Smoke and Smell from the drivers front'ish... Help? Idea's?

Well shit... Any idea's?

So one the way to work this morning I am getting this bad smell. I couldn't decide between a burning oil (like dripping on something hot) smell, a clutch smell (it's an auto), or a brake smell... Then at a light, my buddy notices some smoke coming up from the drivers side front wheel well, and of course the smell is strong. All guages are good, temp, oil pressure, battery, ect look good. I pull into a parking lot and pop the hood, nadda. Can't see any smoke or where it was coming from. No obvious leaks anywhere. Guages still good. Get in, drive a few miles, same smoke and smell. Stop look, can't see where it's coming from, although when we saw it from in the Jeep at lights, it was always the drivers front wheel well. Now, one last important note... After this had been happening for a few minutes, I noticed that when I let off the gas, she seemed to slow down just a slight bit faster than normal, as well as slightly pull to the left. We went to one office for about 5 hours, during which time I didn't drive her at all and she just sat cooling off. Then we left and drove a few miles to our normal office, and I didn't notice the issue. But, this was a very short drive...

Now, could it be possible that the drivers front brake calliper is/was sticking? And if so, could it have cooled off and gone back to normal? Maybe something is/was stuck in there? Could it be something else, like the tranny or something? I have no choice but to drive it home after work, which is about 30 miles, so I'll get to see what its doing again, and hope it isn't going to screw anything up. Also, sadly, I don't have a jack tall enough to lift it up, pull the wheel, and take a look... Anyone in Austin wanna help out w/ that?

Could be the caliper, or the flex line. depending on the type of flex line you have, be it stock or aftermarket, most have metal liner in them that deteriorate over time and act like a flapper, allowing the fluid to travel one way, but not the other and holding the caliper closed.

I concur. I think you have a brake problem of sorts. If it is pulling and slowing down other then normal, I think that you have already addressed the situation. Use your stock bottle jack and some wood or concrete blocks to stack it on to get it high enough that you can take off your wheel to inspect it. Sounds like a brake problem to me....

I had that same thing happen it was my front driver's caliper. I had to start using the E brake to get home!

If the smell isn't that of cooked brake pads, could it be evaporated brake fluid???
Wait till it's cool. Crawl under yur Jeep near the front driver's wheel. Have one of your buddies STAND on the brake pedal. Check carefuly for small leaks. Feel around for anything wet. The leak may be slight and the only reason you smell it at stop lights is because you have your foot on the brake. You pull to the side, put it in park, get out and look under. By then the fluid that was leaked onto the hot rotor and/or caliper has evaporated.

Does the wheel spin freely once there is no pressure on the pedal???

CJ's98XJ said:

If the smell isn't that of cooked brake pads, could it be evaporated brake fluid???
Wait till it's cool. Crawl under yur Jeep near the front driver's wheel. Have one of your buddies STAND on the brake pedal. Check carefuly for small leaks. Feel around for anything wet. The leak may be slight and the only reason you smell it at stop lights is because you have your foot on the brake. You pull to the side, put it in park, get out and look under. By then the fluid that was leaked onto the hot rotor and/or caliper has evaporated.

Does the wheel spin freely once there is no pressure on the pedal???

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Thanks everyone!

I don't know about it spinning freely because I haven't been able to jack it up and see...

your left front hub bearing is bad letting the rotor to drag against brake pad................jack it up and remove wheel and tire pry pads away from rotor and will be able to feel side play........get repaired asap

A bearing will make noise.

My money is on a stuck caliper, been there, done that, same side.

Rev