Freelander 1 TD4 brakes a bit odd.

Not having a good day with this darned car today! 2001 TD4. Nearside front window regulator has gone sick, and it's not that old. Cheapo one from eBay, but supposedly a 2 year guarantee. We'll see...

Anyway, on my trip out to test it I braked a bit harder than normal and was a bit surprised that the braking continued for a second or so, after I lifted off the brake pedal! I tried it again a few times and it was repeatable. Not such an issue under gentle braking, but under harder braking (nothing like hard enough to induce an ABS intervention) it did the same thing again. I stopped and pressed very hard on the brake pedal then tried to set off. It felt like the handbrake was on or the brakes were binding very badly. Left it a second, and they freed off. Drove the couple of miles home and felt all the brakes. Both rears were barely warm to the touch. Both fronts were a little too hot to touch, but not massively hot. About what I'd expect from the braking to come off the road and into our drive.

I've given up for the night as bad light has stopped play, but does anyone have any ideas, please? I have heard that a failing brake flexi hose can "balloon" under pressure and then apply the brake for a bit until it shrinks back down again. Also wondered if it might be the slider pins on the front calipers, but it's odd the way it binds for a second and then frees off.

Sticking caliper slide pins, pistons, or maybe the pads unable to slide on the caliper guides.

Thanks Nodge. I'd swapped the tyres front-to back earlier in the day and I know both front calipers were free at the time, because there was a bit of movement from the backlash in the IRD as I put the wheels on to the studs, so I was just a bit surprised at how strong the effect was (although it relaxes a second or so later). I shall try to investigate one evening this week.

Cars eh! Who'd have 'em?!

Lift the front of the vehicle, and get a helper to press the brake hard while you try to turn the wheels, you might find the brakes stick on for a few seconds after the pedal is released, which could be sticking calipers, which maybe free off once the wheels have rotated a couple of times.

Nodge68 said:

Lift the front of the vehicle, and get a helper to press the brake hard while you try to turn the wheels, you might find the brakes stick on for a few seconds after the pedal is released, which could be sticking calipers, which maybe free off once the wheels have rotated a couple of times.

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Well that's the darnedest thing! Could NOT find anything wrong at all. Got one of the kids to stand as hard as he could on the brakes and both front wheels move (until the VCU stops them) freely, immediately afterwards. Took it out on the road, absolutely nothing. Stood on the brakes, no problem. Got an ABS intervention, absolutely fine afterwards! The only thing I didn't mention yesterday, is that this only happened after I'd yanked the handbrake on whilst moving for a few seconds. Not hard enough to lock a wheel, just at relatively low speed for a few yards, really just because I'd had the Devil's own job getting my other car through the MOT on its handbrake efficiency and I wondered how much better the Freelander's handbrake (which passes its MOT OK) felt at the same speed on the same stretch of road. I did wonder whether I'd detached a brake lining, and although I haven't had the drums off today, its road behaviour suggests that I probably haven't.

I shall continue to monitor it. Ta for the suggestions!

Avocet1 said:

Well that's the darnedest thing! Could NOT find anything wrong at all. Got one of the kids to stand as hard as he could on the brakes and both front wheels move (until the VCU stops them) freely, immediately afterwards. Took it out on the road, absolutely nothing. Stood on the brakes, no problem. Got an ABS intervention, absolutely fine afterwards! The only thing I didn't mention yesterday, is that this only happened after I'd yanked the handbrake on whilst moving for a few seconds. Not hard enough to lock a wheel, just at relatively low speed for a few yards, really just because I'd had the Devil's own job getting my other car through the MOT on its handbrake efficiency and I wondered how much better the Freelander's handbrake (which passes its MOT OK) felt at the same speed on the same stretch of road. I did wonder whether I'd detached a brake lining, and although I haven't had the drums off today, its road behaviour suggests that I probably haven't.

I shall continue to monitor it. Ta for the suggestions!

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Maybe the adjuster needed to correct itself? (or wear the shoes down!)

Avocet1 said:

The only thing I didn't mention yesterday, is that this only happened after I'd yanked the handbrake on whilst moving for a few seconds. Not hard enough to lock a wheel, just at relatively low speed for a few yards, really just because I'd had the Devil's own job getting my other car through the MOT on its handbrake efficiency and I wondered how much better the Freelander's handbrake (which passes its MOT OK) felt at the same speed on the same stretch of road. I did wonder whether I'd detached a brake lining, and although I haven't had the drums off today, its road behaviour suggests that I probably haven't.

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Sounds like corrosion on the rear shoe slide pillars, or sticking HB cables.

Thanks both. All very strange. Went to get some shopping last night and it was faultless again. Tried every sort of braking in every direction and absolutely could not replicate the problem. I fear I might go to my grave without ever knowing! If I pulled on the handbrake, and one rear wheel briefly tried to lock up, and the ABS system detected it, is it possible that it might "glitch" in some way whereby the pump activated for a fraction of a second and I ended up with a bit of pressure in one brake circuit? It might be my imagination (I really am clutching at straws here!) but the pedal seemed a tad higher. Maybe turning the ignition off reset something? All seems a bit tenuous to me, as I've never come across a car that does anything with its ABS pump when the mechanical handbrake lever is pulled, even when both back wheels lock and you go spinning off into the scenery. I HAVE had cars with ESC try to help me out, when doing (or trying to do) a handbrake turn, but am pretty certain my FL1 doesn't have ESC.