Brake Smoking

[Matt B]

Just got back from vacation. When we pulled into a campground just outside Philadelphia after a fairly long and hilly road the left rear brake was smoking. I am fairly careful about "riding" the brakes and downshifting when decending the grade. Did have a little smoking problem a few months ago and took it to my service pro to have it checked out. Didn't find anything. It's a 1996 P32 chassis under a 1997 Damon Challenger 33' MH, not really a Workhorse product but, us orphans need help sometimes too!
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Matt B]

Just got back from vacation. When we pulled into a campground just outside Philadelphia after a fairly long and hilly road the left rear brake was smoking. I am fairly careful about "riding" the brakes and downshifting when decending the grade. Did have a little smoking problem a few months ago and took it to my service pro to have it checked out. Didn't find anything. It's a 1996 P32 chassis under a 1997 Damon Challenger 33' MH, not really a Workhorse product but, us orphans need help sometimes too!
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[KCE]

Don't know if you have drum or disc but you may have a caliper sticking and after it cools down or sits a while it will release on its own. You would not notice that as much in normal highway driving as it would have time to release and cool down. On a road where you have to apply your brake more often it may not release and get hot.
You could have a brake hose with a bad inner lining that is slow to release as well.

I would apply break several times(many more times than normal) and quickly check that wheel to see if it spins free.

Same process with drum brakes as you could have a piston sticking as well as a bad brake hose.

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt B:
Just got back from vacation. When we pulled into a campground just outside Philadelphia after a fairly long and hilly road the left rear brake was smoking. I am fairly careful about "riding" the brakes and downshifting when decending the grade. Did have a little smoking problem a few months ago and took it to my service pro to have it checked out. Didn't find anything. It's a 1996 P32 chassis under a 1997 Damon Challenger 33' MH, not really a Workhorse product but, us orphans need help sometimes too!
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Matt,

Get that taken care of quick. Lost my previous motorhome to a wheel fire that was attributed to an overheated wheel cause by dragging brakes or and overtightened bearing. It was a 1995 P32. Any number of factors could be involved from corrosion inside the caliper piston to a failing liner in the brake hose.

[Joe Gilbert]

Matt: Also check to be sure it is not a leaking rear axel seal. Just a small amount of 90W oil on the brake pads or lineings will smoked, even with only minor breaking.