I screwed up pretty bad with my '84 300D/T the other day, and it cost me a lot to get straightened out... The really frustrating thing here, is that I knew better.

About 4 weeks ago I started hearing that tell-tale metal-on-metal grinding one can normally associate with worn brake pads coming from the right rear wheel. (instinct 1) I ordered new rotors/pads online with the thought that I'd do the repair as soon as the parts arrived.

At this point I'll tell you that I've also been in the midst of a move and fairly major house renovation. That has been my main focus and priority in non-working hours.

Anyway, got the parts, put them in the garage, continued driving the car. Driving home from work one day, in horrendous traffic, I noticed the car was pulling strangely in the rear. The caliper(s?) was sticking. (Instinct 2) THIS IS WHERE I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE PULLED OVER, CALLED A TOW TRUCK, AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SHOP. But "no," I figured, "I've got the parts, I'll just take them over to the mechanic and have him take care of it." Got home, brakes *smoking*, grabbed the parts, and after the brakes cooled down, I drove the car to the shop.

My thought was that I've already fried what could be fried, and driving the 2 miles to the shop wouldn't change anything. Well by the time I drove those 2 miles, the pedal was hitting the floor and all was not well.

They replaced a caliper, installed my new parts, and gave me back the car.

If only I had just replaced the pads and rotors when the parts arrived...

Everything was fine, until I was driving home 2 days later, and I felt that tugging again, and immediately the pedal was hitting the floor. Glutton for punishment that I am, I *AGAIN* drove to the shop (about 4-5 miles at this point) and told them it wasn't right (I won't go into the should have stopped thing again here), and asked them to thoroughly investigate and call me.

If ONLY I had STOPPED that first time the pedal hit the floor!!!

BY the time all was said and done, I had burned the pads and brake lines, and turned the major metal parts - rotors and calipers - purple from excessive heat. Also killed the master cylinder along the way, and it's possible that was one of the original sources of the problem. Not only that, but did you know that if you burn the paint off your rims they are actually gold inder all the coatings?

Ask me how I know.

On the plus side, I've known this shop for a long time, and they got me a refund on the one caliper they replaces, and also accepted *some* responsibility for not finding the MC as a part of the problem the first time, so I paid only cost on the parts the second time around. Again, I've known them for a long time. I probably wouldn't have been as generous with someone who kept driving when they clearly should have stopped, thus aggravating the problem who knows how much...

Lesson learned.

I'd probably better get around to that valve adjustment pretty soon. On the plus side, I've got a mostly rebuilt brake system now.

Anybody think I'd need to replace the rear rims due to the excessive heat possibly fatiguing the alloy?

-Reed
'84 300D/T 151K
'70 BMW 2800 74K

Attached Thumbnails

 

WOW, I don't have any answers but it was nice of you to share your learning experience.. may save a lot of people a lot of money in the future... Greg