I have lots of issues so here goes...

I have noticed for a while that my brakes seem to pulsate when I stop, so I assume that my rotors need turned. The breaks don't squeek, but the stop is a bit bumpy. Is it the rotors or is it the pads?

Last night we went to a concert (Kenny Chesney - it rocked) anyway, I put the parking break on. When we went to leave I disnegaged the parking brake, it made the normal thud sound and the light went off, BUT the brake was still engaged. I was moving, but very sluggishly. I drove it slowly for about 1/2 mile then until I realized exactly what the problem was. I stopped the truck, re-engaged and dis-engaged the brake and turned the truck off and then on (the old Microsoft fix).

It seems to have fixed it, BUT now my rear brakes smell pretty bad and my rear wheels seem to be a bit on the warm side.

Does anyone have a clue what might be causing this stuff?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Pulsating brake pedal is either warped rotors up front or out of round brake drums or warped rotors out back.

Or there's possible some oil contamination on part of the rotor (rare).

There are at least a couple of springs inside the rear drums that retract them off the drum's surface when you release the brake pedal and perhaps these are broken or the return spring on the parking brake cable at the brakes is broken. And perhaps the backing plate needs lubricating with white lithium grease where the shoes rub on the backing plate.

Not sure if you have rear discs as I haven't worked on those, at least on these trucks.

Edit: oops, your post says 2001. There's a separate little drum type parking brake on your truck so you may want to check that out. I've heard they can be troublesome.

You can have your front rotors turned, preferrably while on the vehicle as they can be a bugger to get off (4x4 ones), new OE rotors from most parts stores are probably less than $70 a piece.

 

If you have the rear disc which I assume you do since all 5.4L came with them standard. There is actualy and drum inside the rotor. works like regualr drum barkes for the parkign brake. If I were you I would try driving backward at like 10mph then pulling the parking brake. This might make them self adjust, there is a small oval rubber piece behind the assembly, next the the axle which you can take off without removing anything at all. there is an ajustable gear in there. I had a hard time taking the rotors of my truck and had to adjust them to get them off the worn ridge from the inside drum. Other than that check your linkage to see if it is binding anywhere.