Burnig electrical / Rubber Smell - Front Driver side wheel well

Mafia,

I have yet another issue with the ZHP and am hoping some of you may have some insight. Recently, past 3 or 4 days, I've noticed a very odd smell, in between electrical fire & burning rubber, coming from my front driver's side wheel. I was driving along the other day and noticed a smell while moving along some side streets and just assumed it was another car on the road. Once I parked (22 mile drive home, mostly highway) I could immediately tell the smell was coming from my car.

The car has new tire rods, lower control arms, and new control arm bushings. Brake pads and rotors are relatively new, with no major grooves or scouring in them. I do need new struts, but this has been on my to do list for awhile now and there has been no smell up til now.

I've read around online and most threads suggest checking the brakes which I will do, but I don't know if it is a brake smell. Its def not boiling brake fluid as I know that very distinctive smell. I have access to a very nice Flir E6 thermal imaging camera, so my intention is to try and locate a source of excessive heat but in the meantime, any suggestions would be great.

Smell is definitely coming from the front driver wheel well, so my thoughts are something that moves in that area is the cause, but its odd because it almost smells like burning electronics. I will probably go get my front wheels balanced and aligned to eliminate this as a possible cause.

Unfortunately, this is all the insight / information I have at the moment. Any ideas Mafia? Let me know!

Hope it's nothing serious! I will say that I've noticed a weird smell coming from my wheel well that smells almost like burning clutch after doing brakes a month or so prior. I don't notice it all the time but from time to time, i catch a whiff. I can only attribute it to brakes at this point and I haven't experienced any ill events...yet

A sticking caliper would make that disk brake really hot to the touch after driving a block. Could check on that.

Could it be oil from the OFHG leaking on the alternator?

Ok, so a few updates on the situation. One, tire pressures are on point, so it's not that.

Two, it's not a sticking brake caliper. I'll upload the photos after work but I used a thermal imaging camera, and all the rotors were around the same temp, 27 to 30 degrees C.

Last update related to my steering, which feels like absolute shit right now. When driving along, the car will veer off if the road has tracks or grooves in it. My tires will pull and go into the low spots and it's a little freaky.

I have an appointment for an alignment which will help, but I'm wondering if this issue is related to the steering rack or something. Another weird thing that happened one time, I was turning and at full lock and the steering got stuck. Like I had to back up a bit and un turn the steering wheel stuck. Was a very odd thing to happen and happened with the car turning right at dull lock. Couldn't get the steering to go leftward without going backwards. Wondering if something is up with the steering rack.

Any other thoughts?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Oli77

A sticking caliper would make that disk brake really hot to the touch after driving a block. Could check on that.

Could it be oil from the OFHG leaking on the alternator?

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OFHG is good, replaced not that long ago. I was thinking that it could maybe be a leaking fluid, maybe a brake line por thr power steering? But not too sure, didn't have time to work on thr car this weekend

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Perhaps empty and refill the steering fluid (do a poor man job by filling, turning the wheel 5 times left right all the way, empty the tank, refill, turn the wheel 5 times left and right all the way, rinse and repeat a few more time). Couldn't be related to smell though.

That rotor temperature seems very cold. Like was this after driving and hitting the brakes?