only one i lost was one I DIDN'T get tight
brake caliper
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
brake caliper
Had a really strange thing happen just as I pulled the 88 off the driveway. There was a loud clunking sound coming from the front tire on the passenger side, so I drove it around the corner and back to the garage. I couldnt see anything out of the ordinary, that is until I removed the tire. There was my caliper hanging off to the side, pads, pin, and c-clip all there. Somehow the caliper came completely off the the disc and started banging on the inside of the wheel. The local corvette shop said that it happens, not on a regular basis, and that he has seen it with a few C4's. Has anyone heard of or seen this besides me????I have reattached it and tested it, its okay for now but I need to have it properly checked out.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
It's happened to me. I never lost both bolts, just one. On some stops the the rotor rotated the caliper so that it jammed on the insde of the wheel. I once, had to back up at a stop sign, a few feet, to be able continue forward.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 385
Likes: 1
From: Olalla Wa
Holy Cow!! That's gotta be scary..same thing has happened to others on this forum,seems like the bolts holding mounting bracket work themselves loose(fall out).So it's important to add some lockite or something like it to the bolt threads 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,418
Likes: 1
From: NW Chicago Suburbs
Exact same thing happened to a work buddy's 89. His mechanic told him it's an issue on the 12" brake set, the 13" J55 doesn't have this problem. I've never heard of it happening on the J55 brakes, just the 12" ones.
Eric
Eric
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 2
From: seattle WA
Any time the calipers are removed you need to replace the bolts with new ones.There a self locking bolt-look carefully, and because of the design it's only intended to be installed once-read the manual- replace old bolts. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 1
I've heard of this happening to someone on the forum recently.. but he only lost 1 of the 2 bolts, he said he was going to put lock tight on all the caliper bolts.
If your afraid of it happening again, maybe a bit of lock tight will
reassure you.
good luck!
If your afraid of it happening again, maybe a bit of lock tight will
reassure you.
good luck!
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 859
Likes: 7
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '05
I just replaced all of my calipers and rotors, went to the dealer to buy these bolts and washers to find out the bolt is $7.00 and the washer is $9.00!!! not to mention they aren't something the dealer stocks and it take 5-7 days to get....
Another brake issue is the e-brake return spring - new calipers don't come with them and the dealer aslo does not stock these items either...
Anyone know of a good source?
Another brake issue is the e-brake return spring - new calipers don't come with them and the dealer aslo does not stock these items either...
Anyone know of a good source?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,418
Likes: 1
From: NW Chicago Suburbs
Well, alrighty then!
I just did my front and rear brakes, I used the old bolts, I did put some locktite on them. I've grown tired of dropping $10 for a new bolt when they aren't one time use only bolts, they just have fresh threadlocker on them. Paying upfront and waiting three days to put new pads in...
I've been running three times used bolts on my daily driver Impala, I just clean 'em off and use red locktite.
Eric
I just did my front and rear brakes, I used the old bolts, I did put some locktite on them. I've grown tired of dropping $10 for a new bolt when they aren't one time use only bolts, they just have fresh threadlocker on them. Paying upfront and waiting three days to put new pads in...
I've been running three times used bolts on my daily driver Impala, I just clean 'em off and use red locktite.
Eric