Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with brakes

How to free a stuck brake piston?

sergeant sandwich — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:28:57 -0800

Car-repair-filter: Any mechanics got a trick for freeing a stuck brake piston? So I decide to replace my brake pads this afternoon. I do 3 sets and everything's fine. When I get to the last wheel though, the pads are worn way down, and one of the two pistons on the caliper is funny looking. (I couldn't tell you how it was funny, it just looked odd, for some reason I can't put my finger on.)

Anyway I pull the old pads, grease the shims, slap the new ones in there, and get to the part where you have to push the pistons back into the caliper. The first one went in fine, but the funny-looking one only went in about halfway, and wouldn't go any further.

I tried using a C-clamp and some cardboard to push it in, and opening up the bleeder valve, but the thing still wouldn't budge. So, it's stuck, somehow, probably cocked sideways in its hole. I put the old pads back on (cause the new ones wouldn't fit in the half-open caliper), bled the lines and it drives fine.

I understand that I'm probably looking at doing a caliper rebuild (blahhh), but I'm wondering if there are any trick-up-the-sleeve kind of things that might allow me to free the piston without taking the damned thing apart. If it matters, this is a 1997 Toyota Supra, ABS, two-piston front discs. Thanks!

PT Cruiser owner regrets purchase, wants to improve the car he can't afford to dump

mccarty.tim — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:43:56 -0800

I'm an ignorant person when it comes to cars, so this is a pretty dumb question. I own a 2007 PT Cruiser which has no anti-lock brakes. It skids like crazy, and got me into a minor accident. Is there any way I can get add anti-lock breaks to it? My mom's friends told her that the best way to buy a car was to get an auction proxy, so we went to an auction lot to go car shopping. We were intending to get a compact Japanese car with decent milage. However, the proxy talked us into getting a 2007 PT Cruiser which was $9000 on the lot. I was no fan of the aesthetics of the Cruiser, but I did like the interior space and the fact that the proxy pitched it as being 28 MPG (A good but not great amount. Turns out he was mistaken, it gets 20). We rushed to bid on it, and the next day we got it, only to discover it was a cheap model with no antilock brakes. I don't blame the proxy for this, he was as surprised as we were, and I really don't think this is in the spirit of false advertising. It's just the nature of auctions, it's fast paced and you don't get to test drive the car, and I had no prior knowledge of how a PT Cruiser drives.

I'm no good at threshold braking and recently skidded into a guardrail because a guy behind me in a huge truck was tailgating me at a high speed. It was scary, and it took two weeks to get it repaired, but insurance paid for it, and I was okay. I now know I should have taken that turn slower, or let the guy in the pickup hit me.

The guy at the repair shop says the brakes are pristine, so I can't blame it on old brake pads. The mechanic did remark he got 3 PT Cruisers who got into the exact same type of wreck.

This brings me to my question. I would love to trade in the PT Cruiser for something that I can afford to buy gas for and with good enough brakes to handle the curvy roads in my town. However, it seems to be outside of my means to do so. Would it be possible to augment the car with an antilock braking system? Or if not, is there a good, safe way to learn how to threshold brake?

Thanks for your help, guys.

Pads Shriek Only AFTER The Brake Job

jimmyjimjim — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:23:23 -0800

I took my 04 Camry in for a brake job. Rotors were warped, pads were fine (they weren't making a sound). The mechanic replaced pads and rotors. I paid hundreds of dollars. Now, 200 miles after the work, my pads are shrieking. Can anyone think of why this might happen?

Auto: I need to replace my brakes on my 2005 Audi A4. Do I have any other options than factory brakes from the dealership? Are there brakes on the market that perform at or above what I would expect from factory brakes?

Mr_Crazyhorse — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:46:22 -0800

Auto: I need to replace my brakes on my 2005 Audi A4. Do I have any other options than factory brakes from the dealership? Are there brakes on the market that perform at or above what I would expect from factory brakes?

When my taillights are on, my brake lights don't work. How to fix?

k7lim — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:06:50 -0800

While my taillights are off, my brake lights work just fine. When they are on, my left one goes out. How can I fix this? I'm driving a mid 80's Volvo. My car uses the same bulb for taillight and brake-light. Basically, while my taillights are supposed to be on, and I step on the brakes, that entire bulb turns off (on the left side). Head/Tail lights switched OFF, foot ON the brake, brake light is illuminated. (as it should be)

Head/Tail lights switched ON, foot off the brake, tail light is illuminated. (as it should be)

Head/Tail lights switched ON, foot ON the brake, tail/brake light bulb is out. (broken!)

