Hi every one. I hae a question for all of you. I was driving on sunday and my brake and abs lights cam on. SO i am wondering where to start. I have replaced the front pads about a month ago, would they have gone bad already? I dont pull very offten so I am not sure where to start. I was wondering, when I changed the front pads i noticed a little rip in the piston boot. I posted on here and was told i shouldnt worry about it. Could that be the issue.

Please help me, I need the truck for the weekend and would like to get it staight.


Thank you in advance.
Who

 

If I was to throw out a guess I'd say it was your speed senor on your back diff. Check your fluid, but when ever mine comes on it is the sensor- try spinning your back wheels in reverse. (I know it sounds stupid but it works for me) Good luck you might also check for codes.

 

I'm not a mechanic or an expert, but here is my .02 worth... A new set of pads should last at least 30,000 miles IMHO -- depending on how hard you use your brakes. The tear in the piston boot by itself will not have any effect on the brake and abs lights. The boot protects the piston and internal parts from dirt and water. The tear may cause the seals around the piston to wear out sooner -- how much sooner depends on how hard you work your truck. When the seals wear out you will need to install new calipers -- the piston will not retract properly causing the front disk brake pads to wear out quickly with a noticable grinding/scraping sound while driving. At this point, the worn out seals may leak brake fluid and/or may cause air to get into the brake lines. Air in your brake lines may cause a pressure imbalance within the brake system, which may trip the ABS/Brake warning lights.

Our '99s have the ABS on the rear brakes only (drum brakes). The brake light (usually) indicates the emergency brake has been applied. I don't know all the error conditions that may cause these lights to come on after startup, but this combination happened to me last week when testing my brakes after installing the 30mm brake cylinders on my rear drums. I had bled out the new cylinders after installing them, so I knew everything should have been OK. After shutting the engine off and restarting it, the lights went out and have not come back on.

I have had a major problem with my brakes overheating in the past while towing heavy trailers (befor installing my exhaust brake). Overheated brakes will cause the brake fluid to boil and break down, and the brakes to fail. If you are having this problem, you should notice "heat cracks" on your rotors and drums. If they are heat cracked, replace them and flush out your brake lines with fresh fluid.

I would start by looking for a brake fluid leak -- something that would cause an imbalance in pressure within the brake system. Also verify the brakes work at each wheel (jack up the truck using jack stands and have someone step on the brakes while you spin each wheel). If you haven't flushed your brake system yet, you may want to do that -- this will also make sure you don't have any air in your lines. Hope this helps...

Franklin

 

72,000 miles here..original set, no exhaust brake

 

64k on first set and rocking along nicely with 102567 miles later.

 

Sure hope I get the same kinda brake wear as Dodge4x4...

 

I would like to get the same service as Dodge 4x4. Almost a million miles on a set of pads???? I hope my lift pump and VP hold out as long as well....

(I know it had to be a typo, but wishfull thinking is good too!!!!)


Gary