smelly brakes and rubber from front
 

just to the store and back, i'm smelling my brakes. perhaps the brakes were just done on this car i got, looks like plenty of material on pads.

i smell rubber too, when I stop the car.

any ideas?

'81 300SD turbo

You could have a stuck caliper so the pads are dragging. After driving touch each wheel. See if one it significantly hotter than the other, if so one is likely to be seized.
Are you smelling burning rubber ro just a rubber smell.

I second that.

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_11974.jpg

That is what IR Thermometers are for.

I'd pull the tire and inspect. Check it before you pull to see if there's interference on something like a hose.

If the wheels aren't stock and you just bought the car, there may be a fitment issue and you're rubbing the sidewall or something.

sorry, forgot about this thread.

Andrew, and bonehead, I'm smelling what seems to be burning rubber. I do recall one of the wheels getting pretty hot, not remembering if both were. perhaps one is seizing up on me.

If you verify the caliper is causing the pads to drag on the rotor, crack open the bleeder on the caliper. If the drag lessens, its not a faulty caliper but a restricted hose to the caliper.A stuck caliper will remain dragging on the caliper, bleeder cracked open or not. I'm sure many calipers have been replaced/ rebuilt when all that was needed was 2 new hoses to them. If you have one restricted hose replace ALL hoses front and back then flush the system.