Safe way to move car with one brake calliper missing?
Discussion
I recently decided to change the disks and pads on the back of my megane.
Found out one of the callipers wasn't in great shape. Rubber dust cover was broken. And it wouldn't wind back in. So I popped out the piston and had a look. All looks okay - but rubber washer isn't in great condition either. So I ordered a rebuild kit and am waiting on it. Disk is on. Calliper carrier is on. Hell even the pads are in place. I just need to rebuild the calliper and put it back on.
However, we have got an email from letting agent saying I can't work on my car in front of the garage. They were apologetic and said we were not to know but that a member of the committee has complained and I can't be working there. I don't want to get into the rights and the wrongs of this. I did have to use a blowtorch to get the calliper bolts off and I guess that isn't popular around my way.
So I need to move my car to get the calliper back on. I don't want to pay someone to tow it. And have access to private industrial grounds about a mile away.
Is there anyway to move a car with one rear calliper safely? If not I'll risk the rath and do it really quietly early AM when the complainer is not around. I won't/can't work here anymore - which is a shame as I wanted to change the clutch as I reckon the pressure plate is not great causing a hard clutch peddle. Garage is too small to really work in. I can just get the car in - but can't work on brakes in there etc.
Found out one of the callipers wasn't in great shape. Rubber dust cover was broken. And it wouldn't wind back in. So I popped out the piston and had a look. All looks okay - but rubber washer isn't in great condition either. So I ordered a rebuild kit and am waiting on it. Disk is on. Calliper carrier is on. Hell even the pads are in place. I just need to rebuild the calliper and put it back on.
However, we have got an email from letting agent saying I can't work on my car in front of the garage. They were apologetic and said we were not to know but that a member of the committee has complained and I can't be working there. I don't want to get into the rights and the wrongs of this. I did have to use a blowtorch to get the calliper bolts off and I guess that isn't popular around my way.
So I need to move my car to get the calliper back on. I don't want to pay someone to tow it. And have access to private industrial grounds about a mile away.
Is there anyway to move a car with one rear calliper safely? If not I'll risk the rath and do it really quietly early AM when the complainer is not around. I won't/can't work here anymore - which is a shame as I wanted to change the clutch as I reckon the pressure plate is not great causing a hard clutch peddle. Garage is too small to really work in. I can just get the car in - but can't work on brakes in there etc.
Just buy a plug/cap & blank off the end of the hose.
The rears do little in an emergency anyway but you will need to bleed them first, so may well incur further wrath anyway.
I would just have a word & be apologetic & explain that the car isn't safe to move & get it done & not again.
You have probably escaped a bullet with not being able to do the clutch yourself anyway they are a right mare apparently.
The rears do little in an emergency anyway but you will need to bleed them first, so may well incur further wrath anyway.
I would just have a word & be apologetic & explain that the car isn't safe to move & get it done & not again.
You have probably escaped a bullet with not being able to do the clutch yourself anyway they are a right mare apparently.
If you can properly cap off the hydraulic hose that feeds the calliper that you have removed, then you could hypothetically drive the car with only three brakes. But in practical terms that may be difficult as you would need to bleed any air out of the capped off hose so the the rest of the braking system is unaffected. Also consideration of lack of a working handbrake and need to tie up the disconnected handbrake cable etc.
Maybe you could ask a burly security guard to help you push the car to a new location instead, perhaps the local supermarket car park....
Maybe you could ask a burly security guard to help you push the car to a new location instead, perhaps the local supermarket car park....
chrisch77 said:
If you can properly cap off the hydraulic hose that feeds the calliper that you have removed, then you could hypothetically drive the car with only three brakes. But in practical terms that may be difficult as you would need to bleed any air out of the capped off hose so the the rest of the braking system is unaffected. Also consideration of lack of a working handbrake and need to tie up the disconnected handbrake cable etc.
Maybe you could ask a burly security guard to help you push the car to a new location instead, perhaps the local supermarket car park....
I reckon I'll just jack it up, get the wheel off and throw the calliper on quickly then wheel back on and hope no one notices it. No axle stands etc. Then take it to the industrial area and torque it all properly and bleed the rears. Maybe you could ask a burly security guard to help you push the car to a new location instead, perhaps the local supermarket car park....
