My front brake disks are very hot is this normal.

[Lambo]

My front brake disks on my fiat ducato 2.3 2003 seem realy hot is this normal

 

[David and Sally]

Depends on how hot and what you have been doing before you check them.

Coming down steep hills, stopping from high speeds will cause brakes to get hot. Normally in these situations they will be too hot to hold immediately.

But so will they be if they are binding in normal use. If you suspect this get them checked.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

If they are hot after just driving and not using the brakes significantly then you might have a seized bearing. Try a short run in the van and not using the brakes ,pull up where you can check them using your handbrake so that it discounts the brakes..

 

[funflair]

If you have been using them hard yes, if not I would say no and possibly sticky calipers.

 

[The Coops]

Callipers binding? Welcome to the forum

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[Roger S]

I agree, if they are very hot then sticky calipers.

 

[Boringfrog]

 

[Bobby-gg]

How do you know that they are hot?

Did you touch them and leave your fingerprints stuck to the disc

Sorry for being no help!

But, if they are hot after driving and braking, they will be, but as everyone else has said, if your caliper slides are stuck they'll be causing your brakes to stick.

Have you jacked the wheels up individually and tried turning the wheel and feeling if they are free or if there's any drag?

 

[dunnah01]

If they're both hot then probably normal - if one is myuch hotter than the other then needs looking at

 

[dazandandrea]

Normal use and braking they will be warm . Can you safely lift with a jack to spin the wheel .
It should spin freely with no noticeable resistance or binding.
Front and rear should be the same.
Rear obviously spin with handbrake off.

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[Ivory55]

May be it’s overloaded and the brakes are struggling, haha

 

[Figaro]

Good advice here more info appreciated

 

[donkey]

I have followed behind numerous vehicles traveling too close to the vehicle in front of them. Their stop lights come on every few metres. This has gone on for kilometre after kilometre, yet I have not used by brakes at all. Perhaps the OP is one of these. I have always driven with a clear road in front of me, I will have much greater control over what happens in that space between me and the vehicle in front.
My last company car was returned after 105,000 miles with its original pads and discs.
I carry a hand held laser thermal tool which I use to evaluate the difference between all brake/hubs of vehicles I am inspecting. This identifies any brake/hub that is running hotter or colder than the others. Further inspection normally shows an inoperative or binding brake.
They are available for just a few £ via the usual sources, I recommend carrying one.

Geoff

 

[spikehcm681]

It might be possible to test of the calipers are sticking - if you can find a stretch of road where you can come to a halt, safely, without braking.
You'll need quite a long stretch before your stopping-point - to ensure that the brakes have had the opportunity to cool.

For example a lay-by on a dual-carriageway (even better if the road is slightly uphill) - apply handbrake as you come to a halt.

I used this method when checking if I'd adjusted the shoes on our caravan brakes correctly.

Best done when there's little or no traffic about - because any traffic following you will not see any brake lights!

 

[Scotch mist]

Stop on a slight slope , put it in neutral with handbrake off , it should roll , if it doesn’t there is a good possibility the brake shoes are binding or at worst the callipers are not free , a long shot would be brake fluid needs changing

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[ambulancekidd]

 

[jockaneezer]

Just wondering, do you have a tiger motive on the back of your van ?

 

[TheBig1]

It is shocking I know, but modern driving instructors teach pupils to drive and brake, rather than using engine braking and anticipate the road ahead. I had a near argument with my daughter about it, as she insisted that was the correct way to drive. I even spoke to her instructor, an ex police driving instructor about it. He agreed that heavier vehicles should be driven "the old way" or as I insisted, correctly. The way that people seem insistent on driving now is unsympathetic to the vehicle, causing excessive wear to the brakes and clutch

A motorhome is considerably heavier than a car and driving heavily on the brakes will cause excess heat, warping of the discs and boiling of the brake fluid if the fluid isn't changed regularly (it absorbs water)

 

[dazandandrea]

Drive and brake?

