Hydraulic Disc Brake Problem

[nickmeloy]

TV - 2010 F250 with Ford ITBC
TT - 2006 Classic with electric/hydraulic disc brakes (Dexter axles and ActiBrake hydraulic system).

On our most recent trip, about a week ago, We had the brakes on one wheel fail to release after a fairly aggresive stop. At least, that is what I think happened.

A Forest Service truck pulled out very close in front of us and then did not accelerate. I had to brake fairly aggressively, but not a panic stop. As I began to accelerate (the FS truck had turned onto a side road), it took me several minutes to realize that the truck engine was pulling fairly hard. When I checked the rear view mirrors, there was black smoke coming from the left rear wheel position. By the time that I could get the TT somewhat clear of the road (narrow shoulder) and stop, there was quite a bit of black smoke. The smoke slowly stopped of its own accord.

I pulled the TT forward for about 100 yards in order to get clear of the pavement, and had no problems doing so. I then drove at varying speeds for about a mile with no problems. We completed our trip (driving about 300 additional miles over several days) with no problems.

After the incident, I periodically checked the wheel temperatures, by feel, and there was no indication on any of the four wheels of overheating.

I would appreciate feedback from others that might have experienced such behavior as this. Knowing what to look for when the wheel is pulled would be of great help.

I called the Airstream factory, and J. D. Sanders in Alachua, and discussed the matter with both. No one was certain of the cause, as the problem had disappeared.

F. A. Meloy
3857 Throne Court
Milton, Florida 32583
850-981-9667

[easyride]

It could just be that brake needs adjusted up a little bit,and that made it stick.I would keep a close watch of that tire that did the skidding,if it has a flat spot it will only get worse.Dave

[RickDavis]

I have seen lightly loaded brakes on a utility trailer do that. It seems worse when they are in need of tighter adjustment. Usually backing up will release them.
Hopefully it was a one time happening

[Area63]

Originally Posted by nickmeloy

TV - 2010 F250 with Ford ITBC
TT - 2006 Classic with electric/hydraulic disc brakes (Dexter axles and ActiBrake hydraulic system).

On our most recent trip, about a week ago, We had the brakes on one wheel fail to release after a fairly aggresive stop. At least, that is what I think happened.

A Forest Service truck pulled out very close in front of us and then did not accelerate. I had to brake fairly aggressively, but not a panic stop. As I began to accelerate (the FS truck had turned onto a side road), it took me several minutes to realize that the truck engine was pulling fairly hard. When I checked the rear view mirrors, there was black smoke coming from the left rear wheel position. By the time that I could get the TT somewhat clear of the road (narrow shoulder) and stop, there was quite a bit of black smoke. The smoke slowly stopped of its own accord.

I pulled the TT forward for about 100 yards in order to get clear of the pavement, and had no problems doing so. I then drove at varying speeds for about a mile with no problems. We completed our trip (driving about 300 additional miles over several days) with no problems.

After the incident, I periodically checked the wheel temperatures, by feel, and there was no indication on any of the four wheels of overheating.

I would appreciate feedback from others that might have experienced such behavior as this. Knowing what to look for when the wheel is pulled would be of great help.

I called the Airstream factory, and J. D. Sanders in Alachua, and discussed the matter with both. No one was certain of the cause, as the problem had disappeared.

F. A. Meloy
3857 Throne Court
Milton, Florida 32583
850-981-9667

I would take a very close look at that particular wheel assembly. It sounds like the brake caliper got stuck. This would warrant a close inspection, to make sure nothing has taken damage from this incident.

Pull the wheel, install a safety jack stand, and inspect the bolts that hold on teh caliper to the hub assembly, as well as the blts that hold the caliper to the backing bracket. Look at the brake rotor itself also, see if it has bluing or signs of uneven brake pad wear. Maybe pulling both wheels on one side would be of benefit, so you can compare the location and position of everything.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by nickmeloy

TV - 2010 F250 with Ford ITBC
TT - 2006 Classic with electric/hydraulic disc brakes (Dexter axles and ActiBrake hydraulic system).

On our most recent trip, about a week ago, We had the brakes on one wheel fail to release after a fairly aggresive stop. At least, that is what I think happened.

A Forest Service truck pulled out very close in front of us and then did not accelerate. I had to brake fairly aggressively, but not a panic stop. As I began to accelerate (the FS truck had turned onto a side road), it took me several minutes to realize that the truck engine was pulling fairly hard. When I checked the rear view mirrors, there was black smoke coming from the left rear wheel position. By the time that I could get the TT somewhat clear of the road (narrow shoulder) and stop, there was quite a bit of black smoke. The smoke slowly stopped of its own accord.

I pulled the TT forward for about 100 yards in order to get clear of the pavement, and had no problems doing so. I then drove at varying speeds for about a mile with no problems. We completed our trip (driving about 300 additional miles over several days) with no problems.

After the incident, I periodically checked the wheel temperatures, by feel, and there was no indication on any of the four wheels of overheating.

I would appreciate feedback from others that might have experienced such behavior as this. Knowing what to look for when the wheel is pulled would be of great help.

I called the Airstream factory, and J. D. Sanders in Alachua, and discussed the matter with both. No one was certain of the cause, as the problem had disappeared.

F. A. Meloy
3857 Throne Court
Milton, Florida 32583
850-981-9667

Please be advised that Actibrake is out of business.

Part of the reason is because of the many failures occured with their actuators, in their last few months.

Some of those reasons include crazy happenings, such as you stated, but to be super sure, pull that wheel rotor and look for a problem.

