I hope we can get some help/advise on a problem that just showed up on the road. We have a 2004 Ford E450 32ft Class C Gulfstream Ultra LE. I noticed a noise in the front left axle and I am not sure what's causing it. I checked everywhere and I cannot see anything wrong. The noise is not very consistent but here is how it happens.
- In town, on 10-15 min short trips, I don't hear anything
- In long trips, the noise can be heard randomly but not continuosly
- So far the pattern is that if I hit the brake when I hear the noise, the noise dissapears.
- Noise is coming from the front lower left (driver side)
I have never changed the pads on this MH but it only has 13K miles. I looked at the brake pads but I could not see anything.
A few questions:
- Is it hard to replace these pads? I have done all my cars and my trucks (Nissan Titan) but I have never done a Ford E450. Bolts around the rotor look bigger that normal.
- Are pads on a 15K MH supposed to wear this fast?
- Any ideas on what this noise could be?
- Any ideas on where I could find a schematic for replacing the pads?
The noise feels like worn out pads but I need to figure out how to look at the pad.
Help is pretty much appreciated. We just started a 3-4 week trip and I hate to spend days in a garage.
I'd stop at a brake shop and have them take a look. Have you pulled the wheel to take a look yourself? Bottom line is if it's broke, it's broke. Driving on it won't make it better. Sounds like a pad maybe hanging, a worn rotor, or maybe just some gravel or something caught in the wheel; may just need a good spray at a car wash. But have it checked only takes n or so, go have lunch while they do it.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, so don't take it that way. If you're not 100% SURE of the problem and not 100% SURE you can fix it CORRECTLY, then take it to a repair shop, and let a mechanic diagnose and fix the problem. Paying a few hundred dollars to have your motorhome repaired properly is worth it to have peace of mind while on the road, knowing the brakes will work when needed. If you have an accident(and I hope you don't) because you THOUGHT you could fix the problem, you'll be wishing you had paid to have it fixed.
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