We were driving around the wilds of Nebraska today, investigating the river that is 'a mile wide but only an inch deep'. We we heard disturbing sounds from the passenger side front wheel. Did not sound exactly like a bad brake pad tho but happened occasionally when the brake was applied. I thought maybe it was just starting to grind.On this truck from the time you hear the first sound of grinding to a destroyed caliper is only a matter of a few hours so no delay can be considered.Got back to the campsite and got out the brake pad gear and parts. Jacked up the truck, inspected the pads, not great but still at least 3/16th of an inch of pad showing. Hmmm...??Get ready to pull the caliper off when I notice that the top bolt holding the caliper is gone, and the caliper has rotated maybe an inch!Looks like I did not torque that bolt down enough, being of the packrat tribe I had saved a bolt from the the last time, in my bolt box, I replaced the calipers and got that installed and really torqued down...heh. probably got distracted last time I worked on it.

Got lucky, I’d say. While back I was in the dealers waiting room while my ride was being fixed and in cane a guy not so lucky. Brand new truck, but it seems the manufacturer had done exactly what you did. The owner had come to a red light, stepped on the brakes, and left front wheel completely locked up because the caliper rotated right into the wheel. Destroyed caliper, rotor, wheel, tire and bent tie rod. Guy was lucky he didn’t wind up hitting anything. Kudos to the dealer who couldn’t get parts (back ordered) but went out to his new truck lot and took parts off one of his inventory to get the guy back on the road home. Did I mention guy was from out of state on vacation with wife and kids?

I’d say don’t worry about it, I’ve done the same, but that would be too incriminating....

naturist wrote:Got lucky, I’d say. Yeah that's part of it, plus we are hyper-alert to the slightest unusual sound from any of the wheels and don't put off checking it out when we do hear something. This issue lasted from Pinedale WY, up thru ID, all thru Missoula MT and up to Hwy 2 and all the way across, then most of the way across ND then down south thru ND, SD and almost all of NE. And that includes some awful washboarded roads (Bechler ranger station at YNP and a number of other places). We didn't detect a thing until today at Methodist Cove COE almost at the KS border. Several thousand miles later.

Haven’t done that but plenty of other dumb stuff.

Yep, always something. Today got out of truck and smelled brakes burning from drivers rear....stuck emergency brake. Hammered it loose but now can't use til I get home and fix.....next ?'

Carelessness strikes again | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Aug 13, 2020
Haven’t done that but plenty of other dumb stuff.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Aug 13, 2020
naturist wrote:
Got lucky, I’d say.

Yeah that's part of it, plus we are hyper-alert to the slightest unusual sound from any of the wheels and don't put off checking it out when we do hear something.
This issue lasted from Pinedale WY, up thru ID, all thru Missoula MT and up to Hwy 2 and all the way across, then most of the way across ND then down south thru ND, SD and almost all of NE. And that includes some awful washboarded roads (Bechler ranger station at YNP and a number of other places). We didn't detect a thing until today at Methodist Cove COE almost at the KS border. Several thousand miles later.
Grit_dog
Navigator II
Aug 13, 2020
I’d say don’t worry about it, I’ve done the same, but that would be too incriminating....
naturist
Nomad
Aug 13, 2020
Got lucky, I’d say.

While back I was in the dealers waiting room while my ride was being fixed and in cane a guy not so lucky. Brand new truck, but it seems the manufacturer had done exactly what you did. The owner had come to a red light, stepped on the brakes, and left front wheel completely locked up because the caliper rotated right into the wheel. Destroyed caliper, rotor, wheel, tire and bent tie rod. Guy was lucky he didn’t wind up hitting anything. Kudos to the dealer who couldn’t get parts (back ordered) but went out to his new truck lot and took parts off one of his inventory to get the guy back on the road home. Did I mention guy was from out of state on vacation with wife and kids?

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Carelessness strikes again

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