[WickdGin]

I just stopped for a light, and I smelled something. So I look back and smoke was comming from the back right of the car. I pulled over as fast as I could, and the smoke which had quickly died down was comming from my brakes, but only on the rear right side. I felt the rim and it felt very hot, but non of the other brakes were felt even close.

Alright, I was driving my car fairly hard, but not too bad. I also had 4 people in the car including myself. The car was sitting for at least a half hour, and I'd only been driving it for 5 -10 minutes. The fact that only one brake would overheat to the point of smoking, and that it would even get to that point in the first place was puzzled me.

After letting it cool down, and a little down the road. I remembered that my right rear rim is bent. So I suspect that to be the culprit.

My question is: Would a bent rim create enough friction that my brake would overheat like that?

 

[Super6]

I wouldn't think the rim would cause the smoke to form on your brake, this happened to me and the case was a seized caliper.

 

[Green94/LS]

I dont think your rim has anything to do with it... your caliper is probably jammed. Did you have your hand brake on before you got on the road? I know that mx6`s have trouble with the rear calipers, they tend to jam alot... If that`s the problem, you`ll have to replace them, or rebuild them yourself...

 

[Mike 94PGT]

Yep, the rear calipers on 93 and 94 MX6s and Probes with rear discs are prone to parking brake siezure. When you release the parking brake, the caliper itself doesn't release, resulting in a huge drag and brake overheating.

If you're "stuck" (no pun intended), you can usually reach under the car and push the parking brake lever on the caliper toward the front of the car to manually release the brake. This works if the caliper is not too far gone. Carry a small piece of wood in the truck to push on the lever

The fix is to rebuild the calipers with updated seals or to install new/rebuilt calipers from 1995+ cars, which had a corrected caliper design.

 

[Super6]

Mike,

You know that my mx-6 is a 1995 and it had caliper problems is it the fact that car it self was made in August of 94?

thanks,

anthony

 

[Mike 94PGT]

It could be. I think the caliper redesign occured sometime around January of 1995 (same with the igniter) but when these parts made it on to production cars is hard to nail down. I'm guessing that a 1995 model built in 08/94 probably has a good quantity of 1994 parts on it.

 

[NSCanada6]

It is definetly your calipers!! I have had alot of problems with my calipers! YOu will have to replace them.

 

[sweetsix]

Cost of calipers

I think I've been having trouble with my parking brake/calipers off and on lately too. My car is a 1995 but it was on the road in november 94 i think, so probably old style calipers.
How much should new calipers cost me?

 

[WickdGin]

thanks, I probably never thought it would have been the calipers, but that does make perfect sence now.

I'd also like to know how much new calipers would cost me?
Also how many hours labor would the mechanic usually charge?

 

[slimdave]

Has anyone had similar seized-caliper problems at the front? One week after the front lhs caliper seized on my RX7, exactly the same has happened on my 95 MX6!

 

[SolarSlash]

If you're "stuck" (no pun intended), you can usually reach under the car and push the parking brake lever on the caliper toward the front of the car to manually release the brake.

um, mike....i moved the ebrake lever towards the rear of the car to loosen it up. we must not be talking the same thing....

solar

 

[WickdGin]

You say to order the calipers for a 95+ model because they fixed the problem after 95. If they know about the problem then do they still sell the faulty '93 and '94 parts and do I need to ask for calipers for a '95+ model?

 

[Mike 94PGT]

um, mike....i moved the ebrake lever towards the rear of the car to loosen it up. we must not be talking the same thing....

solar

Nope, you're absolutely right. To release the parking brake, the lever needs to be pulled toward the rear of the car, not pushed forward. My mistake.

That explains the bent coathanger in the hatch of my GT

 

[Eleven]

i think i have a similar problem (seized caliper)....lately, when i pulled the hand brake, it doesn't give the feedback as it used to, for example, before when i pulled the hand brake, it sorta had some weight to it, now, its quite loose.....

also, whenever i am almost stopped at a light, around 5-10 mph, i can hear a high SQUEAK sound coming from the car, i presume it is the rear caliper that has seized?

if so, how much should i expect to repair/buy one?

thanx

 

[SolarSlash]

Nope, you're absolutely right. To release the parking brake, the lever needs to be pulled toward the rear of the car, not pushed forward. My mistake.

That explains the bent coathanger in the hatch of my GT

today is a special day for me....im going to mark today as the day "solar actually knew what he was talking about" day. im going to mark it on the calendar. im sooo proud of myself...sniff....hehe

solar <----:freak:

 

[jtx6]

good luck with the brakes or rim WickdGin.

i'm still amazed that you actually had FOUR people in your car!! what's your secret?

 

[WickdGin]

Lol, I think the secret was two small girls. They fit very nicely in the back seat.
Anyway, I can get the calipers from the dealer at $131 a piece or can get them for about $65 a piece from the local auto store. The parts from the auto store are made by a company call Autodome A1 (if thats how you spell it). I'm trying to find out if I should just get them from Mazda or get the much cheaper aftermarket part.

Thanks for everyones help.

 

[WickdGin]

Well the question still goes unanswered, but from what I hear the parts the dealer distributes don't even come from Mazda anymore. Any truth to that?