Weird 5kcstq stuff

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Don't know whuzzup, Burl. But I just finished changing the right front
wheel bearing on my 87 5ktq, after it destroyed the rotor and the brake
pads on that wheel. And it didn't happen overnight. For about 4 months I
felt the front brakes shake some when I applied them, and as the weeks
rolled by it got worse. And I am a nut about having good brakes.

So, eventually I took it to my mechanic and he put it up  on the lift and
wiggled the front wheels and I could see how loose the passenger front was.
It just wobbled around on its axle and it was obvious that the wheel
bearing was very sloppy and loose.

But it had never growled like all my other bad wheel bearings did. This is
probably my sixth bad wheel bearing on an Audi, and they all growled for
months as they failed......except this one.  This one gave no warning
except it allowed the wheel to wobble around when I put on the brakes.

I thought it was just warped rotors. I have trued up warped front rotors
half a dozen times in the past 4 years by taking it up to 80 and hauling it
down really quick about three or four times, using the brakes and keeping
on the throttle at the same time.

I was headed toward such an amateur solution this time, but something about
the front end shake was different, or as you say 'weird.'  It was more than
just warped rotors, and I figured maybe it needed some bushings or
something, so I took it to a pro and he made the call......bad wheel
bearing, atypical failure mode. It had worn a groove in the rotor and had
worn away one pad unevenly.

Anyhow, we put in a new wheel bearing, and on both sides new front rotors
and pads. Then I bled a little from the brake lines and from the wallet,
and now I have what feels like a new front end.  Very smooth stops. Very
expensive stops....

So, I tell you this because things are not always as they appear when it
involves such complex systems as brakes and wheels and steering, etc.  You
called the behavior of your car 'weird.' This is another word for
atypical....beyond normal experience.  And we are talking about a
life-or-death system on your car.

And perhaps because of the critical nature of the system, it deserves to be
looked at by a pro this time. Maybe you don't want to risk your life by
tolerating brakes that aren't working right, on top of an engine that
somehow signals that it may just stop on you one of these days. Who knows
what it will do or not do next?  Hey man, you GOTTA be able to
stop....really well, every time.....very basic stuff.


Doyt Echelberger
87 5ktq in Ohio, USA  at 247k miles   and still alive
 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 10:13 PM 7/27/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>I finally got the brake lines changed and I take it for a ride.  I
>definitely need new front rotors as they are really shaking badly.  I
>was driving with a foot on the brake and one on gas for a few seconds
>trying to determine which which rotor it was when the engine dies for
>a second.  Trying it again, same result.  Whenever I loaded the engine
>with the brakes, it seemed to die just like it had hit the rev limiter
>but it was only at about 3000rpm though and about 1.2 bar of boost.
>
>What's up with that?
>
>
>
>Burl Vibert
>1987 5kcstq
>Kingston, Ontario