We replaced brake pads on the van, only to have the drivers side providing resistance and getting hot. We then changed the caliper and rotor, only to continue with the same issue. So we changed the brake line, in the hope it was collapsing and acting as a check valve mimicking the effect of a stuck caliper. No dice. What else could it possibly be? The passenger side is fine, no issue. We are stumped, and any guidance one could provide us with would be greatly appreciated.
Make/model/year would help. I’m presuming this van doesn’t use ABS. It sounds like you’ve done the right stuff so far. But one wheel is still sticking and heating up? I If there are any other flexible lines in the path to that wheel, replacing them with new ones is probably next. After that, check to make sure the caliper is sliding freely on the slides. How that all works depends on whether it is configured with one piston or two. But if it is supposed to slide, it has to slide freely otherwise this will result. It has to be lubed with a special type of high temp grease, and if there’s any corrosion on the sliding surfaces that has to be removed.
Depending on where you bought the replacement caliper you may have replaced one sticky caliper with another.
Both good questions… The ABS module might be bad or clogged with junk or the replacement caliper could be junk. Drive it, stop, pull off the wheel on the LF and crack the bleed screw to see if that frees the caliper. If it doesn’t, the new caliper is bad, if it does, you have a restriction farther up.
These vans have a diagonally split brake system - LF and RR are on the same half of the master cylinder. RF and LT on the other. Check to see if the RR is getting hot, too. If it is, the master cylinder may be bad.
Check the passenger rear side for resistance. If it too is dragging you have either a bad master cylinder, or someone changed the master cylinder and the rod is no longer the right length and the ports don’t line up right or there is crud in your brake fluid and one of the ports in the master cylinder is plugged.
The vehicle in question is a 97 Plymouth villager. I appreciate all of your input on this matter, and will explore the possibilities you’ve provided in the morning. I’m honestly not sure if it has abs or not. That’s something else I will research in the morning.
Well, you can have a Plymouth Voyager or a Mercury Villager but you can’t have a Plymouth Villager without a LOT of cutting and welding.
I did once see a brand new car on my Chrtsler dealers lot that said Horizon on the front and Omni on the back. I told the salesman I would buy that one if he knocked off another $50, he said he wanted $50 more because they were rare:)
@“oldtimer 11” I digress from the post, but in 72 was looking at a new Chevy Nova that had a Pontiac ventura labeled dashboard, Back to the op, does sound like a caliper problem.
The Mercury Villager was a rebadged Nissan to filll a gap in the Mercury lineup.
Yes is a mercury villager. My bad.
Another idea, could be a parking brake issue. Suggest to add to your research which wheels (front or back) the parking brake affects on your vehicle.
are you serious . . . ?
I don’t see how the parking brake would act on the front brakes on a Mercury Villager 
True, if this vehicle is configured with front disc, rear drums.
The only cars I know of with front disc emergency brakes are old SAABs.
I think older Subarus did also.
There are vans with parking brakes on the front wheels ?
Not any time in the recent past, I would say