Good evening all,
have been removing front shockers today and whilst wheels off rotated front discs, have not driven car for 18mnths and i think something may have ceased in brake area, pads arent releasing as should does anyone know what would cause this... Geez wot am i saying of course someone will.. you have all so much knowledge and I am forever grateful :)
Drewster
put the wheel back on first with a couple of nuts and try rotating by hand and see if its spins on its own at least a little.. get a helper to jump on brakes on and off so you get a feel if they are grabbing.. dont panic just yet.. worst case scenario get the calipers rebuilt. inspect and possible change the brake hoses whilst there, they arent that expensive...
yes try what 116gtv said. also clean up all the dust and rust of the rotor and calipers.
today i took off the whole brake setup off a alfa today omg it isnt a easy job once the ball joint comes off the lower arm the force off the torshion bar breaks off pretty hard.
Why did you need to take off the lower arm to remove the brake setup? And also that is the most dangerous thing i think you could do, next time make sure you have a jack or support under the lower arm before you knock off the upright. You really could have hurt youself storm, i think it was your lucky day.
Quotehave not driven car for 18mnths
drewster71,
Sounds like the classical partial or complete piston ceasure in the caliper which comes about from the brake fluid acquiring moisture over time. This is the reason why road cars should have a complete brake fluid change at least every 18 months preferably every 12. It's the cheapest insurance around remembering that professional racing teams change the fluid after every meeting(this is not corrosion related but more to do with maximising the boiling point).
Quote from: david sammartino on February 01, 2010, 12:08:04 AM
Why did you need to take off the lower arm to remove the brake setup? And also that is the most dangerous thing i think you could do, next time make sure you have a jack or support under the lower arm before you knock off the upright. You really could have hurt youself storm, i think it was your lucky day.
well i got a friend to do it while i was doing something else. there was a petrol can under the brake and when the ball joints came off the crushed the hell out of it. and with the other side we where smashing the shit out of it and he walked off saying nup its not coming off then it shot off. yes lucky no hands, fingers or any other body parts where under there.
dodgy much?
who cares i was in a rush to get the car to you-pull-it.
the car is worth $0 to me after i take all the parts i need out.
Hi there, so is the caliper rebuild something I could do or best to leave to brake professional and is the car needed to be taken to be done or just removal of caliper ?
Cheers Drew
Quote from: MD on February 01, 2010, 09:19:59 AM
Quotehave not driven car for 18mnths
drewster71,
Sounds like the classical partial or complete piston ceasure in the caliper which comes about from the brake fluid acquiring moisture over time. This is the reason why road cars should have a complete brake fluid change at least every 18 months preferably every 12. It's the cheapest insurance around remembering that professional racing teams change the fluid after every meeting(this is not corrosion related but more to do with maximising the boiling point).
professional is allways best when it comes to brakes.
up bolt the calliper with the two bolts on the back and the brake line.
So remove the 2 pin bolts to get caliper out and take to brake repair place or will the complete car need to be taken Storm ?
Cheers Drew
Take it to a work shop if you if you are not confident but there is a chance you may learn something along the way so I suggest you have a go. However, as this is a safety issue and I am not able to oversee your job, please ensure that a qualified person checks the job after to be sure it all works like it should for your and others safety,OK?
Here's what you can do.
Obtain a second hand set of calipers. Test them before purchase to see that the pistons move freely.*
Install in reverse order,bleed entire sytem, test run to confirm operation AT LOW SPEED first.
Alternatively, remove offending calliper. Remove piston from housing. This may take some doing if it is corroded. If you have a compressor, you can use the air pressure into the fluid entrance to force the piston out*#. Before you do this insert a piece of timber in place of the pads but less in thickness to allow the pistons to move out. Do this in succession by reducing the timber thickness as the pistons gradually move out. The timber is there so that the pistons dont blast out and injure you so take care !!!
If you find that the pistons are pitted and corroded you will need to have them stainless steel sleeved at a resleeving works and before reinstallation, you will need to install a new calliper rubber kit/seals.
