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Leaking Brake Fluid From Behind Front Drivers-sive Wheel?


Crmsn_Ghost

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Let me preface this story by telling you guys that the front brake pads on my 745 were already grinding BEFORE I drove the car this morning... I know- STUPID. Welcome to my life.

Ha, so I had that little problem with the overdrive yesterday. Get up this morning, check the relay, change all the fuses... o/d problem is no more. "Sweet!" I say, "I'll go for a drive!" Get in the car, start it up, take it for a spin around the block. Engine is running and idling great, only problem is the grinding of the front pads every time I come to a stop.

Anyway, here's the good part. I turn back into my neighborhood (brakes probably sparking at this point), and go to stop at the stop sign at the end of my street. Give the brake a nice push at about 5mph... *POP/SNAP!* I hear a loud noise from somewhere near the front drivers-side wheel. Car keeps moving forward. At this point, I am literally fearing for my life. I'm ready to hop out the door and "ghost ride the whip" (so to speak) right into the lake in front of my house. I'm pressing on the brake pedal and all I'm getting is the *woosh* of hydraulics, while the pedal basically hits the floor. Downshift, e-brake, not so screeching halt. So I limp home, and give as good a look as I can without jacking up the car. I'm leaking brake fluid from somewhere right behind the front wheel. BUMMER.

Any advice/info other than "Take care of your brakes, stupid?"

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Let me preface this story by telling you guys that the front brake pads on my 745 were already grinding BEFORE I drove the car this morning... I know- STUPID. Welcome to my life.

Ha, so I had that little problem with the overdrive yesterday. Get up this morning, check the relay, change all the fuses... o/d problem is no more. "Sweet!" I say, "I'll go for a drive!" Get in the car, start it up, take it for a spin around the block. Engine is running and idling great, only problem is the grinding of the front pads every time I come to a stop.

Anyway, here's the good part. I turn back into my neighborhood (brakes probably sparking at this point), and go to stop at the stop sign at the end of my street. Give the brake a nice push at about 5mph... *POP/SNAP!* I hear a loud noise from somewhere near the front drivers-side wheel. Car keeps moving forward. At this point, I am literally fearing for my life. I'm ready to hop out the door and "ghost ride the whip" (so to speak) right into the lake in front of my house. I'm pressing on the brake pedal and all I'm getting is the *woosh* of hydraulics, while the pedal basically hits the floor. Downshift, e-brake, not so screeching halt. So I limp home, and give as good a look as I can without jacking up the car. I'm leaking brake fluid from somewhere right behind the front wheel. BUMMER.

Any advice/info other than "Take care of your brakes, stupid?"

If the brakes were grinding for awhile, chances are you popped the piston out of the caliper. The only limiter on how far the piston can travel is the brake pads. If you wear them, and the plate, down enough, you'll pop the piston out of the caliper and dump TONS of fluid.

Nick

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Good point↑‘

What is there to say? You might need a new brake line, might be the flexible hose that went, impossible to say without a first person inspection. If the hose has failed, you should consider replacing all of the flexible lines. If ordering new, and you go with stainless steel type, I'd recommend IPD over FCP, the quality is better.

I've driven on metal to metal brakes, it happens, sometime you just have to do what you have to do.

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If the brakes were grinding for awhile, chances are you popped the piston out of the caliper. The only limiter on how far the piston can travel is the brake pads. If you wear them, and the plate, down enough, you'll pop the piston out of the caliper and dump TONS of fluid.

Nick

Thanks, guys. Is it going to be a costly repair, or will I just be able to replace the pads and rotors (was going to do that anyway :embarrassed: ) and pop the piston back in the caliper?

Good point↑‘

What is there to say? You might need a new brake line, might be the flexible hose that went, impossible to say without a first person inspection. If the hose has failed, you should consider replacing all of the flexible lines. If ordering new, and you go with stainless steel type, I'd recommend IPD over FCP, the quality is better.

I've driven on metal to metal brakes, it happens, sometime you just have to do what you have to do.

Thanks, man. Guess I'm jacking it up and taking some wheels off tomorrow. Lesson learned.

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Whether you can just pop the piston back in or not is going to be a judgment call, and only a first person inspection will do. It's not entirely impossible that would be an option, but the odds are you may need to replace the caliper or at least buy a rebuild kit to get a new cylinder o-ring seal and dust boot.

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