New car buying - safety question

543DoublePlay — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:46:34 -0800

New car buying filter: We are in the market for a new car and have seen the model we want on a dealers lot, but it lacks one option that I feel is a must - ABS So are anti-lock brakes a real safety plus or should I get the vehicle I want that doesn't have the ABS? If it makes a difference the make/model is a Chevy Cobalt Coupe and I would prefer to just go into the dealer, go through the hell of dealing with the car buying experience and drive off in the new car without having to go through long drawn out searches or ordering the model from the factory.

working on a car - on a gravel driveway

bigmusic — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:59:17 -0800

I want to do minor maintenance on my cars (oil changes, brake checks, and so on), but I don't have a garage to do it in or a concrete driveway. All I have is a gravel / dirt driveway to work on. I would like to jack up my cars (and put them on jack stands), but I'm not comfortable at all doing it on this kind of surface. How can I do this without putting myself in harms way? I've thought about using pieces of plywood to put the jack stands on and chocking the rear tires - would this work or is there a better way?

Gimme brakes

dancinglamb — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:33:18 -0800

Teach me the best way to drive to save my brakes I just had to replace the front brake pads -- for the second time -- on my beloved '05 Volvo XC90. It has just a hair over 37,000 miles on it. When I asked what the deal was in having to replace the pads again so recently (they were fully replaced at about 12-14k), the service guy commented that a lot of it has to do with 'how a person drives, where they drive, and what's in the car when they're driving'.

Any truth to this? For the record, I do mostly "Mom driving" (stop and go, 20-45pmh) around town, although it's not unusual for me to do longer runs on weekends on highways at higher ( consistent, 65-75mph) speeds. With regard to what's in the car, well, mostly, me, two little kids, sometimes a couple dogs, etc. It's not like I'm hauling anything truly interesting. It's a no-brainer that it's the stop and go nonsense that's killing me and my brakes. But at over $500 a pop, I need suggestions on how to make these babies last.

FixMyBrakesFilter

Alterscape — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:27:00 -0800

I need to find a reliable auto repair shop in Tempe/Phoenix AZ for some brake work. My brakes are making icky noises. I've previously done 90% of my car maintenance myself, but that was when I lived near my father and had ready access to a shop full of tools and several decades of accumulated experience. When we couldn't fix it, we'd take it to a small, locally-owned garage who's service people my father trusted.

I'm now 2100 miles away from there and I just want to fix the problem. I'm relatively certain I know what the problem is and how much it should cost (in terms of parts) to fix. However, I have exactly zero experience finding and selecting repair shops. Can I just call one of the national chains, or should I shop around and try to find a good local guy by ear? I can sort of talk the talk, but car work was a small enough part of my interests that I'm not 100% confident I could sort a con man from a legit guy and I've heard lots of horror stories.

If anyone in Tempe/Phoenix has recommendations, that'd be even better. The car is a 1990 Camry, and I suspect the work I'll need will be having the pads changed, one rotor milled or maybe replaced, and one set of calipers thoroughly lubricated.

Seized Brake

timeistight — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 08:30:15 -0800

Roughly how much will it cost to fix a seized rear brake on a 1990 Dodge Colt? On my way to work yesterday, my right rear brake started smoking. I probably drove five kilometers before I realized what was happening. I can still move the car, but I can definitely feel the engine straining against the brake.

The car is a beater nearing the end of its life. Should I fix it or scrap it? (This is in the Vancouver, BC area.)

New Beetle Needs Work + Brakes

kirkaracha — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:02:03 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for Volkswagen service and brake service in San Francisco. I dropped my 1998 New Beetle off at the dealer a week ago yesterday, and they just now got back to me with an estimate of $1100 to replace the brakes. The one-week delay makes me want to go somewhere else (I take public transportation, so it wasn't a huge deal, but still), and $1100 seems steep for brakes.

The Car Talk site had good reviews of Advanced Audi Volkswagen, City Automotive, and Moss Motors, so it'd be great if anyone's used one of them.

low mpg

spork — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:46:21 -0800

I seem to be getting horrible mpg after changing my own disk brakes. After I replaced the front brake pads on my 1999 Honda motorcycle, my mpg dropped by 25% and sometimes after braking I’ll hear a mild “whizzz” coming from the front wheel, which I’m guessing is the sound of the pad still making slight contact with the rotor. After a couple of months (I waited this long because I’ve heard that new brakes will sometimes make noise until they’re broken-in) I took a look at the pads and they didn’t seem to be wearing funny. I’m a city rider, so I’m not too worried about my brakes over-heating during my short trips.