 

[Figaro]

It is shocking I know, but modern driving instructors teach pupils to drive and brake, rather than using engine braking and anticipate the road ahead. I had a near argument with my daughter about it, as she insisted that was the correct way to drive. I even spoke to her instructor, an ex police driving instructor about it. He agreed that heavier vehicles should be driven "the old way" or as I insisted, correctly. The way that people seem insistent on driving now is unsympathetic to the vehicle, causing excessive wear to the brakes and clutch

A motorhome is considerably heavier than a car and driving heavily on the brakes will cause excess heat, warping of the discs and boiling of the brake fluid if the fluid isn't changed regularly (it absorbs water)

It's a bit like changing down through the gearbox when approaching red traffic lights, we were all trained to change down, then you were ready to accelerate away when the lights change to green - not anymore. Learners are instructed to approach lights in top gear, putting it into neutral just before coming to a halt.
I never understand why that is a supposed to be a "better" way to drive

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[TheBig1]

Drive and brake?

quite simply that... accelerate, changing up through the gears, then just brake. No downshifting nor engine braking

 

[dash300]

quite simply that... accelerate, changing up through the gears, then just brake. No downshifting nor engine braking

Downshifting was to help drum braked vehicles of yesteryear like my 1962 S11A; it needs all the help it can get to brake and then some! I also need to double de clutch if I ever need to change gear quickly. Modern vehicle driving style is use the brakes not the box.

 

[Popty]

My front brake disks on my fiat ducato 2.3 2003 seem realy hot is this normal

Hi, like everyone has said, brake discs get hot during use, if not using brakes then could be a sticky caliper, it could also be a problem with the load sensing valve on the rear axle for the rear brakes, thus putting more braking effort to the front brakes, if it were mine l would take it to a mot testing station and ask for a brake test only, that will tell you if any wheel brake is binding ( front and back) also it will tell if the load sensing valve is working, if you do get a brake test on the rollers, ask for the brake print out, then any good engineer/mechanic can analyse the readings.

 

[Pausim]

It is shocking I know, but modern driving instructors teach pupils to drive and brake, rather than using engine braking and anticipate the road ahead. I had a near argument with my daughter about it, as she insisted that was the correct way to drive. I even spoke to her instructor, an ex police driving instructor about it. He agreed that heavier vehicles should be driven "the old way" or as I insisted, correctly. The way that people seem insistent on driving now is unsympathetic to the vehicle, causing excessive wear to the brakes and clutch

A motorhome is considerably heavier than a car and driving heavily on the brakes will cause excess heat, warping of the discs and boiling of the brake fluid if the fluid isn't changed regularly (it absorbs water)

Perhaps the instructors should have a conversation with the vehicle designers and conservationists. I thought the idea of all new vehicles now having smart alternators was to use the engine braking to charge the battery which it wont’t do if it is left in neutral.

 

[PP Bear]

quite simply that... accelerate, changing up through the gears, then just brake. No downshifting nor engine braking

Defo, it’s a lot cheaper to replace the brakes as per the design, than renew a gearbox on a laid engine motorhome.

When doing my HGV 1 as it was in old money, the instructor went bonkers the first time I drove and used the gearbox and engine to brake and slow down. He used to say your brakes your friend, use em.

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[PP Bear]

You may well be surprised at just how hot they can get….



Same with the exhaust system

 

[PP Bear]

I think you’ll know if you have a sticking calliper, when this happened on my SAAB, the wheel literally smoked as it was driving.

 

[Pausim]

Defo, it’s a lot cheaper to replace the brakes as per the design, than renew a gearbox on a laid engine motorhome

My Comformatic gearbox does engine braking so I assume the designers are not too concerned.

 

[PP Bear]

My Comformatic gearbox does engine braking so I assume the designers are not too concerned.

If it’s designed for it, then that’s fab, it’s the systems with clutches and gears, with locking and interlocking system for gear selection, what they call bulk rings made of phosphorus bronze, and synchromesh gears, as most systems are. You might be surprised to see just how small and thin the clutch plate is on our motorhomes.

It may well be that there is a retarder system fitted to yours as well. All fab stuff and clever designs.

 

[tonyidle]

Defo, it’s a lot cheaper to replace the brakes as per the design, than renew a gearbox on a laid engine motorhome.

When doing my HGV 1 as it was in old money, the instructor went bonkers the first time I drove and used the gearbox and engine to brake and slow down. He used to say your brakes your friend, use em.

And as more vehicles use auto gearboxes it becomes a moot point anyway.