vibration felt at steering wheel at about 40mph L.F. wheel gets hotter than R.F. wheel

1998 BMW Z3
135 MILES
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MIKERFULLER
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  • 1 POST
tried rotating wheels/checked wheel bearings for grease/with tire removed
wheel spins freely, without rubbing caliper/no unusual wear patterns on
rotor or tires/ L.F. wheel gets hot and smokes occasionally
Sep 22, 2011 at 2:37 AM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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It sounds like you have a brake caliper sticking. Safely lift the vehicle and spin the LF wheel. If it spins, have a helper hit the brakes. The wheel should stop. As soon as the brake is released, it SHOULD spin freely. If it doesn't, you either have a caliper sticking or a bad rubber brake hose to the caliper. To check, after the brake is released and the wheel doesn't turn, release pressure at the caliper bleeder. If the wheel then turns, the rubber hose is bad. If it continues to stick, the caliper is the problem.

Let me know what you find.

Joe
Sep 22, 2011 at 2:45 AM
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PROAUTOTECH
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one side of the caliper is sticking, it's not floating as it should. I work on BMW's all the time and own one too. It's only a grease issue on the pivot bolt as far as I can see from this point. Pull the caliper, and be sure that it floats as it should and you will be golden.
Sep 22, 2011 at 3:29 AM
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