Is there an obvious reason for this? Is there a mechanism that should be spreading the calipers apart after breaking? I’m planning on taking it in unless someone points me to the solution.

car trouble deja vu

vytae — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:25:24 -0800

My car has developed pulsing brakes and a low-speed wobble, for the second time in under 2 years. Help me get it fixed right this time, please? My car wobbles from side to side slightly at low speeds. The wobble frequency varies with the speed of the car, becoming a mostly non-noticeable vibration above ~20 mph. Also, the brakes apply in a jerky/pulsing manner that again varies with the speed of the car and isn't noticeable until I'm going quite slowly. It feels to riders as though I'm pumping the brake pedal, even though I'm applying constant pressure. It feels to me like the brakes don't catch as well during some parts of the wheel's rotation.

My question partially involves these symptoms, but mostly involves the fact that this has happened before. These same two problems occurred together about a year and a half ago. It all began a few months after I had 4 new tires put on the car. (Bear with me - I know very little about cars, so I'm about to pull terms from memory that I didn't fully understand when I heard them.)

I was told at the repair shop that my brake rotors were bent and needed to be re-machined (to fix the jerky brakes), and also that one of my tires was probably out of round (to explain the wobble). The mechanic fixed the brake issue, but said the tire guys would have to deal with the tire issue. However, he did rotate the tires so that the wobble would be in the back of the car instead of the front until I could make it to the tire store - this made driving the car somewhat easier/less nauseating. He also said to tell the tire guys to be sure to use a torque wrench next time they did the tires. He seemed to be implying that the lack of a torque wrench might have caused the bent brake rotors.

A few days later I went to the tire store and told them about the wobbly tire and that the mechanic thought it seemed to be "out of round". The tire guys took a look, did some stuff, and told me that one of the tires just needed balancing. I didn't mention anything about the torque wrench, because I'm kind of shy and didn't feel qualified to be telling the tire guys how to do their jobs.

So, approximately a year and a half later the problem is back. This time I want to know what I'm talking about when I go to get it fixed, so maybe it will STAY fixed. I'm done being shy. Here are my questions:

1) Does the original diagnosis sound correct - bent brake rotors and a bad tire? I mostly assume the mechanic was right, because the problems went away (for 18 months, anyway) after he fixed the brakes and the other guys messed with the tires.

2) Should the tire people replace my tire(s), or is re-balancing it/them ok? As I understand it, re-balancing just shaves rubber off of part of the tire, which won't solve the problem if the tire is truly "out of round". How do I know whether the tire really has an irreparable flaw? Should I demand a replacement? This is at a national discount chain, and at this point I don't really trust them to thoroughly handle the matter unless I ask the right questions and really push.

3) Could the tire guys' installation techniques, or the bad tire, have caused my brake problems? If so, should the tire store have to pay for fixing my brakes, especially if they should have replaced the tire the first time this happened instead of just rebalancing it? Should I mention the torque wrench thing this time?

4) Could there be something else wrong with my car that is causing both of these problems to come up again? I've been blaming the tire and possibly the tire people for not fixing it right the first time, but if something else could be making this happen then it'd be good to know.

Other details that may or may not matter:
The car is a '96 Civic with only 60,000 miles on it, automatic transmission. I bought it from my grandparents just over 3 years ago. It was in a major accident that required significant rebuilding at some point well before I purchased it, but my grandparents didn't experience any problems with it after the rebuilding.

BrakeFilter: Do I really need to turn the rotors and replace the calipers?

Andrew Brinton — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:07:13 -0800

BrakeFilter: Do I really need to turn the rotors and replace the calipers? My brakes are squeaky and need work. The mechanic said the whole shebang needs to be replaced, which I in theory have no problem with, but the car is a beater and doing all this work rapidly approaches the cost of the whole car.

So if I were to replace just the pads, do I face a safety hazard? Am I safe in doing this and driving the car for another 18-24 months?

squealing like a pig

typewriter — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:10:03 -0800

Car-filter: There is something squealy and squeeking on my automobile-type machine. Help clueless person. It is not the brakes. Or I don't think it is. Previously when I've had squeaky brakes (i.e. brake pads or whatever) the brakes squeaked when I pressed the pedal and actually used the brakes. This is not the case. Now, I get squealing/squeeking when accelerating! Occasionally, I think that the squealing might be happening when I release the brakes, but maybe my car is just messing with me. It has gotten worse over the last few weeks, and definitely seems worse after a ride on the highway. Taking it in tomorrow, but just wondering...brakes? Or something serious? Like, is the axle of the wheel gonna fall off on the way to the mechanic? Will I die? Should I definitely be taking this beast off the road?
(A '92 Acura Integra if that means anything.)

