Parking brakes just wrecked my day..

who8myrice · 03-03-2010, 06:21 PM

So were driving on the highway, hit a pothole and all the sudden theres an extremely loud noise coming from the rear-left wheel. We pull over, assuming its a flat tire, but nothing. The car seems to drive alright, but we decide to pull off the highway and take it to a service station just to be sure. Of course, on the way there it gets increasingly worse until finally theres a loud "thud," followed by the ABS and traction control warning lights on the dashboard.

Basically, the rear-left parking brake broke loose and started getting totally chewed up by the wheel/rotor. In the end, i need to replace both parking brakes, both back rotors, both brake pads (to keep thing even), and the rear-left axle. The reason the axle needs to be replaced is because when the parking brake broke loose, it scored the ABS notches on the axle.

However, a local mechanic thinks it "may" simply be the ABS sensor got destroyed, which is why the light came on. Is this a likely scenario? Id rather pay $50 for a new sensor than $328 for a new axle..

Has anyone ever heard of this happening before?

All in all, $1000 down the drain. Ironically, it has been looked at/inspected/serviced 3 times in the past year, and they still missed it.

Sorry that was so long... needed to vent

**Texas WJ** · 03-03-2010, 07:19 PM

I'd get a second opinion before dropping that much cash. How far is it to your local mechanic?

who8myrice · 03-03-2010, 07:27 PM

This is the second opinion, the first one came from the guy at Pep Boys who removed the parking brake so we could continue on our trip. The mechanic i plan on using is less than 5 minutes from my house, so its very convenient.

maxst2 · 03-03-2010, 07:52 PM

I'd bust some balls on those that inspected it and have them pay the bill.

**brutusjeep** · 03-03-2010, 09:38 PM

Wow, had no idea so much could happen from a parking brake. I know while going over a long stretch of "wash board" dirts roads I had one of the parking brakes pop off the rubber holder (not sure what it is called) and thrashed against my drive shaft for about a mile and a half last year. Luckily I had enough stuff in the truck to tie it back up and make it home. Zip ties now hold it firmly in place.

meep · 03-04-2010, 08:36 AM

do you mean the parking brake CABLE? The brake itself is inside the drum.

05WKinPA · 03-04-2010, 11:11 AM

I had something very similar happen to me about 2 months ago. Driving along, hit a bump and hear a loud screeching from my right rear wheel. I pull over on a very busy highway, but don't see anything obvious. Get back in and drive it on the shoulder to the next exit and then I hear a boom, and a loud thud, like something just let go and hit the bottom of the Jeep....no more noise. Took it to the shop and they said pieces of metal literally fell on the ground when they took the rear brake apart. Parking brake self destructed. They said it looked like I drove with the parking brake on...which I never did....it just basically seized up and finally broke entirely. 500.00 later I have my parking brake again.

maxst2 · 03-04-2010, 01:44 PM

rears are disc brakes

robpp · 03-04-2010, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxst2

rears are disc brakes

yes the rear brakes are discs,

BUT

the back side of the disc is machined into a DRUM. thats where the p brake shoes live.

maxst2 · 03-04-2010, 04:12 PM

oh snap really? I never really looked into it. That kinda an odd engineering bit i have to say so myself.

robpp · 03-04-2010, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxst2

oh snap really? I never really looked into it. That kinda an odd engineering bit i have to say so myself.

call it what you will......i just did rotors so I can assure you thats the way it is.

**brutusjeep** · 03-04-2010, 10:07 PM

Yes it was my CABLE that almost snapped. I guess I was lucky to not have it go the wrong way.

I think most newer vehicles have the "drum" parking brakes in the rear now. Subaru's are the same way.

maxst2 · 03-04-2010, 10:59 PM

fancy that...

rocks00tj · 03-06-2010, 07:21 AM

had similar problem with my parking brake.wife was to go on a day trip.i went to go to the car wash in the morning .put jeep in gear and BANG.i thought the axle snapped. no guts underneath so i tried again. grinding banging etc. turns out the springs that hold the shoes in the drum for the park brake just got tired from not being used and caused the shoes to flop around. $500 later. good thing it happened in the morning in my driveway and not at 110 km/h on the highway, or 2 hours away.

kw1984 · 03-09-2010, 06:50 PM

Well I am another one to add to the statistics... Maybe it's some sort of design fault that is going to become a common problem?

My Jeep was parked up for 2 weeks while I was on holiday.

When I returned, started her up, put in R to back off the drive and BANG. Gave it some gas and it wouldn't move. Put it in D, travelled about a foot and BANG, Jeep stops dead.

I did this a few times backwards and forwards and eventually backed the Jeep off the drive.

Now, I have no park brake. The lever pulls up about 2 feet and when I'm driving all off a sudden I get a load of rattling and then it dissapears.

God knows what damage is lurking inside the drums. I should really stop driving it.

It sounds the same as already said, that the shoes in the park brake have come off or been stuck on or something and have now disintegrated.

All happened on Sunday 7th March. A search came up with this thread.

Are these rear rotors/drums easy to get off so I can inspect the damage?

Thanks

03-03-2010, 07:27 PM	#3
who8myrice Registered User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 8 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	This is the second opinion, the first one came from the guy at Pep Boys who removed the parking brake so we could continue on our trip. The mechanic i plan on using is less than 5 minutes from my house, so its very convenient.