brake shimmy after sitting
 

my 83 300TD sat all winter (about 4 months). When I went to drive it for the first time it seemed like it was stuck. Gave it a little gas, heard the sound of something breaking free and it was fine...except that it seemed to have acquired a shimmy when braking. Did something rust up? What should I look for? thanks

Probably a patch of rust
 

on the rotor or on the pad itself

have a look

snapped_bolt

Your pad rusted to the rotor. It's left a patch of rust on the rotor. It may wear off in a few miles. Otherwise, you'll have to turn or change the rotor.

Was probably the brakes rusting as mentioned above. If you drive the car, it should remedy itself.

Don't underestimate the possibility of the tires causing the shimmy either. If they sit in the same spot for a long period of time, they'll get "flat" spots. It can take a few days of driving in warm weather to round them back out, especially if they have polyester bands.

As Diseasel300 says, tires flat spot when sitting so long. I've seen it bad enough that the tread separates.

mostly brakes I'd say...just drive it... not too many polyester tires out there now are there?

The vast majority of tires out there today have at least *some* polyester bands in them, usually in the sidewalls. When they sit, they do get a wobble for a bit afterwards.

It was nylon tires that used to get flat spots.

Flat spotted steel belted radials for the doubters. These were on my car, which did get pushed in and out of the garage several times a week, but of course always ending up pretty much in the same spot in the garage. As I rolled each tire to the back yard each revolution was accompanied by the tale-tale, thump, thump, thump of flat spots. All that being said, my brakes also seem to be dragging now too.

You have to change the brake fluid periodically. It absorbs moisture. This seems to contributes to sticky calipers.

I almost count on caliper issues with cars sitting around a long time. Possibly would be less frequently if I changed the brake fluid more often.

There are lots of preventative things we can do with cars that really overall pay off. Just yesterday I paid the price of not coating the brake lines with grease on my beater several years ago when I purchased it. Six lines to the equalizer valve where all changed out. The equalizer was in a really hard spot to work with as well. Never would have occurred if I had remembered to coat those lines with grease when I purchased the car. The lines had gotten so soft that when the solid lines were seriously disturbed by a slipping jack. A couple of them going to the equalizer let go.

If you like hours of work to deal with not doing a five minute procedure in a rust belt area be my guest. I suggest to guys that even putting a small piece of fuel hose over the brake bleeders after greasing them. Add a dap to the open end of the hose. They will never be an issue to deal the next time you have to open them around here.

If a dealer ordered in either the six premade lines with fitting bent to shape. Or had them is stock. They would really be putting you over the fender. We found it did take several hours to remove and clean up everything before flaring and bending up all those six replacement lines. Just so little space there to deal with brake line nuts that have partially rusted away. Plus you do not want to introduce serious heat to the equalizer valve.

It took some heat and a lot of caution to get some of them loosened the other day. All this because on that car I simply neglected to do what I usually do. You snap one of the bleeder screws off usually you will need another caliper around here. Or you are really going to have to work to extract what is left in there. Rebuilt caliper priced have been rising very fast around my area of Canada.

As for the price at the dealer to do this repair. Would you believe when I checked they quoted 8-900 plus tax unless they could not save the equalizer and that would be extra. I would hate to have a serious issue with a car and take it in to them. Because of the space constraints around that equalizer it did not look like a fun job though.

This happens to my W123s every time they go on their 3 month sabbaticals, unless I start them up and move them around a bit. I try to run them up and down my driveway and ride the brakes to get the rust off of the rotors and pads. If the weather is damp, the problem is worse. I am still trying to get all of the vibration out of my 84. I may need to pull the rotors and gently run a file over the high spots. I have not found anyone who will turn these rotors to clean them up. On the other hand, rotors are not very expensive and replacing them is not a major project. These rotors were designed to be a replaceable maintenance item. Softer steel for better braking but they do not last a long time.