Brake snagging and locking up

[solson1041]

Hi I've got a problem with the RR brake caliper on my 93 tsi FWD. It should have been fixed long ago, and I've seen this coming, but regardless of the reasons, It didn't get done and now I'm in a bad situation. When I bought the car it had wheel locks on it, and I've never had the key, I've been to two tire stores who said they couldn't get them off, I've tried welding another lug nut on the end of the lock, but that just twists off, and the lock is recessed in the wheel too tight to slam a socket around the end. So I've never been able to get to the brakes. My right rear has been grinding on me the whole time I've had it. assumed it would become less and less effective as I drove it, but last week, the wheel locked up. I eventually got it free to roll again by bleeding the fluid and backing up (because the wheel was more likely to roll than drag when in reverse). The wheel locks back up when I am braking. While braking, once the car slows to about 5 mph, the wheel will lock.

I think I've got a piece of the brake pad loose in the caliper and it's causing the snagging. I've found a wheel shop that says they can get my wheels off about 8 miles from my apartment. Is there anything i can do to keep this caliper from closing so I can get the car to the shop? My brother suggested possibly removing the brake line from the caliper and capping it, but I can't imagine a capping method that'd hold it. I can't get the caliper off while the wheel's still on and I'm starting to feel pretty screwed. If anyone has any advice or help, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks very much for your help everyone.

 

[Anubis_4_99]

Hi I've got a problem with the RR brake caliper on my 93 tsi FWD. It should have been fixed long ago, and I've seen this coming, but regardless of the reasons, It didn't get done and now I'm in a bad situation. When I bought the car it had wheel locks on it, and I've never had the key, I've been to two tire stores who said they couldn't get them off, I've tried welding another lug nut on the end of the lock, but that just twists off, and the lock is recessed in the wheel too tight to slam a socket around the end. So I've never been able to get to the brakes. My right rear has been grinding on me the whole time I've had it. assumed it would become less and less effective as I drove it, but last week, the wheel locked up. I eventually got it free to roll again by bleeding the fluid and backing up (because the wheel was more likely to roll than drag when in reverse). The wheel locks back up when I am braking. While braking, once the car slows to about 5 mph, the wheel will lock.

I think I've got a piece of the brake pad loose in the caliper and it's causing the snagging. I've found a wheel shop that says they can get my wheels off about 8 miles from my apartment. Is there anything i can do to keep this caliper from closing so I can get the car to the shop? My brother suggested possibly removing the brake line from the caliper and capping it, but I can't imagine a capping method that'd hold it. I can't get the caliper off while the wheel's still on and I'm starting to feel pretty screwed. If anyone has any advice or help, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks very much for your help everyone.

It will be cheaper in the end to spend the $80 on a tow truck then to try and rig it to work and risk crashing your car and possibly harming someone in the process.

I've gotten flatbed tows with 15 miles and hookup included for $75, so i'm sure you could find something along those lines.

 

[solson1041]

It will be cheaper in the end to spend the $80 on a tow truck then to try and rig it to work and risk crashing your car and possibly harming someone in the process.

I've gotten flatbed tows with 15 miles and hookup included for $75, so i'm sure you could find something along those lines.

I know that's true, and I hate to paint it like I'm some kind of wreckless idiot.. But I really don't have that plus what it'd cost to get the brakes repaired, after I paid to get the wheels off, after I pay for a tow. I can't get to work or class without being a burden on my room mates so I'd rather not have it sit while I try to save up the money.

That being said, sometimes we've gotta do things we don't want, so if that's the case, I'll find a way to get the money for a tow if i've gotta. However, I'm very certain the car could stop with only three brakes, I'm not doing any crazy manuvers, it's a flat highway with very visable stop lights on the way over there. In my mind, there's no reason to think something catastrophic is any more likely to happen on this 10 minute drive with 3 brakes than with 4.

I could be mistaken though. But if there is any way to deactivate this brake so that I can get the car operating again, I'd very much appreciate any insight.

Thanks a bunch

 

[Anubis_4_99]

I know that's true, and I hate to paint it like I'm some kind of wreckless idiot.. But I really don't have that plus what it'd cost to get the brakes repaired, after I paid to get the wheels off, after I pay for a tow. I can't get to work or class without being a burden on my room mates so I'd rather not have it sit while I try to save up the money.

That being said, sometimes we've gotta do things we don't want, so if that's the case, I'll find a way to get the money for a tow if i've gotta. However, I'm very certain the car could stop with only three brakes, I'm not doing any crazy manuvers, it's a flat highway with very visable stop lights on the way over there. In my mind, there's no reason to think something catastrophic is any more likely to happen on this 10 minute drive with 3 brakes than with 4.