For you safetys sake, do not assume anything "went away".

Find out and make sure.

Andy

[Beginner]

I assume that the brakes are disc.
If thats the case there is no drum.
Does the Actibrake system run individual lines to each wheel?
I seem that Chrysler front disc brakes (Dodge/Plymouth)had that problem in the early seventies, however, I don't remember for sure what they did to stop the problem. Seems to me they changed the caliper piston material (ceramic to stainless steel or vise versa or something) only once locked they didn't release which made removal really easy (not).
Beginner

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Please be advised that Actibrake is out of business.

Part of the reason is because of the many failures occured with their actuators, in their last few months...

"part of the reason" ??

how do YOU know this ?

unless you've got some sort of INSIDER knowledge about their business/financial and reason for closing...

this is pure bs.
___________

the factory disc set up starts with ONE line from the reservoir,

with Ts amd Ys to split lines for each wheel.

so it is UNlikely the actibrake unit has anything to do with this issue at ONE wheel/brake.

it IS possible that a piston/pad failed to retract (stuck) and

IF this happened the pad or rotor should have signs of from HEAT change.

it's easy enough to check the pistons for normal function/retraction and seals...

this is a florida trailer, with humidity/rain/rust/corrosion and so on...

so the brake pads may need some anti seize GOO reapplied to move freely.
__________

however it's also possible that the WEIGHT over one tire is LESS than the others...

this happens more often on the REAR axles because of weight shifts with braking,

and as a result of a LIGHER LOAD, the tire locked up/skidded.

that's what black smoke suggests, but factor in how UNreliable 'what's my problem' posts often are HERE...

and without pictures.
__________

so PULL the tire/wheel OFF and inspect it for signs of uneven wear and

check the brake pads and rotor at that wheel.

i have posted PIX of this tire skidding/flat spot issue in the past,

but suspect the o.p. has no interest in that info or the links.
__________

in all probability this should or will be handled by a dealer/service center?

it's not difficult to determine IF a piston/pad/rotor assembly is STICKING...

and tire flat spot/skidding changes are almost as easy to spot.

cheers
2air'

[Relentless]

" Pure BS". That's a little harsh, don't you think,Moderator?

[barts]

Look for corrosion in the caliper. Stuck pistons are a not uncommon problem w/ disks, just as stuck shoes happen w/ drum brakes; they're more exciting on motorcycles . The rotor isn't likely to be damaged unless it's warped or grooved; the pads on that caliper may need replacement. If the problem is corrosion, flush the lines to all the calipers w/ fresh fluid. Remember that DOT3 & 4 brake fluid is quite hygroscopic; buy it in job-sized containers particularly if you live in a humid climate.

- Bart

[ezairstream]

I’m sorry I took so long to reply to this thread.

I had a locking brake which occurred about the same as yours. 2006 Classic 31. It occurred a couple of times in 2007 after a hard stop. However by the time I could pull over it would release and neither I or my dealer could identify which wheel was the culprit and they were not about to do repairs on all four wheels. Last fall it happened again in the middle of Las Vegas on the freeway. This time I was in heavy traffic and could not change lanes easily. Soon the tire was smoking. When a good Samaritan stopped to let me pull off in front of him to the shoulder it let go. The good news was the tire with the flat spot identified the bad caliper. It happened again in Grand Junction Colorado but let go as soon as I stopped and backed up a few feet. I pulled the wheel and checked the rotor. There was no evidence of overheating or abnormal wear. I ended up at the Airstream factory in Jackson Center. The Repair Center replaced the caliper provided no charge by Dexter Axle but charged plenty labor for the repair.

My opinion is that it is a caliper piston problem. I don’t think corrosion or brake fluid contamination or Actibrake has any thing to do with it. My trailer is stored in the heat in California. These calipers have 4 separate pistons – two in each caliper half, .They are also mounted hard to the caliper brackets. No sliding pins like those on a typical automobile. One or more of the pistons are getting crosswise in the cylinder.

I would recommend that you contact Dexter Axle Warranty Department. I had another brake axle issue on which I got burned good by the Airstream Repair Center which Dexter handled easily later. Good people.

[nickmeloy]

When we pulled the wheel from the axle position that had given problems, we were unable to determine an exact cause for the brake assembly not releasing properly on one wheel. We discussed the issue with AS, Dexter, and J. D. Sanders personnel, but no one had a definitive answer.

Two things that we did discover were as follows:

The flexible brake hoses that run between the caliper assemblies and the steel brake lines were bent 90 degrees (+/-) at the point where the flexible hose screws into the caliper assembly. This bend was a forced bend in the flexible portion of the hose.

The routing of the flexible brake hoses was such that all four of the hoses had significant abrasion on the external surface from rubbing on various points within the fender well. One of the hoses was worn well down into the inner braided portion of the hose.

Based on my discussions with the second owner of this unit, and his discussions about the original owner (We are the third owner), this unit would have approximately 5,000 (+/-) miles on it. One would not expect to find what we did on a unit with this few miles.

On 04/21/2010, we replaced all four flexible hose assemblies and re-routed them in a way that will eliminate the external chaefing problem.

Based on our findings, all owners of AS TT's with hydraulic disc brakes would be wise to have their units inspected for flexible brake hose damage.

F. A. Meloy
04/24/2010

[2airishuman]

good follow up...

there have been others here reporting line rubbing, clearance, kinking or failure issues...

some diy and some factory, seems 06 as the big year for this...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f439...end-45278.html

pads have also been an issue for some and STICKING calipers too...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f439...6-a-54126.html

cheers
2air'