funny brake behavior...and climbing a 100% slope

[Michael Williams <daserde@ucla.edu>]

WEll, i took a nice long drive yesterday (used up an entire tank of fuel) 
and was down in Hollister, CA with my friend mike.  Anyway, we went for a 
drive and went on this nice long really awesome, (but stressful at 9 pm, 
pitch black...without my driving lights i would have parked the car and 
waited for daylight) but anyway...we ended up on interstate 5 and stopped 
at a Texaco just south of 152.  Anyway, at this parking lot at texaco, we 
parked, went in, got some food and decided to take a break cause of the 
long stressful drive that we just had.  WE climbed up the steep, 10 foot 
high dirt hill in front of our cars and were just resting there.  Anyway, 
i got the crazy idea to drive my car up the hill and park it there.  This 
was a 45 degree slope ladies and gentlemen.  Well, i drove it up, no 
problem at all...god i love these cars...and proceded to get lots of 
points, stares, and looks from the people coming and going.  I even had 
the girls who worked in the station coming out and ogling the 
situation...god it was fun (i got pics, so when i get them scanned, you 
can all see them)..anyway, so i was backind the car down and my rear 
brakes, which had been metal on metal for a long time now and were making 
lots and lots of noise, failed.  The pedal suddenly went to the floor and 
the only thing that kept me from rolling down the hill very harshly were 
my front brakes.  Anyway, i finally got down the hill and as i was 
backing up, i hit the brakes and i heard a horrible scraping noise in the 
back.  WEll, we jacked up the car and i took apart the calliper, thank 
god i carry my tools with me now...and the pad had worn so much that it 
actually fell between the calliper and rotor, causing the piston to come 
into contact with the rotor..not good.  Anyway, as im working on the car, 
apparently the ground was very slick from a very fine layer of dust and 
the car FALLS OFF OF THE JACK!!!!  So the car is on the ground, with 
three wheels...so i chalk (sp) the wheels and try again, it does it 
again...it took me about 2 hours to get the car up enough to reinstall 
the wheel, which entailed mike holding a crow bar under the other rear 
tire and holding the car up with as much weight as he could muster...god 
what a night...

But i know how to do those rear pads now...thank god for some reason i 
had the rear brake pads from my parts car in my front seat 
footwell...which have been there for about 3 weeks cause iwas goign to 
replace the pads, but never got around to it.  Plus, today, my friend 
chris was going to do a whole brake job...so ironic..oh well...turned out 
well..hehe



later...


Michael Sheridan Williams
ICQ# 11740998

1985 4000 S Quattro 182,000+ miles, Turbo conversion soon?, Koni 
Yellows/2Bennett, strut brace, Sport 8000 Tires, K&N, MOMO 4pt harnesses, 
Hella XL Driving lights (2x135w), magnecor wires....<out of breath>
1986 Oceanic Blue, 4000CS Quattro--Parting Out(ask if you want anything)
My father's: 1986 4000 CS Quattro--Graphite 161,000 miles

http://members.aol.com/daserde2