How not to install brakes

fixthedoor

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Well let's see here, it all started on a cool november evening in socal. The tool chest was spread open like a cheap hooker and the row of flourescent lamps shown down on my beautiful girl highlighting everyone of her hideous flaws. The brake job was just like the numerous ones done before: car up, tires off, calipers off, brakes off, and then, reverse process. I buttoned everything up, cleaned tools, cleaned myself and turned out the lights, job well done. Or so I thought.

The following week I was northbound on the 55 when I heard something get shot around my front passenger wheel well. I shoot a glance over to my sideview mirror just in time to see a large dark object rise above the horizon then genlty fall into a sea of colored sheet metal a couple lanes to the right. "Sucks to be the owner of that car" I thought. Then not even ten minutes later, as I braked going into a turn, the pedal begins to pulsate like mad and then the wonderful sound of metal rubbing against metal. Once I had pulled to the side, I was greeted with the pleasant sight of the caliper resting on the inside of the rim. Nice. AAA?

I fixed the problem, making sure that I would not make that same stupid mistake. Then in my infinite wisdom I opted not to check the driver's side, and set out on my way again.

Not even two days later I'm driving into downtown LA, going through the mess that is the 101, 10, 5 and 60 freeway junction, and I am presented with the same situation as before, except this time it is on the drivers side. This time I am forced to get off the freeway and park on a side street. After telling AAA my location, I hear a not so confident, "oh" come from the voice on the other end. The voice then proceeds to tell me that I happen to be in a "bad part of LA" and asked if I would like an officer to stay with me while she hurries a tow truck my way. I declined, something I fortunately did not have to regret, but after that, for twenty minutes, every other car that passed seemed to be driving well below the posted speed limit. I made it out unscathed and once again I fixed the problem. Oh yes, how I looooove AAA (I highly recommend their service with the 100 mile tow, it's great for transporting cars on a budjet.

I hope that you learned something from this- people can be very dumb. Late.
 
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fixthedoor

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sorry, I wrote all that but didn't specify the problem. I didn't tighten the caliper mounting bolts :nonono:. Such a little job but a huge problem.
 

ALITL8

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fixthedoor said:
sorry, I wrote all that but didn't specify the problem. I didn't tighten the caliper mounting bolts :nonono:. Such a little job but a huge problem.

man i wouldnt have even told that story... id be too embarrassed to admit that shit!
 

97vertstang

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fixthedoor,
the same thing hppened to me but mine was worse.i stopped at a shop to ask for some gear estimates. When i was leaving the shop the car didnt want to go reverse.it seemed something was stuck well instead of getting off and checking the problem i decide to gas it on reverse.then i heard a huge pop.and air coming out.the caliper got stuck with the rim and when i gassed it, it broke it.at first i thought i just broke the rim, wrong!!!i got so lucky that i found the caliper, brake pads,and the whole deal in a near by salvage yard for $50.everything was going good when then we needed some pliers for something i cant remember.well some guy comes to ask us when the shop closed luckily he had some pliers that he gave us.(god was on our side that day).we replaced everything and left.(luckily i had my friends with me).the rim was $200 though.everything because i forgot to tighten the caliper bolt.since then i always keep tools on my car u never know whats going to happen. :drunk:
 

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