Lug nuts super hot, inspecting caliper help?

Well I was going to sit inside and play video games all day but it's damn beautiful outside so I'm gonna do some wrenching. My rear brakes squeak a bit on my 90 Volvo 240 wagon, I have no records of the calipers or rotors being replaced (although when wrenching with a friend he said, oh wow your calipers are in good condition too). Few weeks ago when I swapped the tires I noticed that my lug nuts and bolts were hell of hot after driving around a bit, a fellow GRM mentioned it could be a dragging caliper. I know nothing about breaks, never changed a break pad. How do I go about inspecting this caliper? I know I need to take off the tire, then I'm lost.. haha.

Is the heat ust on one side? How is your parking brake adjustment? Could be a sticky caliper or over-adjusted p-brake. Get rears off the ground. How easy to turn? Check for dragging noises. How far do you have to pull on p-brake handle before things get tight/locked up...

oldtin wrote: Is the heat ust on one side? How is your parking brake adjustment? Could be a sticky caliper or over-adjusted p-brake. Get rears off the ground. How easy to turn? Check for dragging noises. How far do you have to pull on p-brake handle before things get tight/locked up...

Yup, just drivers rear side. I'll jack up car and report back. I use my P brake a lot and don't have to pull back too hard to get it to hold car.

Just so you don't drive us an more mental, the pedant in me demands that you use "brakes" and "breaks" correctly.

This isn't Craigslist after all.

Should be a lot of brake dust if the caliper is sticking.

A bad wheel bearing can also be the cause for very hot lug nuts.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Should be a lot of brake dust if the caliper is sticking. A bad wheel bearing can also be the cause for very hot lug nuts.

Ah, ok. Testing wheel bearing, i can do this :)

If it's the parking brake sticking, that wouldn't make a bunch of dust everywhere, as it would be contained inside the rotor. The parking brake on the 240 is a tiny drum brake on the inside of the rotor. If you pull the rotor off you'll see how it works (and maybe get a face full of parking brake shoe)