# Front wheel smoking and very hot **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** cherokee, jeep, wheels, brakes\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977 "2009-09-01T23:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jim0317](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jim0317](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jim0317)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/1 "2009-09-01T23:38:59Z")
My right front wheel area was smoking a lot and the rim was extremely hot after driving a little bit today. I got brake work done a few months ago, but haven’t had this problem until now. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/2 "2009-09-01T23:40:18Z")
The brake calipers are sticking. Don’t drive it until you get it fixed. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/3 "2009-09-01T23:41:48Z")
Ditto to what Beads said. Consider this vehicle unsafe until you get the caliper replaced. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/4 "2009-09-01T23:44:56Z")
Don’t drive the vehicle. The brake is overheating and you could lose braking completely. It’s impossible to determine the exact reason from here. Have the vehicle towed or carried on a flatbed to a mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![jim0317](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jim0317](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jim0317)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/5 "2009-09-02T01:04:20Z")
Thanks to everyone. I find it suspicious that this is happening not long after I had major brake work done, do you guys think this is something that could have been caused by the mechanic or that it could have been prevented or caught when he was doing the other work? ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/6 "2009-09-02T01:10:39Z")
How many miles are on that Jeep? Its more than likely just routine part failure. ---
**Author:** ![jim0317](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jim0317](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jim0317)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/7 "2009-09-02T01:11:56Z")
About 65,000. ---
**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/8 "2009-09-02T01:28:56Z")
It’s unlikely that the brake work done a few months ago caused this. Brake calipers sometimes get stuck; it’s nobody’s fault, just simple part failure. It happens. ---
**Author:** ![love-car-talk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@love-car-talk](https://community.cartalk.com/u/love-car-talk)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/front-wheel-smoking-and-very-hot/35977/9 "2009-09-02T01:55:52Z")
I had a smoking and bad-brake-smelling L front wheel this summer coming down steep mountain slopes. I thought the car might light on fire. I went to brake and the brakes mostly failed. When a shop heard the story and pulled the wheel off, he pointed to a piece of metal dragging on the neck of the rotor and said the pads had been put in wrong. They pried the piece away from the rotor and the brakes work ok now. Have not replaced brake fluid - don’t know if I need to.