Car Repair Advice: Shopping for Brake pads & Rotors

sirion — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:09:51 -0800

Car Repair Advice: '99 Infiniti I30. Needs new front & rear brake pads, rotors, struts, rear shocks, and drive belts. Mostly looking for advice on how to intelligently shop around for repairs, and mostly for brake-related repairs. Lot's o repairs, not all that much money.

First on the list, and I'll be happy with just advice on this front:
*Brakes are at 3.5/2mm front and rear, respectively. (How thick are 100% pads?)
*Front and rear rotors are "way out of spec, we can't turn them"
*In terms of my usage, my front pads were replaced 6000 miles ago ("Premium organic pads" from Pep Boys)

Questions: The dealer wants $460 per axel to do the brakes. I imagine I can do significantly better with some place like Pep Boys. The dealer claimed that they do shoddy work at Pep Boys, and don't turn their rotors(eh?). Last time I brought it to a local place (The Brake Stop, I think it was called), they gave me all sorts of options on which brake pads I wanted, etc.

Educate me on how to shop around and get quotes on comparable services (For example, spending 25% less for brakes that last half as long doesn't seem clever). Are different pads really different? Etc, etc..

----

The rest:

I'm likely selling this car in 6-12 months. My car is at ~90,000 miles. Which of these services should I get before I sell it, either for my own safety, or as an investment in the selling price of the car? If I should replace these, give me similar advice to the advice above on shopping around intelligently:

Struts: My car's vibrating when I brake, and dealer said that its because the struts are old, but that he wouldn't replace them if he were getting rid of the car soon.

Rear Shocks: These have been leaking for 30,000 miles, I think, and I keep ignoring it because the dealer said that the only real downside is that my car will be more bouncy. I can live with bouncy, if that's true.

Belts: He said they looked a bit cracked and old. I think they were replaced once in the last 30000 miles.

Brake woes.

booticon — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 06:52:06 -0800

I'm having an extremely weird brake problem with my '94 Grand Am. Alright, so for the past couple of weeks, my car's brakes have been acting funky. Just about 15 minutes ago, when pulling out of the gas station, I depressed the brake pedal, and it *started* off well, then all of a sudden, the pedal gave. Immediately, I pressed it even more (almost to the floor), and my car stopped fine (albeit a little erratically). The brakes themselves aren't making any noise, so I wouldn't think it has anything to do w/ the pads/rotors/calipers.

Also, something I didn't even think of (then again, I'm not that car savvy) that could be a problem: low brake fluid?

I'm sorry if my problem seems to be very broad and undetailed, but like I said, I don't know a whole lot about cars, and this situation has been hard to duplicate. I'd like to get a smattering of possibilities as to why my car's doing this before I have a mechanic drive around for an hour to try and get the problem to come up.

Thanks.

Driving with only 3 brakes connected?

knave — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 17:48:11 -0800

CarFilter: With regard to brakes... 3 out of 4 ain't bad? Due to a sheared off bolt in the caliper bracket on my 2001 Maxima, I am at a loss for how to proceed. I was changing the rear brake pads and rotors. Now I'm able to put one side back together, but the other side, I'm unable to mount the caliper with the bracket.

The part I need won't arrive till Tuesday, but I need to use my car before then. Is it possible to just finish one side and leave the other not hooked up? That is, caliper secured down and still connected to the brake lines, but not mounted up over the rotor.

I'm pretty sure 3 out of 4 brakes is safe, at least temporarily, because the rears do a lot less work than the fronts. However, I'm not sure if a mechanical problem would ensue from one side trying to compensate for the other, or having a caliper that's squeezing nothing but air. Thoughts?

Yes, I've done everything I can to try to get the sheared bolt out, but it is basically one with the braket. Thanks!!

What the hell's going on with my car?

Vervain — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:59:42 -0800

CarRepairFilter: Help me figure out what's going on with my usually well-behaved car, and what, if anything, it might have to do with a letter I got from Acura back in January... Basically, it looks like Acura made a deal with the EPA because the onboard computer in some of the '95-'97 models is not CA-emission-compatible. As a result, they're replacing (for free) the spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap/rotor on qualified cars with 75,000-150,000 miles.

As for my car: it's a '96 Integra, with about 140,000 miles. I'd say I put less than 10,000 miles a year on it, since I don't have much of a commute. I've been searching for a new mechanic for awhile, since the place I'd been going to went downhill fast. As a result, the car hasn't really been looked at in about a year.

