Brake calliper just fell off today

[Spoooky]

Just took a ride around the block to get a little racing fuel and hit the brakes for a normal stop to pull into the station that is no more that a mile from the house and I felt a pop in the brakes that came from the front. Pulled up to the pump and looked at the left front tire. Through the rim I could see the calliper was just hanging there. My roller # 2863 only has 800 miles on it. This car has never been tracked or driven hard at all. Had to call the tow truck, never got the gas. I have the Willwood 4 piston brakes that come with the roller and the only addition is a vacuum pump that is driven by my serpentine belt to keep the vacuum on a hard stop and not stall the engine. Any advise on this one? Warranty?

[Jim Kellogg]

Call your dealer Monday. It's the best place to start.

I confident that you will be in good hands.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance, if you can't reach your dealer for some reason. You can call me during the day at work 607-796-9600
Jim Kellogg

[CoupedUp]

Check with your dealer. I have heard of this before and experienced it myself. While many people have much faith in their installers and dealers, I check critical fasteners in the suspension and driveline myself now. My front caliper came loose after a few thousand miles and realized there was no loctite used on the bolt. Unless there was some damage, ask your dealer to send you some bolts or go pick up a couple at your local hardware supply. Don't be cheap withe the loctite.

Good luck!
Doug

[Spoooky]

Jim,

I'll give you a shout in the morning. I'm in Phoenix and I don't have a local dealer nearby. I have a really good mechanic named Charlie that works at Hot Rods by Dean hear local. They are a Roush dealer and he is very familiar with Superformance Cobras. Would this be covered on a warranty? I didn't drive it after it broke so there looks to be no rotor damage at all. Just wouldn't want it to happen to someone at speed. Very unsafe. Couldn't believe it actually. I'm going to have a full nut and bolt check on the whole car done.

[Blas]

Spoooky, you have a PM...

[tcrist]

Get the special bolts and safety wire them.

[Ralphy]

I confess, I did the same to my car once and it will never happen again with the brakes. The left front calipers rear bolt feel out completely. Causing the caliper to swing out and hit the wheel. The wheel luckily kept the unit from swinging completely out and the brakes still worked. This happened at night and I climbed under the car and could tell the front bolt was loose also. So I moved the bolt to the rear allowing the brake to function OK as I limped home. This happened maybe 10 years ago and man it bothered me. To this day go over every bolt maybe twice once I am about to complete a job. Rushing a job is not good! Dumb Azz...

[Spoooky]

Blas,

I sent you an e mail. Just want to know where I stand with this and Superformance?

[Got the Bug]

Spooky,

Call Hillbank in Irvine and talk to Lance directly.

There was a technical bulletin posted on SCOF in June of 2009 that dealt with this issue. The possible affected chassis numbers were 2600 to 2975.

I sent you an email with additional details from the Supeformance Cobra Owners Forum.

[Night Enforcer]

It should be covered by warranty. It has been a problem. I know of five including one of Hillbanks cars. As Got The Bug has indicated, Superformance issued a technical service bulletin about the issue.

Lance may help you right from the get go, but do not be surprised if he tells you to call the company you purchased it from first and work through the proper channels.

It happened to me as well, passenger side front. When the caliper came loose it dug a 1/4" channel on the inside of the rim. My dealer replaced the rim and payed for the tire being removed from the damaged rim and the installation on the new rim as well as balancing. I told my dealer that I would handle the reinstallation of the caliper my self --No charge at my shop. I did the reinstallation of the caliper myself with the proper grade bolt, and THREAD LOCKER that the factory seemed to have missed.

If you put your car in the air and get under it, don't assume that just because the bolts and fasteners have witness paint lines on or across them that they are properly installed or torqued. Check them out your self or have your mechanic do it.

The caliper bolts on my sons MKIII which was purchased about three months after mine were installed properly.

[Spoooky]

Thank you guys, I'm going to make a few calls in the morning and let you all know what happens. I'm going to start with Lance.

[Tonkin NZ]

Hi. I dropped the front caliper after 300mls on SPF 2828, locking the front and damaging the rim. It had no locktite and the bolts are too short. Got the repairs done personally as New Zealand is miles from anywhere ;-)

Good luck....

[PANAVIA]

Lance will get you set -

[madmaxx]

Pictures with arrows pointing to bolts would be nice Superformance. Thanks for the heads up Got the Bug, I dont frequent SCOF often, I always forget the password, LOL. In summary it says just tighten the caliper bolts.

[Chaplain]

I'm not sure Loctite is the answer because brakes can get hot softening the loctite and making it ineffective. If this is a continuing problem I recommend safety wiring the two mounting bolts to each other.

[madmaxx]

Loctite is good to 500F, unless you are a nascar racer, your bolts will not get to 500F, if you are lucky your brake rotors might under extreme braking. Loctite should cure the issue.

I like the safety wire but most owners will not go to the effort.

[csx wnab]

spooky, the installer should have been given a notice or something informing them of the bolt situation on the brakes and to double check them. i know, because i am an installer and was given that notice by the dealer i install for. you should go to your installer........................after you call lance.

[Spoooky]

Update,

I went to the shop " Hot Rods by Dean" here in Phoenix and they already had the caliper back on. Didn't appear to have any damage. I actually lost one bolt and the other sheered right off because one was missing. Good shop here in Phoenix because after I spoke to Lance, he said that they would cover the repair. I'm a complete bolt check everywhere on the car to be safe and should be back on the road in a day or so. I got lucky. But was great service by Lance at Hillbanks and Charlie at Hot Rods by Dean. I had the front caliper bolts on both sides replaced with stronger grade 8's. A little locktite too this time.

[ratsnst1]

I think when anybody takes over a turn key car that has been completed, no matter who built it, needs to do a once over on the car, at least I would, the brakes would be the first to check, not very hard to do this stuff.

[Ralphy]

I recently purchased a pre owned EM. I have checked all the fluid levels and I am always visually going over every nut and bolt. Recently while climbing under the rear I discovered a half shaft bolt backed out about the thickness of a washer. When I checked closer I discovered all four bolts were loose. Also no lock washers were used on this same side. So I would advise every one with a purchase of these high horsepower beasts. To do extensive checks. Also avoid the heavy foot for a while and use your senses to detect unusual sounds, feel, smells, etc.....