Parking brake ques.
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 76
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From: South Meriden CT
Parking brake ques.
My daughter took the vette on an errand. She had to use the parking brake, then forgot(?) it was on and drove home(about 3 miles). Rear wheel area smelled. Question: besides my daughter, will the car be okay? Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,564
Likes: 6
From: Woodstock Georgia
First just do a visual inspection for pad wear and hot spots or cracks in the rotors. How does it stop and does the ebrake still hold? Your car will be OK, but the rear brake pads and rotors are questionable, hopefully all OK.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 7,839
Likes: 22
From: San Diego, Ca
I followed my Dad's cloud of smoke once (he was in a Rental) for 5 miles so I know the smell. Hard to say if there's anything other than some pad material missing. You could pull the wheels and check for scoring or bluing on the rotors. Otherwise if it's not vibrating when you apply the brakes - or making noise - or if it still stops the same - you probably will be replacing the pads and turning the rotors sooner than you planned on, but it doesn't have to be tomorrow. I certainly didn't on my Dad's rental - nor did we give it much thought when I was a pit crew member on a Bomber class stock car which lit up the rotors like a welding torch every time the driver applied the brakes - but then that class was suppose to be a little funky.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
Other than extreme premature wear to the back brakes unless you have some cable issue and you she didnt hear a crack and pop sound you may have got away with this one. Good luck.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 339
Likes: 0
From: Stick-yer-head-in-an-oven Arizona
Depends
Depends on the condition of your rear brakes - i.e. how "new" your rear pads are. If they are fairly new, then you're probably okay. If they were fairly well worn before she set the e-brake, then you might "need" to replace the pads and, possibly, the rotors.
Regardless, you might want to pull the rear wheels and inspect the pads and rotors just to be sure that you know the status.
Regardless, you might want to pull the rear wheels and inspect the pads and rotors just to be sure that you know the status.