This whole process has many facets that I have not covered for brevity. Use methylated spirits to wash everything and be SPOTLESS in your work. Take care, the metho is very flammable.
*#Use this technique when testing replacement used callipers
No Choderboy I don't think you are full of anything more than common sense and I agree with your concerns which is why I made my advice conditional upon certification from a competent party.
I equate this with an apprentice having a go and learning but his work checked by the overseer.
I trust that this approach is reasonable by any account.
Still stunned by the (off topic) description of near death from our friend Stormy-X. Drewster you should take note of what can happen when you are inexperienced and foolhardy. Definitely have a crack at maintenance jobs on your car, but start with oil changes and the like first - if you want to pull/re-install and bleed brakes have someone with experience around the first time.
Storm_X - you've been warned before about the danger of the torsion bars - I can't find the thread right now but I know you have. That's how houdini died, didn't you know?
Found it:
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/australian-forum/148136-giulietta-gtv-alfetta-75-front-end-lowering-tool-adelaide.html
From alfagtv152: "If you try to pull out the torsion bar by itself you will probably kill yourself!!! and nobody wants to see that.Buy the Book!"
From C&S: "Good luck man, be careful, and do lots of research first."
it goes on: "I give up!.Craig I hope you will try to stop him from hurting himself."........ "Nope, I respect Charles Darwin. Think of it as evolution in action."
And you wrote: "I don't know why so many people are so worried?"
I like to see Alfa owners get involved in servicing their cars. Knowing more about how it does the business helps to realise just how good Alfa engineers are at the craft and can foster a whole new respect.
There is no shame in buying a workshop manual and reading up before hand on the task ahead so you can develop some anticipation of what you are in for.Regrettably, this approach does not seem to have favour with some.
Frankly the best learning approach is to read up the manual, if it is not clear or you dont understand the terminology or procedure, by all means, ask the Forum for additional advice and clarification but do the homework first.
This is my suggestion to all Newbies and not directing it to anyone specifically on this thread.
i know it might be stupid but i am aware of the danger that is involved. we used a ball joint remover (wedge) and a sledge hammer to keep as far as possible away from it as we could. we where not laying under the car or anything like that.
thats like me saying your not ment to speed but i know that everyone at least once or even more in their life has felt a little need for speed?? and then while speeding some how you crash.
everyone still does stupid things in there life even if they know they will get hurt.
Quote"I give up!.Craig I hope you will try to stop him from hurting himself."........ "Nope, I respect Charles Darwin. Think of it as evolution in action."
Call me an arsehole, but that's quite funny.
Quotei know it might be stupid but i am aware of the danger that is involved. we used a ball joint remover (wedge) and a sledge hammer to keep as far as possible away from it as we could. we where not laying under the car or anything like that.
thats like me saying your not ment to speed but i know that everyone at least once or even more in their life has felt a little need for speed?? and then while speeding some how you crash.
everyone still does stupid things in there life even if they know they will get hurt.
Hey Storm,
I like your logic. Did you also try this
http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2000-04.html
Hi Choder
Matey thankyou for you complete honesty I have decide to get brakes checked by mobile mechanic, I dont mind changing over shockers, waterpump etcbut yes breaks way to important.... But while im thinking i had to remove a Shocker that had snapped off at bracket got it off reasonably easy is reinstalling as easy ?
Drew
Quote from: Choderboy on February 01, 2010, 10:05:03 PM
I have just been thinking..
I think it is extremely irresponsible of people to advise someone inexperienced to work on such an important thing as brakes.
What if the poor bloke has a go (which is great by the way Drew that you want to work on your own car), doesn't bleed up the brakes or tighten something properly and then goes for a test drive and ends up wrapped around a pole?
Extreme example, but totally relevant.
Thoughts? Am I full of shit??
Wow what a topic that has evovled, get it??? Lol
just have to agree with everyone here, if he doesnt wana listen, he cant say he wasnt told. Im thinking we even start a collection to chip in for a manual, anyone interested???
