front wheel's rim heating up

rammishra · 21st September 2008, 23:10

hi all...
i own a alto VX and i have noticed that both front wheel rims are getting heated up. I understand that little bit is heating will take place in disc brakes, but when i touch the rims in my car front wheel i can feel they are too much heated up. what may be the reason?

thanks
rp

Jaggu · 21st September 2008, 23:11

brake caliper assembly might be stuck/tight making the pads grab the rotor, get the brakes serviced and caliper pins cleaned and greased.

nitrous · 21st September 2008, 23:28

I think its normal.

rohan_fonseca · 21st September 2008, 23:40

Check for free movement of the wheel after jacking up the car. Else its normal for it to be warm.

tsk1979 · 21st September 2008, 23:45

The bearing has most probably gone. Do you hear humming sound?
Best way to find out of accelerate to 50-60 and then put neutral and listen for humming sound
Even when bearings go bad, the wheel can rotate freely

BeamerBoy · 21st September 2008, 23:58

Both wheel rims getting heated up... IMO its normal. If there's a problem with either the wheel bearing or callipers etc, then most likely it will result in one wheel being hotter than the other.

Nevertheless, since it is the front wheels...I recommend have them checked...u need them all right ... to kill this nagging feeling in your head and enjoy driving.

Rehaan · 22nd September 2008, 01:55

Rammishra,

This is absolutely normal. Brakes stop the car by converting the kinetic energy of the car into heat due to the friction produced between the pads and the discs.

After a decent drive the front wheels will be hot to the touch - and after a spirited drive (with hard braking) the wheels will be too hot to touch for more than a second.

BeamerBoy's suggestion on checking if one wheel is WAY hotter than the other is a good one. IF that is the case, then it could be a caliper or other issue - but i doubt it.

Also, keep in mind the rear wheels will not be as hot as the front pair since they do much less of the braking.

cya
R

tsk1979 · 22nd September 2008, 09:19

Its not normal. In normal driving, even at high speed wheels don't get "very hot".
Almost all cars I have driven, after a couple of monsoons, the wheel bearings go kaput, and then you have smokin hot wheels.
The Hum is the key.

dadu · 22nd September 2008, 10:23

If they are heated to a point where you cannot touch them comfortably get the caliper adjusted. If it were the bearings, you would have heard some good amount of noide by now.

anupmathur · 22nd September 2008, 10:37

Rammishra, one more thing to check is the air pressure in the tyres. Underinflation will lead to increased heating, due to more flexing of the sidewalls.

rammishra · 22nd September 2008, 22:57

thanks all...

I had already jacked up the car and checked the movement of wheels...i felt front left side wheel was hard to rotate compared to right. i opened it and could see that brake pad was holding on to the disc rotor. but i could not check proper operation of caliper since i was alone checking the wheel. i hear a humming sound from left front wheel side but i feel thats because of brake pad holding on to rotor. i went to a road side mechanic and he suggested that i change the brake pad since its worn out? i was not convinced with answer because brake pad is holding on to rotor then why should i change brake pad? new one will also continue to hold on to rotor.

I suspect caliper to be the culprit....can it be serviced or it just needs replacement? how much would it cost any idea? i inquired from sai service mumbai they said they going to charge 1250/- for brake service, 560/- per tyre if brake pad is replaced and 2000/- for caliper? is that really that costly?

i also inquired at standard auto service in colaba and they said 250/- for brake service (all four tyres).

anyone has done brake service recently please give your views.

Jaggu · 22nd September 2008, 23:10

Labor charge for brake overhaul should be under 600, plus any consumables including pads and fluids. This is not a very complex job, identify a good mech who can do a thorough job and car should be fine. Dont forget to bleed the lines and lubricate the caliper pins.

Rehaan · 23rd September 2008, 03:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Its not normal. In normal driving, even at high speed wheels don't get "very hot"....

Ofcourse it is normal for the wheels to get "hot". Where else would the heat go? (Infact having alloys aids the heat dissipation from the brakes since aluminum has a very high specific heat capacity.)

I always make it a habit to touch the front wheels of my car when i get home after a spirited drive, and have been doing this on several cars in the past years (donno why! just a strange habit of mine) and i can assure you that the wheels can even be burning hot if you have been using the brakes enough (high speed is not necessarily the best situation for this!).

Rammishra,

1) Even if the brake pads are worn, they will still hold the disc - but its best to replace them. Also, dont compare your physical ability to turn the wheel to the HUGE force that is put on the pads when you are trying to stop your car from high speed, there is really no comparison.
Check the thickness of the pad (can be seen through the caliper window when you turn the steering and take the wheel off), and compare it to the thickness of a new pad.

2) Since you say your left brake seems to be catching, as others have mentioned, it could be your pins are sticky/dirty (your pads slide back and forth on these). Or it could even be dirt/rust/corrosion that is causing a piston in the caliper to stick and not retract properly when you take your foot off the brake.

cya
R

tsk1979 · 23rd September 2008, 12:08

Rehaan, I also do that with the indica. When the wheels start getting too hot, its time for bearings change. In the indica, after every 20-30K(depending on how much water fording) bearings change is needed.
The Hum actually comes later, thats like advanced stage of bearing damage.

Modifiedsachin · 23rd September 2008, 13:01

After reading this thread yesterday I went home (2 hour drive from my office to home) and checked my rims. The rims were hot but could keep my hand over it for more than a second or so, so not too hot, but the rim nuts were too hot. I could not touch them for even a second.

