust.

Loss of man points

Paying someone to do a brake job
-just burn your man card

You build log cabins for crying outside

You are pressing on the left side of the pedal more than the right.
Center your foot on the pedal.

About the same advise as given here.

Some of you experts should take your cars to a shop.

Maybe he’s always had newer vehicles.

I have zero issues paying people to do mechanical work on my vehicles and other machinery. Could I do it myself? Sure but my time is more valuable.

Brake caliper adjustment?

I've put over 550,000 miles on Nissan Frontier trucks, I have had 4 of them. I've paid for lots of brake jobs. I have never had this black dust appear on a wheel. The only comparable was, years ago I had a car and black stuff began to appear on a front wheel, turned out it was the wheel bearing was going out.

My first Frontier, it was a 1988, let the girlfriend drive it one time, she managed to total it. Second one, I was driving down I 85 one night, drunk female rear ended me, she was doing 95 mph, totaled my truck, I was uninjured. She was hauled off in handcuffs. My third one I bought new, nice little 4 cylinder with a stick shift, 4WD, I put 125,000 on it, and it rusted out. They put lots of salt on the roads up here. I mean when the brake lines rust in two you know you have a problem. That truck had to go bye bye.






Here is my current truck, getting loaded up with 1,700 pounds of gravel at the quarry. I put these Nissans to work! Thank you guys for the good advice, I didn't know if it was brakes or a wheel bearing.

Adjust calipers and change the muffler bearings while you’re at it 🤷🏻‍♂️

I realize they are self adjusting. Was thinking alignment was off somehow.

SK7:

If it'were me I'd replace both calipers. Having lern't over the years that on cars its best to do things in 2's or 4's as the case may be.

This from a guy who walks the talk. My cars average slightly over 20YO, with the newest being a 2011.

Good luck with it!