HELP, Brake trouble, STUMPED, 94 Ford Aerostar

1994 Ford Aerostar, eddie braurer edition, Electronic AWD, 4.0 L V 6.

I am having trouble with the driver's side front brake. Ever since I had the axel replaced it started dragging or catching. It would do this real bad when letting off the accelerator, until I applied the brake and it would stop, or if I rode the brake it wouldn't do it. It also doesn't do it in nuetral when coasting. I replace the rotor, caliper, and pads all new, and it is still doing this, not quite as bad, but it is still like one side of the caliper is sticking out and catching, and now it pulls to the left, and seems to hang now when turning. I just don't know what else it could be.
This is our only vehicle, so the sooner I can get any help, the better. Thank you.

 

Did you replace the flex hose at the caliper? Had similar problem with one of my vehicles, and it was the flex hose that cured it.

 

Do you mean the rubber brake hose from the back of the caliper up? We were just thinking about that, though it might be colapsing.

 

Look carefully at the hose.....It is VERY easy to twist it or kink it when reinstalling a caliper. It should "SWEEP" and rest in a loop if it is done properly.

Usually if it hasnt been damaged.....removing the caliper, and "Un-spiraling" the hose does the trick......if it has been severely kinked, damage to the hose innards is possible and it should be replaced.

 

Problem is, that it was doing this before I replaced everything else, rotor, caliper, and pads.
Is there anything else that could be causing this? If not it is only about $15 for a new hose.

 

Yah do the hose ! Here's a simple check I did on mine. push & release pedal, feel the drag on the rotor by trying to turn it by hand. Now crack open bleeder screw and see if it releases better, less or no drag. If better, hose has swelled and is not allowing back flow for release.

 

I doubt that the brake hose is the problem, based on your description. The brake hose cant differentiate between driving and coasting. You either have something binding or something went wrong with the axle installation. I understand that this was not a problem prior to the axle replacement. I would recheck that prior to replacing anything else.
Hope this helps ya,
Billy

 

How would the axle affect the brake? If the hose has a weak or soft spot, causing it to collapse when the brake are not applied, and not letting the caliper cylinder retract all the way? When you apply the brake it forces the fluid through, allowing the cylinder to move?

 

I didnt say the axle affects the brake. Here is what you have to understand. The axle's outer cv joint being attached to the hub and spindle directly affect the integrity of the brakes depending on its installation. If during the axle installation the axle nut wasnt tightened properly, for instance, the hub bearing will be loose and the natural pressure from the weight of the vehicle will be enough to take the brake components out of alignment, which can cause a binding.

A collapsed brake hose is a collapsed brake hose. It wont be good one minute and bad another and it definately will not work properly when the vehicle is shifted into neutral.
Just the statement " its doesnt do it when in neutral and coasting" disturbs me a bit. It sounds to me like you could have transmission damage, but at the same time you also say it doesnt do it when you ride the brakes.
My personal opinion is that something was either incorrectly installed or not tightened properly during the axle installation.
Billy

 

If the axle is what's causing it, would it have been noticible when I had everything off?

 

Not likely. Depends on if you were looking for it.
Billy

 

After reading Billys68ss comment, I went back & re-read the original posting, and somehow I missed, or it didn't register at the time, about the conditions under which it was occuring. Therefore I have to agree with Billy68ss when he mentions possible problem with axle installation. Do you still have the old axle & did you measure it for exact same length etc.?

 

No, I took it to a machanic.

 

Also, the brake pedal gets soft too, goes all the way to the floor like the brakes are going out. There is no loss of fluid at all.

 

So how do I figure ot if the axla is what's wrong, and how do I fix it?

 

You take it back to the mechanic that installed the axle and tell him you have new problems since the installation. If it is related, they should fix it for nothing or at least next to nothing.
Billy

 

Had that with a '71 Toyota Corolla on the right front wheel. Got the disk so hot the axle grease would spray out radially. Pulled to the right.
Never figured it out.
Might have gone away by itself.
No cause that I knew of, but now I think the caliper seal wasn't properly retracting the piston on brake pedal release.

 

I don't trust this guy, it's not the first thing he's suppose to have fixed, that is F'ed up now. I had him replace the rear shocks too, and he didn't put the top bolt into one of the shocks, or didn't tighten it, it popped out, and colapsed and broke the coil spring, which also punctured the tire. I had to fix all that myself. There was also some other things he was suppose to do, that I don't think he did either.

 

I really still need help here?