I could be mistaken though. But if there is any way to deactivate this brake so that I can get the car operating again, I'd very much appreciate any insight.

Thanks a bunch

I'm not saying it wouldn't work, just saying it could be dangerous.

That being said, i speak from personal experience. I had a toyota MR2 for a while, and had an issue with the brake line rusting through. I just capped the rear lines at the prop valve and drove it with only the front brakes. Front brakes do about 70% of the work anyway. Any quick braking caused it to get fairly unstable pretty quick though.

Some insurance companies will cover a tow as well by the way. One possible option to look into. Although i've found $75 isn't really as hard to come up with as some people think, doubly so if it is a matter of safety.

 

[solson1041]

I'm not saying it wouldn't work, just saying it could be dangerous.

That being said, i speak from personal experience. I had a toyota MR2 for a while, and had an issue with the brake line rusting through. I just capped the rear lines at the prop valve and drove it with only the front brakes. Front brakes do about 70% of the work anyway. Any quick braking caused it to get fairly unstable pretty quick though.

Some insurance companies will cover a tow as well by the way. One possible option to look into. Although i've found $75 isn't really as hard to come up with as some people think, doubly so if it is a matter of safety.

Thanks for the advice. I'll look into getting a tow, but the poor college student has a hard time finding the money for things haha.

If anyone else has any more input, I'd love to hear it.

 

[clipser-gs-t]

By triple A. Use introductory free tow. Cancel membership. Infinite lulz.

 

[stars]

Well your wheel lock is stuck...I had the removal tool and the wheel lock both break on me at the same time....yes, it sucks now not only is the wheel lock broken but the removal too was broken ...hey don't you all laugh because it's not funny when that happens.........but, there is only one way to proceed after any event such as that. It is called an "Air Hammer with Chisel End". You will not waste any time removing that the rest of the locks from there, I had to do it while customer was waiting and I'm thinking...ohh God what else can I break off today, Now, I had to resort to such an extreme method because someone put the lug nuts on with an impact so, I could not use a hammer and chisel and do it by hand.. no way to replicate the impact force an Air Hammer can put out ..., If I did do it by hand I could slip and damage the rims so what a delima.... They do make a "Wheel Lock" removal tool but you have to hammer the tool onto the lug nut and hope it does what the manufacturer specifies, and be ready that if that removal tool does not work and just spins off, now you have to resort to extreme measures. So, you now have one of 3 ways to get that lug nut off.

Soon as that lock is removed you can tend to that RR brake area. Get it repaired there where it is at or get it towed. Get it safe to drive on the road and get to a shop/garage and get the brakes done properly. Not fair idea to risk the safety of yourself or others because you couldn't spare the money for maintenance/tow and make your car safe to drive and not pose a hazard and risk to others. That goes for anyone, that's what good Insurance coverage affords you "free towing" at no extra charge. One less expense NOT out of your pocket in that scenario.

 

[clipser-gs-t]

I'm pretty sure he doesn't have enough lug nut left to get a chisel on without raping his wheel.

 

[solson1041]

I'm pretty sure he doesn't have enough lug nut left to get a chisel on without raping his wheel.

I'm not sure how exactly the chisel process would work, but there's virtually no room on the outside edges of the lock. If the chisel just comes straight in, it might work.

At this point, I'm getting desperate.

 

[stars]

Dam, get about 12lbs sledge hammer and get a nice say about 1/2 inch wide at the end chisel and hammer it hard until it splits into half, don't hit it like a sissy, hit it like you got a "pair" keep hitting it and trying to split it in halves. Think of a pie and cut in into 1/2 then to 1/4 sections at a time, work your way thru as much as you can all the way back to the rim...now u have a recesses rim, get a smaller chisel and continue on ...keep splitting...., keep splitting the nut into halves...sooner or later that nut will"bust off"........

 

[solson1041]

Dam, get about 12lbs sledge hammer and get a nice say about 1/2 inch wide at the end chisel and hammer it hard until it splits into half, don't hit it like a sissy, hit it like you got a "pair" keep hitting it and trying to split it in halves. Think of a pie and cut in into 1/2 then to 1/4 sections at a time, work your way thru as much as you can all the way back to the rim...now u have a recesses rim, get a smaller chisel and continue on ...keep splitting...., keep splitting the nut into halves...sooner or later that nut will"bust off"........

Okay haha, that's more or less what I figured, thanks for the advice, I'll probably have to do that I suppose.

Thanks everyone.