edlima777

Just got done replacing brake pads all around and rear rotors on my 1992 SC300. The guy who worked on my car said that the car actually has pads AND shoes on the rear. I thought that was strange. Is he talking about the parking brake shoes? They were worn and need to be replace, which I have not yet done.

Anyway, on my way home the driver rear brakes started to smoke. I thought it was residue oil burning off the new rotor, but it happened again today. He seems to think that because the 'shoes' are worn, the calipers are too tight.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Candela

iTrader: (1)

brake shoes are inside the rear rotor's mini-drum, in the center, they're e-brake/parking shoes, they do not activate when u press ur brake pedal, only when u pull the handbrake lever. perhaps the smoke is from excessive brake pad grease that he used.

sj408

iTrader: (6)

lol, stop letting Jethro work on your lexus.

Yeah it has a shoe for the parking brake, thats it and as far as i know mine has never interfered with my regular brakes in any way and its all worn down and out of adjustment cause i never use it these days.

Was it smoking when you applied brake? or just all the time while rolling??? If its just upon braking then i would suspect he never removed the oil from the rotors and its causing it to friction burn off. If that is the case.... then go back to sentence one.

edlima777

LOL -- Jethro is all I can afford right now.

It smokes during regular 30 mph driving. I can't see it, but I can smell it. Then, as I park the car -- of course -- I can see smoke.

edlima777

What if, for instance, the parking brakes are completely worn out -- which they are, there's no friction material left -- would that cause any parts to push against the caliper, causing it to press against the pads constantly?

Candela

iTrader: (1)

No that wouldnt' cause that at all, if the shoes are worn that means they are even further from touching the inside of the rotor. Even if you had brand new shoes, the shoes are only supposed to touch the inside of the rotor when you pull the hand brake (when adjusted properly).

Maybe you have a seized caliper? do you smell brake pad?

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

^^^ Candela is on point, the ebrake drum system should not intefere with anything once you put it down, verify tat when you pull it up it stops the car from rolling in neutral and when its down the car will roll some.
Usually when it wears out you have to adjust the parking cable to get it to work, then eventually you run out of adjustment, and then it plain stops working but doesn't affect anything else. at that point you need to change out the shoes and then set your cable back to where it used to be cause it will be too short after you adjust it a couple times.
I second a stuck piston on the regular rear caliper, or improper installation, or stuff on the rotor like sometimes the oil they package new rotors in they will really overdo it and it could be still burning off. being that its brakes I would check the calipers again.

Candela

iTrader: (1)

I forgot about that oil. Its that super greasy yellowy stuff and they usually put a clear plastic over the surface right? OP did the guy wash it off and use brake cleaner ?

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

yeah that is exactly the stuff it keeps it from rusting in storage or in transit. you have to get it off with some brake cleaner, or you can imagine a coating of super greasy yellow stuff tends to stick around for a while until it burns all off most likely.

hoosier58

My van did that once. I pulled into a parking lot and my automatic shift lever dropped dead as I put it in park. I slid underneath, and like some kind of Gilligan, decided to shift the trans to find out if the problem was the linkage or transmission. I hit neutral, and had a 3/4 ton E250 rolling onto my shoulder. It hurt, but bounced off, and I got out from underneath without my head getting squashed (thanks to a huge jolt of adrenalin). I slammed on the parking brake.

An hour and a half later, after buying, then replacing the shift cable, I drove away. The rear brakes kept smoking! What the h**l, I was thinking. Was my rear end bad from the transmission thing? It didn't make any sense.

It turns out I left the parking brake on. Who the heck USES one with an automatic? I had never used it before, and never even thought of it.

True confession: and my soul feels better for sharing it.

I'd make sure Jethro didn't tighten your parking cable, or something. You do not want to let that heat keep building up. I turned my van drums blue with heat during my brain fart, and rebuilt the entire brakes shortly after.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

wow you got lucky man glad you are alright, I guess the e250 has one of those foot parking brakes.. I really dislike those things you never notice that they are on when someone puts it on.. I never use it on autos but it really annoys me when other people do as well.

Murco

iTrader: (1)

If the "mechanic" left the cosmoline on the rotor it would turn blue and brown, do you see any color on the rotor?
Chances are you have a caliper that is sediment bound and/or the slider pins aren't moving. See this thread...