Only fighting myself and I'm in 2nd place

"Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief" (flynorcal)
01/24/2018 at 21:02 • Filed to: None

After setting some fairly nice times at Laguna Seca this last weekend in my 26 year old Corvette C4 (1:55's — hoping to get to high 1:40's) the rear brakes and rotors need replacing, and I’m still having trouble with the brakes failing once they get hot despite flushing the fluid. I was also worried about the diff as during a previous NASA/SCCA inspection the axle moved in and out of the diff slightly, which is no bueno. I also had cause for concern about a rear wheel bearing. As I am busy this weekend and on the track again next weekend, I decided to drop it off at the shop with a list of requests.

This involved me driving away from the direction of work this morning and then taking public transit in, which of course means taking a long walk to one train to transfer to another train and both had problems. The first one broke down entirely. Then there was construction. Then there were demonstrators and riot police as I work by UCSF and whenever the regents meet there’s protestors everywhere. So it takes me two hours to get in.

Now you’re probably thinking I got to work and realized I had the keys in my pocket. You’re close. Really close.

One block form my work was parked a Lexus with really nice wheels. They had on each wheel a lug nut that requires the magical key to take the lug off to keep someone from stealing the wheels. I immediately realized my mistake.

As you take everything that could become a projectile out of the car before going onto the track, guess where the lug nut key was? With all my track stuff, which was not in the car.

Kinda hard to work on the brakes if you can’t get the wheels off. So guess what my day involves tomorrow?

So in addition to new brakes, rotors, fluid, and whatever else, I am getting four new non-security lug nuts added to my order as I’ve hated that keyed lug nut hassle since day one.

Life: 1

Me: 0

DISCUSSION (3)

LOREM IPSUM > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
01/24/2018 at 22:10

Do you happen to have one of those laser thermometers? If so, next time you take a little spin, after a bit pull over and try to quickly laser each of the calipers and see if one is significantly hotter than the others. Might be a sticky caliper causing the pad(s) to rub even when no pedal is applied, thus boiling the fluid.

If so, you can usually rebuild em pretty easily unless the piston is badly pitted. Usually new seals and carrier pins will have em good as new on the cheap. Most shops would rather just swap the caliper at a couple hundred bucks though.

In any case, good luck and have fun. Here’s hoping tomorrow goes more smoothly!

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > LOREM IPSUM
01/24/2018 at 23:13

I do. I use it to check my tire pressures while on the track. I try to make sure the temp isn’t higher in the middle than the sides as it means I’m over inflated and the center of the tread is bulging out.

I like your idea. However the problem I’m having only really manifests itself on the track. The car is street legal and the only brake problems I’ve had off the track is a pedal moving lower than I left it due to pad knock back from a bad wheel bearing making the wobbling rotor hit the pad back into the caliper during long freeway stints.

What I think is happening is that the brake fluid was the original from 1992 and hence garbage. Then I flushed it and briefly had amazing brakes. Then I started using the brakes in earnest and broke some junk free, likely in the master cylinder, and fouled the fluid again.

The shop says my front brake hoses are weeping so they’re being swapped out as well. It might be sucking in moisture right there for all I know.

Thanks for the suggestion. Very good thinking. Much appreciated.

LOREM IPSUM > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
01/24/2018 at 23:26

I’m familiar with that practice of using the laser to ensure equal temp across the tire for best gauging pressure. (Thanks Super Street, or was it SCC? RIP.)

One of the best uses for those handy little thermometers!

Hopefully fresh lines, fluid, and the rest sort you out! Good luck.