Them's the brakes

[plonq]

Within the past two years I've had both rear callipers replaced on my car because they took turns seizing on me. I was a little irked that they would both go on me in such short order, but given that my car is a 1993 model, I figured they were about due.

The left calliper stuck again while we were out driving today. We reefed on the parking brake pretty hard because we were parked on a hill, and when we released the brakes, the car refused to coast properly, and it groaned to a stop as we approached intersections. I suspected the parking brake right away, and my suspicions were confirmed when I pulled on the lever and there was no resistance. Fucking great - just what we need when we're over 1000 miles from home with two days left in our vacation.

When we got to atara's parents' place, the rear, driver-side wheel was hot enough to be smoking. I crawled under the car and hammered on the mechanism with the Club until it loosened up enough to release again. I got atara to re-apply the parking brake and it promptly stuck again - though not quite as solidly. I'm wondering if a shot of WD-40 would fix it for now? In any event it looks awfully rusty for something that the mechanic allegedly replaced about 18 months ago. =/

While I was looking over the brakes, I noticed that one of the keyed lug nuts on the front passenger-side wheel was on the verge of falling off. I was supposed to take the car in to get the lugs re-torqued after I got the new tires put on, but we never got around to doing that before our trip. I dug the lug wrench out of the back and cinched them all up again - though the only two that were loose were the two front key-lugs. Curious.

Comments

[tv5901.livejournal.com]

Be careful with WD40 around your brakes... Don't let it get on the rotors as it could cause them to simply slip...

Also, I'm not sure about the flammibility of WD40, but if it is flammable, and it's around your rotors/brakes, it may combust...

-TJ

[nrasser.livejournal.com]

Soak those e-brake cables and levers with a spray penetrating oil such as LPS-1 or WD-40, then recoat with 3-in-1 oil or engine oil from a squirt can. WD-40 alone might work but only for a short time; it's based on a very light oil that evaporates away within a week or two. The heavier oil will follow the penetrant into the parts and keep them loose much longer.

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

You should flush the brake system of its fluid now and then. Get the gooey mess out of the caliper before it starts siezeing up the mechanisms. It's not expensive to get done and is easy to do yourself if you are handy with tools.

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Kinda reminds me of the time Fito lost its brakes after hitting a bump on the road.... fun =P