My first post and I have maintenance problems. (Power steering/brakes) PLEASE HELP!

Hello everyone. My name is J.D. and I have a 97 ranger reg cab with the awesome deer hoof wheels! Got the 4.0, auto (wish it was manual) and nothing else. Only thing I've done to it is audio. Pioneer headunit and front speakers, Rockford rears(waste of money) and a Blaupunkt powered sub. I just moved to the Denver area from Chicago and my truck isn't liking it. Here are my maintenance problems I hope someone can give me some info.

About 6 days ago I was coming down a steep mountain and not knowing how to brake, I rid them the entire way down. Get to the bottom and I smell it, step out of the car and my driver front brake is smoking real bad. Couldn't see flames behind the wheel but I suspect that it was burning. After looking at the caliper today I can confirm it.

Fast forward to yesterday I took it to a local Ford dealer after smelling something all week. They recommended new pads, turn the rotors, and brake fluid flush. I told em I wanted a second opinion and left. When I got home smoke was coming from the well and there was a sweet smell and fluid sprayed on the side.

Today I go at it and take off the wheels and check the brakes, but my car is leaking red fluid (power steering). Anyway here are the pictures of the brakes.






Any opinions? Looks fine to me, plenty of life left in the pads, no cracking, rotors were just replaced 3000 miles ago and look good. Are they trying to screw me over?

This is the power steering leak.

I think it is the line just behind and to the right of the brake line. Is this a big fix? How long would it take and possible costs? I'm gonna have the truck towed to a mechanic since it doesnt leak, it sprays. I moved 20 feet and the reservoir dropped by half.

pads and rotors look fine. i would still flush it since it probably boiled from riding them for so long.

rotors and pads look fine. what do the callipers look like, is there any evidence of them leaking, or sticking.

martin said:

rotors and pads look fine. what do the callipers look like, is there any evidence of them leaking, or sticking.

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It was hard to see with all the power steering fluid around, but no leaks from what I could see. Lines looked okay. Brake fluid reservoir was at max. Calipers had a line where the fire probably was. The brakes have been working okay. Just a little smell from time to time.

With the heat you put to those pad's and rotor's what you did was GLAZE them. You need to scuff the rotor's and pad's and get that glaze off or they will just slip and get hot. Think like this, you put one bad azz clear coat on them and when you get them hot again a little melts and compound's the problem. The more it go's on the worse it get's, when they are cool it's a complete barrier for pad/rotor hook-up... when you brake it melts and turns to mush.

Thanks for the info. I did a quick search and looks like I can sand them a little bit and then use some brake cleaner. 1500 then 2000 grit according to ehow.com