After about a 20 mile drive today I noticed a hot smell after I got out of the car. The right front wheel was very hot to the touch and smelled hot. All the others were cool to the touch.

I did not notice any unusual noises when I was driving.

What should I check? Brakes, wheel bearing?

Dragging caliper.

Check them both. A dragging caliper or a tight bearing can both cause this. If the caliper you may have noticed pulling or an odor of hot brakes, but not necessarily.

....What have you done to the wheel lately??

+1

Unless you were messing with the wheel bearing are hub lately my bet is caliper.

Notice lots of brake dust on that wheel?

No excessive brake dust, however I really don't drive the car enough to build up brake dust on the wheels. I will check the caliper.

Replace the brake flex lines.

Probably time to do them all.

Stu

..........and use the oe style rubber hoses, NOT the high maintenance replace-every-couple-of-years SS braided variety.

The Cap'n

Use a infra red pyrometer.

Go for a short drive.
Compare front rotor/caliper/hub temps side to side.

I think it's a caliper with a stuck piston.


KT

Aren't the stainless lines supposed to be the permanent solution?

I too had this problem, stuck caliper. Came home & the wheel was hot & brake dust everywhere. Decided to send all 4 of my calipers to Eric & never regretted it. Replaced all 4 lines w/ new oem rubber lines & since the car sits so much & never gets raced I chose DOT5, pure silicone as my new fluid. Don't recommend DOT5 for anything that's a daily driver or racing but for a "paperweight" it rules.

Oh boy ...

They are more durable on the outside which may be good on a race car, but its pretty unusual for a brake hose to sustain damage from the outside on a street car.
On the other hand, the teflon liner is prone to damage from flexing/chafing against the braided stainless exterior and may only last for 2-3 years of regular use.
The rubber lines are going to last more than 25 years in most cases.

Lift that wheel, open the bleeder. If it squirts (no pressure on the pedal) and the wheel then spins freely you need a hose. Make that 4 hoses. If it still sticks, follow that up with a few fresh calipers and a master just for good measure. You don't need no stinkin' stainless braided hoses either. Flush the reservoir and the hard pipes too. Thoroughly.
A wheel bearing would make an unbearable friggin' racket if it was so toasted that it made the wheel hot.

And do the 20 dollar bearings at the same time....cheap insurance.

Rich

Stock-type hoses are cheap and readily available at your FLAPS. Replace them all. Then flush and bleed. Make sure your pads are ok, too.

cm

jack, pull wheel on offending corner. spin the rotor and see if the pads are dragging. call me if this seems to be the issue. come grab one off of the 75'. does your car have speed bleeders?

k

I was reading an article that said dirt/sand/grime enter thru the porous SS sheath and exacerbate the chaffing problem. I hadn't ever taken that one into consideration before.

"Whoopee, we all gonna die" (Country Joe and The Fish).

Guess I'll change mine after 7 years.

Stainless steel hose is anything but a permanent solution, it is a life limited part that cannot be inspected. It is supposed to be removed and replaced at regular intervals. It is supposed to be discarded and no short sections taken out and reused.

Very few people around here; know how to handle, and install steel braided hose properly. Oil cooler, radiator, and even fuel hose are plumbed badly and unsupported. If you are considering using stainless steel hose at all, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of AC43.13 before you even buy any hose.