Crud!

[Full-Timers]

3 out of 4 rotors are cracked.

[sknight]

YIKES!!! And a serious crack too!

Any ideas as to what happened?

[Full-Timers]

Apparently this is a common occurrence on these Workhorse chassis. There are a number of threads on the subject. Some causes are, riding the brakes down long grades, brakes dragging, or generally overheating the brakes in some fashion. None of which I have done to my knowledge. I have made it a point to take it easy on my brakes since I learned of this problem way back. So as to why mine are cracked…I just don’t know.

[EngineerMike]

FullT- You've been riding them harder than you know. Looks like your calipers have been sticking for quite a while so pads drag.

How many miles on those rotors?

[sknight]

Typically you'll smell the brakes if they're overheated, and looking at the pic they've not been too hot recently. The small cracks around the big one are typical, just cracks in the glazing. I'm wondering if they've been that way for awhile and just now became obvious, which is possible. Once the crack starts it doesn't stop no matter how nice you are to your brakes.

[wa8yxm]

Workhorse used Bosch Brakes, they use a composite piston that can swell if it gets wet.. And does

When this happens the brakes go on when you depress the pedal.. And STAY ON when you release the pedal

So it may be that the driver is not riding the brakes any more than I do (I was taught to drive on a stick shift so these days the left foot don't do much) just that the brakes are sticking.

This is the reason for the recall.

The brakes "Ride themselves" as it were.

I could tell you a lot more, Since I've chatted with Alen about it and he gave me more info than I wanted, but alas, Typing = Work

[Full-Timers]

As Sknight mentioned, I would suspect there would be evidence of overheating. There is, and has been no evidence of brake drag. No smell, no blue color of the disks, no noticeable rolling resistance or slowing. I suspect the cracks have been there for a while. I just noticed the cracks during tire replacement. I have a little over 30,000 miles on the motorhome and have had the caliper pin recall done. The cracks are only on the outer side of the disks. I have been checking the inside, since it is all I can see with the tires on, for quite some time now and have only noticed the small cracks in the glazing.

I felt the surface of the disk over the cracks and it is smooth. You wouldn’t even know the cracks were there if you didn’t see them. The cracks haven’t reached the hub yet so I am going to run them until the recall is issued and get everything fixed at once. After all, no telling how long it’s been that way.

Maybe I will get lucky and they will replace the rotors under the recall based on damage done as a result of the recall…Nah.

[sknight]

You probably thought of this, but try and mount the wheel so that the crack is lined up with a hole in the wheel. Quick easy inspection to monitor it's condition.

[Full-Timers]

Good thought but the wheels are already on and I don't have a 475ft/lb torque wrench to remove them.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Full-Timers Good thought but the wheels are already on and I don't have a 475ft/lb torque wrench to remove them.

Full-Timers, You can see the outside surface of the rotor through the holes in the wheel using a narrow beam LED flashlight and an inspection mirror if necessary.

[Full-Timers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer Full-Timers, You can see the outside surface of the rotor through the holes in the wheel using a narrow beam LED flashlight and an inspection mirror if necessary.

Maybe, I have Alcoa wheels but I will check it out. Thanks.