rear brake total failure including e brake

[ckf102]

Guys......listen to this one.

 

I got a 92 Vert, replaced rear pads and rotors, brakes still acting up. Rear caliper was stuck, thought I loosened it up, the pedal was firm, but the car took forever to stop.

 

about 200 miles later, drove home, still smelled brake, pass rear wheel was hot. Took car in to get it looked at, ended up having both rear calipers replaced, mechanic said rear rotors ans pads were still ok (Napa pads and rotors)

 

Mechanic told me the pedal would have a little play in it until the parts in the calipers were broken in.

 

on the drive home, while going uphill, had to make a sudden stop, car stopped, but pedal went to the floor.

drove the car all week, pedal went down a little further but the car stopped as usual, I didn't like the pedal feel, but the brakes worked.

 

end of the week I started to hear squeaking from the rears, figured it was the cheapest napa brakes....didn't worry.

 

drove about 60 miles on Friday, mixed driving.

after eating dinner out, was leaving the parking lot going down hill, I hit the pedal and.......

 

heard a thud, felt like I got hit from behind and the pedal went to the floor and the car would not stop very fast if at all, got it stopped. Pedal came back a bit, so I pulled out, went down hill (only way I could go) pedal went to the floor and the car felt like it only had the fronts...hit the e brake and nothing. I downshifted and got the car stopped off the road in a safe place and got out to look, it looks like the new pads on the side with the bad caliper (which was replaced mind you) was GONE. it was metal on metal. the other side looked just as bad but it still had a pad or what was left of one. Both rotors looked like they were "dug into".

 

I had the car towed to the same shop to see what the guy would do for me and it looks like he is gone for the weekend.

 

any thoughts from you guys?

a) what happenned?

how would you handle the mechanic?

c) anything else?

 

I have dumped over $500 bucks in the rear brakes in pads, rotors, and calipers.......

 

thanks.....

C

[Crazy K]

sounds like a pad sheared.

[ckf102]

you mean just fell off the shoe?

 

when i took it back for the calipers i asked if the pads or rotors needed replaced and he said no....oops. sucks to be me i guess.....

 

what about the mushy pedal?

[cutty]

Should have brought it over to me i would have done the brakes for you, for alot cheaper than that.

 

But yeah seems like the pad material came unbonded from the metal backing. Either that or the e-brake cable is sticking some causing the calipers to make the pads contact the rotors all the time.

[1990lumina]

I've seen friction material fall of pads and shoes so many times at work. It's terrible some times.

[xtremerevolution]

hence why I always buy premium or ultra premium pads. i'd figure you'd want to anyway with the weight of a vert.

[ckf102]

I never really thought that the better pads would make a difference with the weight, I thought it was the difference in how long they lasted and how quiet they are.

 

i wanted made in the USA brakes, but I couldn't afford 50 bucks a rotor and just as much for the pads....

 

so much for NAPA's cheapest pads and rotors, I guess I will have to fork out a little more, but then again, should I really be complaining about spending money on my BRAKES.....it is hard to fork out the cash when I know I got to spend cash on a new top in a year (it is ready to go here soon), repaint the front fender (cracked clearcoat), want to upgrade the headlights, replace the power antenna mast, needs a tune up and I just dumped in 400 bucks in tires to boot.

 

I was being cheap on something I probably shouldn't have been cheap about.

 

I have never heard of a pad shear though.

 

Live and learn......

 

and yes, any one of you can slap me for being cheap, I deserve it. At least I get to live another day.

 

keep the comments rolling....I need your opinions.

thanks,

C

[xtremerevolution]

go buy r1 concepts rotors, drilled and slotted. the drilled holes will dissipate heat and cool the rotor. the slots will clean the pads each rotation and ensure the best contact. they're $73.60 + shipping and are zinc coated too.

 

as for pads, avoid duralast at all costs. order some akebono pro-act or bendix ct3 pads from rockato.com for $50-$55 or spend $75 for them retail. they're worth every dime, and with the weight of a vert, you need as good of brakes as you can get. keep in mind that your life and the lives of your passengers is riding on those brakes. its especially important for you since unlike my regal which weighs 3300 pounds and has typically weak w-body brakes, your vert weighs 3800 pounds and uses the same brakes.

[White93z34]

Hey, another Pittsburgh area member

 

One thing I learned is that these rear brakes are awful. I ended up buying lifetime calipers from autozone, and well.... I have got their moneys worth out of them, multiple times over.

 

It would be worth your while to upgrade to the 94+ rear brakes, they can be had for cheap and they don't have issues failing all the time like the early brakes do.

[ckf102]

guys,

here's the resolution. I took it to the mechanic and he said the pad sheared off (yes, crazyk and 90lumina)

he replaced the caliper, both rear pads, and rotor for free!

 

granted I did ask about the pads, but I thought he would have said to split parts vs. labor....he said he wanted to keep my business, he wasn't worried about the parts...pretty good guy, and smart business man too.

 

the other side's pads were coming loose as well.

 

needless to say I will not try to do my own brakes again and I will NEVER buy the cheapest pads again. They are NOT the same and I thought NAPA was good, well, he used reybestos on there and the brakes feel better than they did before.

 

a good ending. lucky, but good.

 

thanks for the help and comments guys. I will look to do an upgrade in the future when the cash allows.

 

later!!!

C