There's definitely something up with the brakes, and I think the old mechanics might've had something to do with that; last time I was in, they made some comment about the back brakes being "20% on one side, and (less) on the other". For the record, their fix might've evened it out, but it also made the brakes very spongy. Right now they're very grabby, almost pulsing, and there's a ticking noise from the back brakes when I'm slowing down. This goes away when I apply more pressure to the brake pedal.

In addition to that, I think the clutch may be starting to go. But I could be wrong--this is my first standard-transmission vehicle, so I don't know what to look for. Over the past few days, the engine has been running rougher for a few seconds after upshifting, eventually kicking into a smoother ride. But it's only while accelerating; downshifting seems to be just as peachy as ever.

Long story short, I know I've neglected the poor thing and that I'm going to be dropping some money on car repairs in addition to the free fixes the letter mentions, but that's about all I know. (I'm not mechanically inclined.) Can you give me an idea of what might be going on, so I know what to ask about when I take it in?

Are my rotors really damaged?

craniac — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 10:26:40 -0800

Our front brakes were making a grinding noise. The shop (which was recommended by neighbors, fwiw) said our rotors were damaged by excessively hard brake pads, and replaced the rotors. They suggested we get the pads changed too. It is making the grinding sound again. Should I take the car back to this place for pads, or go to my former trusted mechanic (30 miles away, + four hours hanging out)?

(we moved not too long ago).

I am just wondering if I am getting played or not.

A reasonable price for a brake job?

zerokey — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 09:49:02 -0800

A reasonable price for a brake job? I need new front pads and rotors. I just went to a national chain in the Boston area and was quoted $450. (I walked out after the extremely aggressive hard sell for tires and other services) Is that a reasonable price? Should I hunt around for a better price? I know that pad replacement typically runs around $100. In my 15 years of driving, this is the first time I've never needed new rotors before, so I have no idea how much this should cost.

What happened with my brakes?

skallas — Mon, 15 May 2006 15:57:46 -0800

What happened to my brakes? I got new front pads and rotors a little while ago and after about three weeks of normal use they started squeeling extremely loudly. It was almost defeaning if I was driving next to a barricade or a tall curb. They were still under warranty so I took the car in and was told the "rear brakes needed cleaning." Is this common? The guy was hesitant to answer some of my questions and I was in a hurry to get my car back. Now the brakes don't make any noise but I feel a noticable grind when braking. Does this situation sound fishy? Is a grinding "feeling" normal?

Grinding noise from wheels

Saucy Intruder — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 10:17:33 -0800

The front wheels are making a grinding noise when I move the steering wheel to the left ('98 Accord.) Happens even when the brakes aren't being pressed. Can anyone provide a Bill Frist-style remote diagnosis, and will I regret it if I don't bring it in to the shop for two more days?

Thumping noise during braking

flyby22 — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:14:50 -0800

I was out of town for three weeks and left my car in the open (almost) and due to the cold weather I had tough time getting it started yesterday. The AAA guy said it was very likely moisture in the gas, etc. But eventually after much cranking and screeching and some initial smoke it seems to working ok again. However, I also noticed I get a thumping noise coming from wheels or somewhere close by when I brake. I was wondering if somebody can tell me if it is related to cold weather also. I put the car in the garage yesterday. But the noise seems to be still there. I am not sure if it has lessened somewhat or not. It is a 94 Civic EX sedan, with ABS, auto transmission.

Disk Brakes on a Bicycle

pheideaux — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:18:13 -0800

What benefits and disadvantages does having disk brakes on a bicycle provide?

Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with brakes

How to free a stuck brake piston?

PT Cruiser owner regrets purchase, wants to improve the car he can't afford to dump

Pads Shriek Only AFTER The Brake Job

Auto: I need to replace my brakes on my 2005 Audi A4. Do I have any other options than factory brakes from the dealership? Are there brakes on the market that perform at or above what I would expect from factory brakes?

When my taillights are on, my brake lights don't work. How to fix?

New car buying - safety question

working on a car - on a gravel driveway

Gimme brakes

FixMyBrakesFilter

Seized Brake

New Beetle Needs Work + Brakes

low mpg

car trouble deja vu

BrakeFilter: Do I really need to turn the rotors and replace the calipers?

squealing like a pig

Car Repair Advice: Shopping for Brake pads & Rotors

Brake woes.

Driving with only 3 brakes connected?

What the hell's going on with my car?

Are my rotors *really* damaged?

A reasonable price for a brake job?

What happened with my brakes?

Grinding noise from wheels

Thumping noise during braking

Disk Brakes on a Bicycle

Are my rotors really damaged?