NJ B.S. Thread

Great way to start day.
Felt my brakes go soft yesterday after working late. Wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. Needed to pump a few times to get pressure. Had a 2am wake up for work today, so figured I’d get to it after and got to sleep early.
On the ride in, brake still mushy and noticed it pulling during braking and a little noise from front right. Figured it must be the hub going bad and boiling the caliper. Started getting a little rumble in right turns and pulled over to give wheel a good tug. Figured it would get me through the day if I took it easy. No grinding you’d normally hear from a hub that was totally shot. The heat must have made the studs brittle and they were letting go one at a time until my tire drove past me on an exit ramp. Spacers probably aggravated the situation.

 

Worst part about it was I was going to paint this week. Now back to fiberglass surgery. Have two hubs and seals at the house thankfully.

 

that is crazy! when my wheel bearing let go the brakes were mushy and pulling (also to the right). There was a TON of grinding though and the bearing separated on the way to my house. 5 miles away and sadly had to get it towed. It's strange that there wasn't any grinding or anything! i'm glad you are okay and the truck isn't too bad either!

 

Thanks. Yeah, virtually no noise. I was driving extra cautiously fortunately.
Can’t believe the cost of tow trucks these days, even with NJM insurance. First tow in over 15 years.

 

It's like rubbing salt in the wound. did your ABS light come on too? my wheel speed sensor got destroyed when my wheel bearing let go as well. those little SOB's aren't cheap which is annoying as they are a bit of metal and plastic haha

 

Not sure. No ABS light... yet.

 

Glad you landed safely!


*edit*

"Felt my brakes go soft..." I remember @Rebelimo saying the same thing when his wheel bearing let loose on the highway a few years ago.

 

Damn!!

 

Still

Only took 5 hours to get recovered. First truck didn’t have enough equipment. Troopers had enough because of the dangerous conditions and called their own truck; $325 to bring it back to the house. NJM took the hit because they jacked everything up so bad getting a crew to respond.

 

Wow. Wheel and spacer took off?

 

Yup, hub lugs are the ones that sheared. OEM. Religiously used a Tq wrench. Back home after 6.5 hours.

 

@HeadStrong Off-Road , my favorite vendor
Full Leaf bushing kit

 

Good thing you noticed it and you're safe. Time for a new rotor and spacer? And I guess you got the tire and wheel back, no hide and seek like 04yota.

 

Damn that sucks big time

@Redmann - brakes pulling to the right?

 

Seems like your wheel bearing failures are the equivalent to our first gen LBJ failures, huh? @Wheelspinner

 

Yeah, it only went 50 feet or so. I was moving very cautiously. I watched It and thought “so this is what it’s like to have a wheel fall off, huh”

 

Glad you are safe. I religiously check my front end for play. With my tires, I will never be able to hear a wheel bearing going out like I was able to last time.

 

I’m not certain anymore, it wasn’t dramatic, barely noticeable. The brakes were very soft until I pumped them.

I just pulled the hub and aside from no studs it seems healthy. Now I’m stumped. Maybe the studs were coming apart and causing the rotor to run out, overheating the brake, melting the lock-tight and at the same time repeatedly karate chopping the studs every time I stopped?

In any event, until I ditch spacers completely I’m going to retorque every time I rotate. They’ve been in there a while.

 

You can see by the witness marks which stud was last to go.