Brake Blues Resolution- Follow up to Big Bummer at the Boat Ramp
Glassguy54
Member Posts: 588 ✭✭✭
Right rear brake caliper broke away from axle on Saturday, severing brake line, resulting in no braking power to either axle. Drove the 100 miles back to home VERY cautiously! Ordered replacement caliper Monday morning. Jacked up all corners of the trailer (boat on), & removed all 4 wheels. Caliper arrived Wednesday morning - hurrah -. Has been around 98* here this week with heat index of 105. Thank goodness I put up a 5,000 sq ft shop building for my stained glass business in '06. Have a 10 x 12 overhead door and keep the boat inside in climate controlled environment and was able to do the work in air conditioned comfort. My neighbor on the cul de sac in the business developement has an auto repair business and fabbed up a brake line for me. Got all put back together, bled the system and all works fine now, just in time to head to Missouri with the boat and another couple for what should prove to be a great Labor Day weekend. Although I had never heard of a caliper coming off before (the evidence would indicate that one mounting bolt unscrewed itself, then braking action caused the other to pivot, twist and fatigue and eventually fail) I am going to make it part of my routine to check all the calipers from now on. It's one of those things you never really think about until you have a problem. I'm just glad that there was no catastrophic ending to this story, as the potential was certainly there.
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