Is this normal? I had my break pads & clutch changed 4 month before & have new tyres (3 month old) with a maintained tyre pressure of 28psi.

The door recommends 24 but I feel thats too low for a zen with 12" and have good results with 28.
I have to make a tank full every week and do get the tyres inflated when ever I visit petrol station.

21st September 2008, 23:10	#1
rammishra BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 86 Thanked: 18 Times	front wheel's rim heating up hi all... i own a alto VX and i have noticed that both front wheel rims are getting heated up. I understand that little bit is heating will take place in disc brakes, but when i touch the rims in my car front wheel i can feel they are too much heated up. what may be the reason? thanks rp
	() Thanks

21st September 2008, 23:11	#2
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,379 Thanked: 17,269 Times	brake caliper assembly might be stuck/tight making the pads grab the rotor, get the brakes serviced and caliper pins cleaned and greased.
	() Thanks

21st September 2008, 23:28	#3
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 333 Times View My Garage	I think its normal.
	() Thanks

21st September 2008, 23:40	#4
rohan_fonseca BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Panaji Posts: 984 Thanked: 9 Times View My Garage	Check for free movement of the wheel after jacking up the car. Else its normal for it to be warm.
	() Thanks

21st September 2008, 23:45	#5
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,695 Thanked: 23,484 Times View My Garage	The bearing has most probably gone. Do you hear humming sound? Best way to find out of accelerate to 50-60 and then put neutral and listen for humming sound Even when bearings go bad, the wheel can rotate freely
	() Thanks

21st September 2008, 23:58	#6
BeamerBoy BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 316 Thanked: 134 Times	Both wheel rims getting heated up... IMO its normal. If there's a problem with either the wheel bearing or callipers etc, then most likely it will result in one wheel being hotter than the other. Nevertheless, since it is the front wheels...I recommend have them checked...u need them all right ... to kill this nagging feeling in your head and enjoy driving.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2008, 01:55	#7
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,190 Thanked: 36,045 Times	Rammishra, This is absolutely normal. Brakes stop the car by converting the kinetic energy of the car into heat due to the friction produced between the pads and the discs. After a decent drive the front wheels will be hot to the touch - and after a spirited drive (with hard braking) the wheels will be too hot to touch for more than a second. BeamerBoy's suggestion on checking if one wheel is WAY hotter than the other is a good one. IF that is the case, then it could be a caliper or other issue - but i doubt it. Also, keep in mind the rear wheels will not be as hot as the front pair since they do much less of the braking. cya R
	() Thanks

22nd September 2008, 09:19	#8
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,695 Thanked: 23,484 Times View My Garage	Its not normal. In normal driving, even at high speed wheels don't get "very hot". Almost all cars I have driven, after a couple of monsoons, the wheel bearings go kaput, and then you have smokin hot wheels. The Hum is the key.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2008, 10:23	#9
dadu Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,803 Thanked: 463 Times View My Garage	If they are heated to a point where you cannot touch them comfortably get the caliper adjusted. If it were the bearings, you would have heard some good amount of noide by now.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2008, 10:37	#10
anupmathur Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 3,095 Thanked: 311 Times	Rammishra, one more thing to check is the air pressure in the tyres. Underinflation will lead to increased heating, due to more flexing of the sidewalls.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2008, 22:57	#11
rammishra BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 86 Thanked: 18 Times	rims heating up thanks all... I had already jacked up the car and checked the movement of wheels...i felt front left side wheel was hard to rotate compared to right. i opened it and could see that brake pad was holding on to the disc rotor. but i could not check proper operation of caliper since i was alone checking the wheel. i hear a humming sound from left front wheel side but i feel thats because of brake pad holding on to rotor. i went to a road side mechanic and he suggested that i change the brake pad since its worn out? i was not convinced with answer because brake pad is holding on to rotor then why should i change brake pad? new one will also continue to hold on to rotor. I suspect caliper to be the culprit....can it be serviced or it just needs replacement? how much would it cost any idea? i inquired from sai service mumbai they said they going to charge 1250/- for brake service, 560/- per tyre if brake pad is replaced and 2000/- for caliper? is that really that costly? i also inquired at standard auto service in colaba and they said 250/- for brake service (all four tyres). anyone has done brake service recently please give your views.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2008, 23:10	#12
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,379 Thanked: 17,269 Times	Labor charge for brake overhaul should be under 600, plus any consumables including pads and fluids. This is not a very complex job, identify a good mech who can do a thorough job and car should be fine. Dont forget to bleed the lines and lubricate the caliper pins.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2008, 12:08	#14
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,695 Thanked: 23,484 Times View My Garage	Rehaan, I also do that with the indica. When the wheels start getting too hot, its time for bearings change. In the indica, after every 20-30K(depending on how much water fording) bearings change is needed. The Hum actually comes later, thats like advanced stage of bearing damage.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2008, 13:01	#15
Modifiedsachin BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 114 Thanked: 30 Times View My Garage	Rims are warm but rim nuts are too hot After reading this thread yesterday I went home (2 hour drive from my office to home) and checked my rims. The rims were hot but could keep my hand over it for more than a second or so, so not too hot, but the rim nuts were too hot. I could not touch them for even a second. Is this normal? I had my break pads & clutch changed 4 month before & have new tyres (3 month old) with a maintained tyre pressure of 28psi. The door recommends 24 but I feel thats too low for a zen with 12" and have good results with 28. I have to make a tank full every week and do get the tyres inflated when ever I visit petrol station.
	() Thanks