Quote from: Storm_X on February 02, 2010, 06:06:40 PM
thats like me saying your not ment to speed but i know that everyone at least once or even more in their life has felt a little need for speed?? and then while speeding some how you crash.
everyone still does stupid things in there life even if they know they will get hurt.
I like bears.
QuoteI like bears.
So do I. But I couldn't eat a whole one.
Quote from: Evan Bottcher on February 03, 2010, 02:05:28 PM
I like bears.
Very good. Just don't google "bear" and "slang" together then.
Its nice to know that you think removing a torsion is like playing Russian roulette...
Like I said I was aware what was going to happen.
Quote from: david sammartino on February 02, 2010, 10:33:33 PM
Wow what a topic that has evovled, get it??? Lol
just have to agree with everyone here, if he doesnt wana listen, he cant say he wasnt told. Im thinking we even start a collection to chip in for a manual, anyone interested???
And what wasnt i listening to ??
Like I said I was aware what was going to happen.
(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/28503/1057088-common_sense_demotivational_poster_super.jpg)
Hi Chris,
What you missed is that if you had found out how to do the job properly there would be no "bang-crash".
If it goes bang when you undo it how are you going to put it back together?,dissasembly is the reverse of assembly and vice versa.Done properly you can release the Bar in a controlled and safe manner and do the reverse to put it back together carefully and safely,no sledge hammer required.
Cheers
Andrew
The fact you have to ask what you werent listening to clearly shows you werent listening at all. I dont know what more to say, choderboy has pretty much hit the nail on the head in previous replies.
Storm_X
In the tradition of taking the piss out of apprentices, the guys have given you a pasting but believe it or not, they are actually teaching you something the hard way and looking after you interest. That should be self evident.
I am 100% certain that by now you have got the message from head to toe. If you take the advices on the chin and apply them in the future, you would have learned a valueable lesson and be greatful to the guys in hindsight instead of feeling some resentment which is entirely understandable.
Dust yourself off and continue to enjoy your Alfa but with a fresh approach eh?
Quote from: alfagtv152 on February 03, 2010, 11:10:52 PM
Hi Chris,
What you missed is that if you had found out how to do the job properly there would be no "bang-crash".
If it goes bang when you undo it how are you going to put it back together?,dissasembly is the reverse of assembly and vice versa.Done properly you can release the Bar in a controlled and safe manner and do the reverse to put it back together carefully and safely,no sledge hammer required.
Cheers
Andrew
The car is a bare shell I only needed to take a few parts off it then off to the wreckers it went. So there was no need to put it back together. I just wanted to get it out the fastest and easiest way as possible.
Quote from: Choderboy on February 04, 2010, 01:24:26 AM
Quote from: Storm_X on February 03, 2010, 07:38:14 PM
Like I said I was aware what was going to happen.
Quote
well i got a friend to do it while i was doing something else. there was a petrol can under the brake and when the ball joints came off the crushed the hell out of it. and with the other side we where smashing the shit out of it and he walked off saying nup its not coming off then it shot off. yes lucky no hands, fingers or any other body parts where under there.
Quote
who cares i was in a rush to get the car to you-pull-it.
Quote
professional is allways best when it comes to brakes.
What?, but not torsion bars which can kill you???
Quote
i know it might be stupid but i am aware of the danger that is involved. we used a ball joint remover (wedge) and a sledge hammer to keep as far as possible away from it as we could. we where not laying under the car or anything like that.
Get the story straight!
all i needed to do was take off the whole front brakes/rottor as fast as i could.i knew it was going to come off with a bang and i took the risk.
Likewise, Choder :D
i think the constant negativity at storm is uncalled for as he has explained why he did this at least 1000 times he knew the risk and was prepared to fail but he was lucky and all worked out for him i think we get back on topic
maybe we open a new topic called let bag each other. ill go and open it up now
in my case properly took time.
didnt matter to me anyway as the car is a cube now half way to china.