OUCH!! - Callipers Rubbing Rim???? (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Mar 23, 2004
Threads
47
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421
Location
Lee's Summit, MO (KC)
Pulling into my office complex we have a steep concrete ramp to climb over the sidewalk. Nothing a lowered sedan can't handle, but today.......

I thought I heard something as I hit the ramp turning in to the right. Each time I touched the brakes in the parking garage I heard a "CLANGK/BAM!!" Crawled into my parking spot..."BAM!!"

Get out and look........HOLY COW!!! The calliper on the right front is gouging a nice raw metal strip out of my rim. Go and look at the right rear for a comparison view and HOLY HOLY COW, the back right is also shaving the rim!! The left side isn't.......so what gives? (Yes, they are stock rims)

I will have to have the wife bring the jack and stands and take a look at this developing situation.

Anyone have any insight???

Why would it just be the right side? (the side that goes up first over the ramp into the driveway)
 
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Have you just installed new rims or something? If they are stock rims and the calipers are rubbing them, something is VERY wrong! If they are new, they might not be the right backspacing. Although that still wouldnt explain why only one side is doing it!

DO NOT drive the rig until you fix this. I believe awhile back a guy put some new alloys on his rig with some slight caliper rub and the heat actually caught the rim on fire and the truck burnt to the ground. This was on an 80 i believe because i remember the rig on ebay and the guy explaining what happened. I believe i bought something off of that burnt rig but i cant remember!

Are these stock rims? If so, maybe the caliper bolts worked loose or something?
 
Are all your caliper bolts still there?
 
Just edited my post, cause I figured someone would ask if they were stock rims. Yes, they are. I will have to jack it up here at work and figure out why TWO callipers dropped at the same time. hmmmmmm
 
Will have to figure that out later.
 
(X)

^
!
!
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!_________> (Y)


Which axis do you think they are rubbing in, (X): The caliper has moved up/down or, (Y): The caliper has moved out (laterally)?

Aside from missing mounting bolts, or wheel bearings completely gone....I don't see how they could rub.

Please let us know what you find.
 
If they are stock rims, the only thing that i think could be wrong is that the caliper bolts came loose. I dont know why on earth they would come loose on both of the calipers on one side of the truck and not the other, that is kinda weird.

Are the lugs all tight? Maybe they came loose and the rim isnt sitting square to the wheel mounting surface, that would cause it as well!

Maybe an ex wife looking to get rid of you? :D

Let us know what you find, this is puzzling!
 
I have attached some pics.

Front Right:
 
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Here is the Right Rear:
 
Well, after visual inspection with rims still on, and pictures. It is clear that the callipers are sitting cockeyed. Bottom side out rubbing the rim on the one, and the top side out on the other. Hmmm.....


Called the wife. Told her to bring down sometime during the day my floorjack, stands, socket set, tool box. I just pray that she can get the floorjack into her car. I would hate to have to use that little bottle jack.
 
Mudshack said:
I would hate to have to use that little bottle jack.
I would just have her grab the jack stands (ALOT lighter than a normal 3-ton floorjack, maybe you have one of those tiny floorjacks, or one of the aluminum racing ones), the small jack isn't that bad for getting it up, to where you can put a stand under it and then it's safe...I would NOT get under it or do any yanking/pushing with only the bottle jack holding it up...eek
 
mabrodis said:
the small jack isn't that bad for getting it up

Brodis, quit talking about your weekends.
 
The stands were on the laundry list of things I requested. I seriously doubt she will be able to get my 3-Ton floor jack into the Saturn. But, one can hope. I hate using little Jack.
 
wonder why the pics are not showing up? Hmmmmm
 
I would go with the others and say that your caliper bolts are loose. Or that one fell out and your offset because of that.

Your wheel bearings would have to be pretty shot, cus after my catastrophy of a brake job when the spindle lock nuts actually came off and the rotor itself could move about 1-2 inches it didnt rub.

Good luck
 
do you have to jack it at all?
 
Just freaky how both the front and rear did it at the same time. The front is resting on the rim. The rear is not but clearly scrapped the rim.

My guess (before looking) is that when I put the pins back in, I did not torque them enough, and they worked their way out/loose. And when I hit the driveway this morning, the callipers finally slipped.
 
jack it to get the tires off to have a clear view of the calipers.
 
Good luck. Timely for me as I just (Tues/Wed.) replaced the front rotors and pads on 2 trucks. I emailed my buddy who owns the second truck just yesterday...."when you get back from hunting I want to inspect & retourque calipers, hubs/rotors wheels, just because its easy and just to triple check everything....

Good luck with yours...As you said weird two wheels at once had troubles...
 
Yeh weird, but I can believe that if both were loose, or gone, that the jolt of the driveway knocked the calipers down.
 

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