How not to do brakes. Now with 30% more danger!!!

[boostedinaz]

As I was putting the axles in 1101 the other night I noticed something didn't seem right with the brakes. As I started looking over everything I noticed that the bolts for the calipers were super loose as were the ball joints. As I started to tighten them down and figured out why the brakes looked weird.

It appears not everyone got the memo about GVR4s having big brakes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

It looks like someone actually drove like this for awhile given the amount of pad missing. I really dislike half ass stuff but what I found was down right dangerous and scary. Glad I looked over everything or it could have been bad news for me.

This is the new rotor I picked up compared to the old rotor.


"I seem to be getting uneven pad wear?!"

 

[prove_it]

Well... positive side is that putting it back together right will technically be a bolt on "big brake" kit.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[GSX_TC]

so the reason why it was loose like that was because of that pad being so wore down? i dont get it

 

[jepherz]

I'm not sure why that would cause bolts to loosen either besides maybe extra vibration etc. But yea, someone put probably regular galant rotors on there.

 

[boostedinaz]

The small rotors didn't cause the loose bolts. I just happen to notice them when I was looking to see what the deal was with the rotors. The point was that whoever did the brakes on this car did EVERYTHING in a half ass manner.

Somethings are half ass and not a big deal, like using a parts store timing belt instead of Mitsu or not cleaning and painting things before putting your car back together, however, using incorrect rotors and not tightening critical bolts is a new level of half ass that can get people seriously hurt or even killed.

 

[GSX_TC]

so those were ebay rotors?

 

[belize1334]

The rotors were too small a diameter which meant that the caliper was too far "out" and the pad was only 70% in contact with the rotor. It was a scary dangerous situation and I'm REALLY glad that you caught it.

 

[boostedinaz]

Me too.

When I had the car the first time it was still on the stock 4 lug parts and at some point someone did a 5 lug swap. I have a feeling the 5 lug parts came from an early AWD car with the small brakes and they just used the rotors from the donor vehicle. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif

 

[DR1665]

Holy damn. You're lucky you got that car back in as good a condition as you did. What might have happened, had one of those pads chunked? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif

 

Wow way to go installer! Didn't he notice the overlap? Guess he "didn't get it" either