brake lock

[kigango123]

my front left brake seems to be locking, such that if i travel more than 5 miles smoke starts bellowing out,
i dont know what to do since the car has already cost me a fortune in repairs, what is the cause, and is there a way to solve it without going to a mechanic?

[henk4]

Difficult to give advice here, all the more so as in your profile you describe your car as being "none of your business". Perhaps a little clarification might be useful to get a realistic answer.

[baddabang]

We need more information, are they drum brakes? Disc brakes? When was the last time they were replaced? Above all what car is it?

[kigango123]

well let me change that, its a 92 honda accord, no mods, lots of miles, basically a hand me down, they are disc brakes
about 1 year old
the only thing that i know might help is that the particular wheel has had two punctures last two months

[Roy Visser]

Originally Posted by kigango123

well let me change that, its a 92 honda accord, no mods, lots of miles, basically a hand me down, they are disc brakes
about 1 year old

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/how...7/article.html

use that to examine the state of your break pads, since you say they smoke after about 5 miles, it wont take long or they are worn out anyway. Use these steps to see if you got enough "flesh" left on the pads, so you can wait with replacing them. (examine your discs to for scratches and scrapes!)

most carpart stores sell kits to refresh your calipers, i think the high millieage has taken its toll.. with the guide, you can problably figure out how to do it yourself. Does your car have ABS?

[baddabang]

You probably have a fozen caliper if they smoke after 5 minutes.

Does it grind or scrape as the car moves, or even when you press the brake pedal?

[Quiggs]

Sounds like a stuck caliper.

[kigango123]

yeah, i think the disc is grinding the pads, it is able to stop the car without even depressing the brake, ie if i leave the car at drive, it will slowly come to a halt

[kigango123]

Originally Posted by Quiggs

Sounds like a stuck caliper.

what do i do? can i disconnect the wheels brake? right now i am more worried of a fire than of an accident

sorry to leave, but my college department just had a bomb threat, i have to evacuate the building
kinda strange though, a bomb threat in a college in alabama, i always thought it would happen somewhere else.
goodbye

[Quiggs]

At the minimum, you'd be looking at new front pads, new front rotors, a new caliper, and new hardware for the caliper.

DO NOT disconnect the brake line from that wheel. There's no way to safely seal that line off, and if you leak out enough fluid, you will lose your brakes. Your safest bet is having it towed to a respectable shop and go from there. Unless you have the ability to do it yourself, which I know can be hard when you're in college (time, resources).

Your car most likely has floating calpers, which have 2 slide pins and 1 piston. When you press the brake, the piston slides out, pressing the outboard pad onto the rotor. Once contact is made, the slide pins slide the caliper, moving the inboard pad into the rotor. That's what stops your car. What it sounds like to me, is that one or both of your slide pins have siezed. Corrosion is pretty common, especially on 14 year old pieces of metal. You may be able to break them free temporarily. But I wouldn't trust them to last very long. Nor would I want to chance driving on it.

Edit: If you could, some pictures of the brake rotor and caliper would be very helpful.

[LotusLocost]

I think this is a punnishment for all the old threads you have been reviewing in the past days

It's all a concpiracy

[baddabang]

I had a rear caliper lock up over the summer for no reason at all. It did cost me $800 untill I could get the warranty figured out with the old one. Some companies give you a nice one but wont hold their word when it breaks and they have to pay for it.