new personal best...worn brakes

**hamburger68** · 11-23-2007, 03:58 AM

un-be-lie-vea-ble!

i mean, some people are just careless or naive about their cars, i had to talk friends out of their pos rusty bucket and into something newer and safer (they have a child, too).
but that??? imagine an emergency breaking with only one working front break, really scary! and i don't even wanna talk about the "slotted" rotors, omg!

something like that could not happen in germany, every car has to pass a thorough technical inspection every two years. breaks, lights, tires, leaks, structural integrity (rust), emissions. it's a pain in the ass, but it helps keeping something like this off the road.

**SexOnWheels** · 11-23-2007, 09:01 AM

Both sets of pictures are awesome!

They must have been grinding really bad???

I wonder if they experianced any fade?

**B34M3R** · 11-23-2007, 09:10 AM

One time when I was broke as hell, I ran my cavys pads down until they where eating the metal backing of the pad, instead of the pad material itself... I thought that was bad... I was actually scared when I drove it, and drove accordingly.

But DAMN!

**johnd** · 11-23-2007, 10:41 AM

I have a buddy that was dead broke for a while. His back brakes (drums) were down to metal and he greased them so they wouldn't make noise and stopped with only the fronts for a few months.

**9t8z28** · 11-23-2007, 10:46 AM

Damn, this thread keeps getting better and better ! Keep em comin!

**310stanger** · 11-23-2007, 05:01 PM

I have seen the "vented" rotors 3 times when I worked at FORD, yes people either skimp out on brakes or jus dont service their car and nobody ever pulls their wheels and gets a chance to advise them of what their brakes look like.

The first brakes on that camry wiped out that inner pad because asian cars brake pads often get tight in the shims that sit in the caliper brackets. This seems to be common in my experience, not as common when I worked on Fords. Jus today I had a simple front pad and rotor replacement on a hyundai elantra beat me up a lil bit because the rust was beyond comprehension. I couldn't get the pads on the brackets for the life of me, had to file the brackets down heavily, and grind a lil off the shoulders of the pads by the ears. To get the rotors off, I had to beat on them so hard till the surface of the disc separated from the hats and they cracked off. The pedal is a bit hard because the pads are a lil tight in there, but its the best I could do without replacing everything. I sware they must park their car in the atlantic ocean every night. I'm counting on the car coming back because the dust shields are so rusted and probably gonna break off.

**0rion** · 11-23-2007, 06:04 PM

that sounds very similar to this car. I was looking at where the pads sit on those shims. It was a real PIA getting the drivers side inner pad out. I imagine I'll cut my losses and just dremmel and file out as much of that rust as I can prior to even attempting to get the new pads in there. I'm waiting on the parts to come in before I do much else to it. They are missing one of the anti-vibration clips off the passenger side. I don't think the new caliper or bracket has them supplied so I still have to deal with that.

**310stanger** · 11-23-2007, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

that sounds very similar to this car. I was looking at where the pads sit on those shims. It was a real PIA getting the drivers side inner pad out. I imagine I'll cut my losses and just dremmel and file out as much of that rust as I can prior to even attempting to get the new pads in there. I'm waiting on the parts to come in before I do much else to it. They are missing one of the anti-vibration clips off the passenger side. I don't think the new caliper or bracket has them supplied so I still have to deal with that.

yeah file the contact points in the caliper bracket where the shims sit, even then you might still battle trying to get the pads in. The Elantra I did today, I had to knock the pads out with a screwdriver and hammer and they were still super tight. File them real good and hope the pedal doesnt feel hard as a brick.

**dlmeadows** · 11-23-2007, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by johnd

I have a buddy that was dead broke for a while. His back brakes (drums) were down to metal and he greased them so they wouldn't make noise and stopped with only the fronts for a few months.

My dad is a mechanic and owns his own shop. some guy brought him a truck to do a brake job on and he noticed that the rear drums were not holding he looked over everything and found that someone had took vice grips and pinched the metal lines shut. He called the guy and the guy told him yeah I forgot to tell you about that I didn't want to replace them when they were shot because the fronts are all you need lol.