I can confirm that the local supermarket security guards are good at pushing stuff. But they have a lot on their plate working out who is stealing so I don't want to distract them from their primary job.
E-bmw said:
You have probably escaped a bullet with not being able to do the clutch yourself anyway they are a right mare apparently.
Actually getting the box out is meant to be easy. Even the clutch is fine. Bleeding it is meant to be the hardest part of the job. I think the clutch is fine. It's just the pressure plate which is stiff. It's a 12 year old low mileage car so I reckon rust. It's not a problem for me, but my partner won't drive it as it's not as smooth as her 18 plate vw (no s
t). It's one for the future. Seen LUK/Valeo 3 peice clutch kits for less than £90 online so don't want to pay hundreds for someone else to do it. In fairness - I can see why folks don't want to see my covered in oil with a blowtorch going at nuts in a communal space. And I do realize that it doesn't look great. But I enjoy it so will find a way to do it myself.
Driving it with U/S brakes could get you in a lot of trouble.
If you know anyone with an A-frame it would be possible to tow it if the wheel is on. The lack of brakes on the towed car would put you in questionable legal territory since I assume you'd be over the unbraked weight limit, but that was my self-recovery plan for a few years.
If the only work remaining to get it mobile is to mount the caliper and put the wheel back on, if that was me I'd just do it. I'd take the position that I was preparing the vehicle to be moved so that any further work can be completed elsewhere.
If you know anyone with an A-frame it would be possible to tow it if the wheel is on. The lack of brakes on the towed car would put you in questionable legal territory since I assume you'd be over the unbraked weight limit, but that was my self-recovery plan for a few years.
If the only work remaining to get it mobile is to mount the caliper and put the wheel back on, if that was me I'd just do it. I'd take the position that I was preparing the vehicle to be moved so that any further work can be completed elsewhere.
GreenV8S said:
Driving it with U/S brakes could get you in a lot of trouble.
If you know anyone with an A-frame it would be possible to tow it if the wheel is on. The lack of brakes on the towed car would put you in questionable legal territory since I assume you'd be over the unbraked weight limit, but that was my self-recovery plan for a few years.
If the only work remaining to get it mobile is to mount the caliper and put the wheel back on, if that was me I'd just do it. I'd take the position that I was preparing the vehicle to be moved so that any further work can be completed elsewhere.
This is what I'm going to do. I don't know anyone with a trailer or an a-frame. And I won't be paying to rent one when it's such a nothing amount of work left to do. If you know anyone with an A-frame it would be possible to tow it if the wheel is on. The lack of brakes on the towed car would put you in questionable legal territory since I assume you'd be over the unbraked weight limit, but that was my self-recovery plan for a few years.
If the only work remaining to get it mobile is to mount the caliper and put the wheel back on, if that was me I'd just do it. I'd take the position that I was preparing the vehicle to be moved so that any further work can be completed elsewhere.
The rear brakes are also the hub on the megane. Drivers side everything is done. Nearside I've put the disk/hub on and it's all torqued. I've put the carrier on etc. I've ben put the pads in the carrier. I just need to rebuild the calliper itself. Then put it on the car. Rebuilding might be a pain - but putting it on is just two bolts and should take 5 mins. I need to put the handbrake cable back on it but thats literally a few seconds work.
I can bleed it with the wheel back on. Not ideal but it will stop folks complaining. Once bled with brand new disks and pads all around, new cambelt and waterpump/coolant and even new drive belt it shouldn't need much doing for a while. It's had all new filters and spark plugs in the last 200 miles etc. So most stuff is done. I've even fixed the dodgy window that wouldn't go down and it's starting to feel like a semi decent car.
At some point I will do the clutch. Parts are cheap. It's just an annoying job to do really. I'm not looking forward to bleeding it. But as things stand it will be perfectly drivable for a good while. Ideally, i'd like to do a few bits of tinkering. But those will have to be done away from the flat/garage. I can have the MAF sensor off in the garage so that's okay. I want to clean it up and see if it's okay.
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