rear brakes

[kajun]

My rear brakes are very tight. I can barely spin the rear wheels when the car is up on the jack stands. I've takin everything apart and put it back together twice! The only explanation that I have come up with is that the pads are to thick. The brakes were done buy B&B so the pads are the correct ones. Any suggestions?

[Jim Werth]

Maybe your emergency brake cable is too tight. Jim

[slithering]

kajun,

Are you sure it's a brake issue?

Slithering

[Rick Parker]

I had this problem too, but it was only noticable when the pads were installed during final assembly. Previously I had assembled the rotors onto the axles and tightened the calipers onto the caliper mounting brackets, but without the pads. Everything seemed ok then. After careful inspection I found a very small area on the rotor that was contacting the caliper with metal to metal contact. I could barely turn the rear wheels. It was not apparant until the pads were installed into the calipers. A small touch with a rotary burr made it all right.
If you are using rotors with an internal drum type e-brake check their adjustment too.


Rick

[nanard289]

Hi Kajun,
Do you have a limited slip rear end? If yes, you have to lift both rear wheels before to try to spin one. If not you have to remove the brake pad set to be sure of the cause (it can be also a too tighted roller bearing).
Good luck for your investigation.
Bernard

[kajun]

Both rear wheels are off the ground. Emergency brake cable is completely disconnected. With pads off the wheels spin without rotors and calipers touching. It is possible that axles are to long?

Brake are not something I like working on. Its a safety thing with me. Drove my cobra up to the local brake shop back in Nov. to have someone check the problem. While the mechanic was test driving the car a rock (boulder) fell off a dump truck and went under the car riping off the oil and trans pans. After writing me a heffty check the mechanic told me that the pads needed to be belt sanded. (I'll work on my on brakes now.)

Thanks for the quick replys!
Dean

[Rick Parker]

Dean: If you are using sliding calipers: Without the pads in the calipers, check to see if they can be made to slide on the pins and contact the rotors. Perhaps your rotors are not meant to be used with the calipers you have, maybe the rotors are too thick??

Just a thought.

Rick

[nanard289]

Hi Dean
According to your explanations, we could understand that the problem is not coming from your brakes. However, if you have a limited slipper rear end, you have to remove the brake pads at both sides to be sure that is not a brake problem (if only one wheel don spin freely, the second one will be also affected). Do you have the same problem at the opposite wheel or is it at one side only? If the problem is at one side only, you can conclude that you don't have a limited slipper and you may investigate for a roller bearing problem (try first to remove the hub cap and untight the large nut to check the bearing clearance). If both sides are affected your car is probably equipped with a limited slipper rear end and you can have a roller bearing or a rear end problem. Let us know the result of your investigations.
Bernard

[nanard289]

Hi Dean

Forget my previous answer, I have made a wrong translation (I had understood that your rotor still hard to spin without pads). Is both sides have the same problem? If yes, probably your rotors width are too large to fit properly your brake pads. If it is only at one side, one piston of calipers may be jammed and not fully pushed.

[kajun]

Hi Bernard

Its both sides. I'll be working on it first of next week. We will have a answer by then. Thanks for your help.

Dean

[tonyvda]

I'd say that the pads are too thick. I used to have the same problem everytime I replaced the pads on a highly modified Audi 100 Turbo I used to have. Simply get a large sheet of very abrasive sanding paper, put the paper on a flat surface and rub the first couple of thou off the face of the pads until the discs turn freely.

Front pads used to last a maximum of 7000 miles on that car, discs needed reskimming every 15,000 and replacing every 30,000. 0 to 60 in just under 7 seconds but it couldnt go round corners so it was belt along the straight, brake like mad before the corner, then haul the barge around it and floor the throttle again......having done 169,000 miles in it I must have enjoyed the ride......

Cheers,

Tony

[kajun]

Tony,

Picked up some sandpaper on the way home from work. Thanks for the how to, that I was unsure about. I measured the space between the caliper pistons and the rotors. The pads are to thick, but not by much.

Thanks again everyone for the help, I'll let you know what worked when get it fixed.

Dean

[kajun]

Just from all the test driving the pads have worn down to where you can spin the rears while its up on the jack stands. I still sanded the pads just alittle to be on the safe side. Now I can feel the front brakes working. Im happy, Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Dean