**0rion** · 11-23-2007, 06:29 PM

yeah, I had to use the ole screwdriver hammer combo on these too.

Makes you not want to work on cars after one of these huh? I tell ya, since staying at home and working on cars on the side for awhile I'm wondering if it's even worth it. I don't need the money. I just do it to fill time and for a little extra play cash. Seems like the last 3 or 4 cars I've worked on have been piles. The last 2 were fords and this is a toyota. All pre 1996. Everything is dirty and rusty as hell. I sure would like to get a newer clean car every now and then where everything goes like it should.

**chuckie669** · 11-23-2007, 06:39 PM

Wow... Thanks for fixing that car up.

What scares me is not the repairs, but being in front of someone that pays that little attention and doesn't even realize that they have no rotor left. (Makes me scared to take my baby out on the street)

That was cool of you to help her out Orion.

**310stanger** · 11-23-2007, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

yeah, I had to use the ole screwdriver hammer combo on these too.

Makes you not want to work on cars after one of these huh? I tell ya, since staying at home and working on cars on the side for awhile I'm wondering if it's even worth it. I don't need the money. I just do it to fill time and for a little extra play cash. Seems like the last 3 or 4 cars I've worked on have been piles. The last 2 were fords and this is a toyota. All pre 1996. Everything is dirty and rusty as hell. I sure would like to get a newer clean car every now and then where everything goes like it should.

haha word. look on the bright side, you dont have a service manager and service advisor asking you every 10 mins if its done yet? is it done yet? is it done yet? while you are cursing and beatin the shit out of something with a hammer because it wont cooperate lol

Oh yeah, heres a big F' you to the guy who decided that the factory needs to put screws through brake rotors to hold them in place. I've become proficient with the airhammer/chisel because of that nifty idea

**jad628** · 11-28-2007, 04:20 AM

Personally, I think you just foiled a murder attempt

Well done!!!

**Smkn_TA** · 11-28-2007, 05:23 AM

I wore them down to like paper thin pads once, not on purpose I just forgot. As for those, that lady is a dumbass, you know how loud that would have been? She should have went to a mechanic a LONG time ago. She is as stupid as he is.

**texinteg** · 11-28-2007, 06:16 AM

I have seen rotors like the ones posted before on the back of an esclade. The lady that was driving it came in complaining of a noise. the tech took the whel of and it was just the vanes of the rotor showing. he still has the rotor hanging above his tool box.

**ls1blackbeauty98** · 11-28-2007, 07:01 AM

its real bad when u have a customer and u show them how destroyed their rotors and pads are, and they dont want to replace them, they think ure trying to scam them. thats when it gets sad

**Neil** · 11-28-2007, 10:09 AM

From the looks of the picture the caliper was bad to start with. The outer pad doesn't seem to have any wear on it, but the inner pad is gone - litterally.

Not to defend her husband, but maybe he gave her money to get the brakes done and she went to the spa instead?

**ls1blackbeauty98** · 11-28-2007, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Neil

From the looks of the picture the caliper was bad to start with. The outer pad doesn't seem to have any wear on it, but the inner pad is gone - litterally.

Not to defend her husband, but maybe he gave her money to get the brakes done and she went to the spa instead?

that was sexist, id be thrilled if someone gave me money and told me to go get carparts!

**0rion** · 11-28-2007, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Neil

From the looks of the picture the caliper was bad to start with. The outer pad doesn't seem to have any wear on it, but the inner pad is gone - litterally.

Not to defend her husband, but maybe he gave her money to get the brakes done and she went to the spa instead?

that would be tough to do with him working zero jobs and her working 2. He's a diesel mechanic that's out of work.

**JonB** · 11-28-2007, 12:17 PM

I'm confused why does one side have a perfectly good pad almost new just a little dirty and the other has nothing and the rotor is eating the piston. Somethings not right there.