Brakes dragging on 85 Seville???

[crrroger]

Took my Seville to a local Les Schwab tire dealer to have the tires rotated and balanced yesterday.

On the drive home(14 miles) I noticed that the performance was degraded somewhat but attributed it to the A/C compressor running while climbing over a mountain pass on the way home. I also recall noticing that the brake pedal seemed a bit firmer than normal. Neither of these indications were significant enough to really register in my mind.....just a fleeting thought.

When I got home I could tell that something was really amiss. Although there was not the telltale odor of hot brakes, both of the front wheels were too hot to touch and had obviously been dragging. The rear wheels were warm but not hot.

I couldn't think of anything that the tire tech could have done to cause this but I called them anyway. They also denied any activity other than a simple remove and replace of the wheels.

I moved the car out of the garage early this morning and all appears to be normal but I don't know whether to take it on the road or not without checking something but I don't know what to check.

Anybody have an idea what could have caused this problem?

Thanks,
Roger 

[Otto Skorzeny]

Jack it up and see if the wheels spin freely.

[crrroger]

I did....they didn't.

I drove it back to Les Schwab early this morning and they tell me both front calipers are binding. Parts ordered for a later installation.

25 years and 156,000 miles....maybe it's time. Just seems unlikely both front wheels would start binding as I leave the tire shop. Maybe they sprayed "Super Glue" on them.

Jack it up and see if the wheels spin freely.

[Otto Skorzeny]

That is odd but I can't imagine what someone could accidentally do to BOTH front brakes while changing tires.

[TJ Hopland]

My only thought would be that they did not cross tighten the nuts and do it is stages when they put the wheels on, they just got them started and rammed em on full blast in a circle.  This perhaps then caused the rotor to be slightly skewed thus causing the calipers to need to float more.  Not being used to this extra float and being old and crusty they got stuck.  They perhaps noticed a problem on a test drive then went back and torqued them properly so you dont feel anything unusual in the pedal?   Just guessing based on how poorly trained or sloppy the average shop person is now days.

[Misfit]

Never let any tire jockey run the lugnuts on with an impact.    On any car with disc brakes, these lugnuts need to tightened in a sequence two times. Once at 45 lb. ft., then the second at the required torque rating. Usually around 75 lb. ft..

Just jambing them on with an inpact will cause rotor warpage, chattering brakes, and a host of other brake and wheel problems.

Everyone wants to get it done fast. Hurry, the customer is waiting. Zip, zip, zip, you're done and gone. Loosen it by hand, then tighen it by hand. You have to have the "feel."

MisFit

[crrroger]

Just jambing them on with an inpact will cause rotor warpage, chattering brakes, and a host of other brake and wheel problems.

MisFit

I had wondered myself if this was a possibility. Thanks to both you and Hopland for confirming my suspicions.

I guess I have no other option but to continue with the plan to replace the front calipers, pads and hoses.

Don't know why I decided to have the tires rotated on a garage queen that only gets driven less than a thousand miles a year. Another example of "if it works....leave it alone".

Thanks to all for your ideas,

Roger

[Dave Shepherd]

Make sure there is no contaminated fluid in the master that would cause the seals to swell and lock up the brakes, especuially the mistaken use of p/s fluid, seen this a few times.

[Sweede64]

the age and miles hawe cougth up whit you, nothing the shop have done would cuse stuck calipers, i think its the Caliper Guide Bushing thats stuck, easy fix and change the fluid in the whole system.