R50/53 Can I Remove brake pads until I get home?
#1
Can I Remove brake pads until I get home?
I'm 1500 miles from home towing my 2004 (standard brakes) behind my RV on a dolly; rear wheels on pavement. I accidentally left the parking brake on a tiny bit and burned up the left brake pad. The cylinder must have overheated too and won't entirely release. I'm heading home but will need to use the Mini a bit on the way. I can't stand the grinding sound!!
Can I just remove the pads and piston until I get home to fix it? I know I won't have complete braking but I don't anyway, all I have is screeching metal on metal.
Can I just remove the pads and piston until I get home to fix it? I know I won't have complete braking but I don't anyway, all I have is screeching metal on metal.
Last edited by Tinklespout; 09-04-2015 at 11:03 AM.
#3
NO...with the pad off, the "puck" or cylinder that pushes the pad will push out against the rotor..leaking, possibly falling out....causing the loss of fluid and your brakes...
It is fairly common that the calipers seize internally...fix is a rebuilt/replacement caliper, new pads, and most likely a new set of rotors if the old ones got grooved from the stuck pad.
It is fairly common that the calipers seize internally...fix is a rebuilt/replacement caliper, new pads, and most likely a new set of rotors if the old ones got grooved from the stuck pad.
#4
#5
Your options IMO are tow the car home, fix it, or drive it a TINY bit, dealing with the sound and the danger of bad brakes...
Have you played with the parking brake cable? They rust and seize...so sometimes the cable can be the issue also.
#6
I hope you know if you loose the fluid you loose all the brakes, not just the one.
Live with the screeching or fix it right, Unless of course you'd like to be immortalized here.. http://www.darwinawards.com/
Live with the screeching or fix it right, Unless of course you'd like to be immortalized here.. http://www.darwinawards.com/
#7
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#8
Heed Zippys words - you are toying with other people's lives too and you are 100% knowingly drive a car that is messed up....
#10
OVERDRIVE
iTrader: (1)
I'm 1500 miles from home towing my 2004 (standard brakes) behind my RV on a dolly; rear wheels on pavement. I accidentally left the parking brake on a tiny bit and burned up the left brake pad. The cylinder must have overheated too and won't entirely release. I'm heading home but will need to use the Mini a bit on the way. I can't stand the grinding sound!!
Can I just remove the pads and piston until I get home to fix it? I know I won't have complete braking but I don't anyway, all I have is screeching metal on metal.
Can I just remove the pads and piston until I get home to fix it? I know I won't have complete braking but I don't anyway, all I have is screeching metal on metal.
Let us know how you make out.
#11
I am in a remote area of NM. Using my 40 foot class A RV is not an option. It took a long time to get where I am and the RV will not be able to get where I want to go while I am in this wilderness location.
I was hoping to communicate with someone with technical knowledge of the brake system. I already know the importance of brakes.
My question again is: does the piston come to a fully extended position and stop? Or does it simply extend and just fall out? I can't imagine it would simply fall out and let all the brake fluid out.
There must be someone on the site who knows the answer to my question.
Thanks.
Kim
I was hoping to communicate with someone with technical knowledge of the brake system. I already know the importance of brakes.
My question again is: does the piston come to a fully extended position and stop? Or does it simply extend and just fall out? I can't imagine it would simply fall out and let all the brake fluid out.
There must be someone on the site who knows the answer to my question.
Thanks.
Kim
#12
I was able to get the piston back in but as it is designed to do; it just worked its way back out again.
Kim
#13
OVERDRIVE
iTrader: (1)
It sounds like you have had the caliper off the rotor. So you have the ability to make the repair yourself. You just need pads. Check to see if there is a NAPA store or the like in the area. They should have rear pads. If not, see if someone like Way Motors will overnight a set. Yes, I know this is a holiday. Last resort, see if there is someone who knows someone in that local area who has a MINI and might have a set; used would be fine.
Sorry I don't have any better suggestions. But please don't drive the car without the brakes installed.
#14
I am in a remote area of NM. Using my 40 foot class A RV is not an option. It took a long time to get where I am and the RV will not be able to get where I want to go while I am in this wilderness location.
I was hoping to communicate with someone with technical knowledge of the brake system. I already know the importance of brakes.
My question again is: does the piston come to a fully extended position and stop? Or does it simply extend and just fall out? I can't imagine it would simply fall out and let all the brake fluid out.
There must be someone on the site who knows the answer to my question.
Thanks.
Kim
I was hoping to communicate with someone with technical knowledge of the brake system. I already know the importance of brakes.
My question again is: does the piston come to a fully extended position and stop? Or does it simply extend and just fall out? I can't imagine it would simply fall out and let all the brake fluid out.
There must be someone on the site who knows the answer to my question.
Thanks.
Kim
http://www.specr53.com/blog/2015/01/...r-rebuild-diy/
#15
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Kim
You have fix it before you drive it. There is no safe way around it. When we were racing we had shut off valves to each wheel (open wheel dirt car) so we could shut of the brakes to one wheel if the brake line got damaged in and pile up. We also could shut off the Rt front brake on some tracks to help make the car turn.
For you own safety bite the bullet and fix or have it fixed. It is to bad you are out in the middle of nowhere USA but drive back to a nearby City or Town and get proper help.
Tom
You have fix it before you drive it. There is no safe way around it. When we were racing we had shut off valves to each wheel (open wheel dirt car) so we could shut of the brakes to one wheel if the brake line got damaged in and pile up. We also could shut off the Rt front brake on some tracks to help make the car turn.
For you own safety bite the bullet and fix or have it fixed. It is to bad you are out in the middle of nowhere USA but drive back to a nearby City or Town and get proper help.
Tom
#16
It will simply extend enough to fall out, that is they way they are designed (almost all disc brakes). Here is a link to a rebuild so your aware of how everything goes together, the pads and rotor are what stop it from extending to far BTW.
http://www.specr53.com/blog/2015/01/...r-rebuild-diy/
http://www.specr53.com/blog/2015/01/...r-rebuild-diy/
If your caliper piston has popped out of the caliper after you removed it, (did you step on the brake pedal with the caliper off the rotor?), then yes, you will have air in the system, and you will either have severely reduced functionality of the entire braking system, or NO braking in the car at all. Depends on how much air got in the system. Another possibility if you are in truly remote and dire circumstances might be to drive the car very slowly maybe in first or second gear, and use the (still connected) emergency brake lever to slow and stop the car as needed. This could be risky, but I have done it when I was a kid and lost service brakes in the car I was driving. would I do that today? Would depend on my circumstances.
If your problem is a seized caliper,....and you want to attempt to drive the car with that caliper off (assuming dire circumstances) you would at least need to put something between the brake pads that is the same thickness as your brak rotor,..so that the pads and pistons in that caliper do not pop out releasing brake fluid and allowing air into the brake system. If you attempt to drive the car like this, keep in mind that only having one rear brake could cause the car to want to go sideways every time you apply the brakes,.....dont know for certain, but I assume this is at least a strong possibility, and would again recommend keeping the car in first gear and speeds at say something like 20 mph. My disclaimer,.....I have not attempted any of these in a Mini Cooper, and have no idea how any of these suggestions could impact the cars stability and the safety of yourself, and any other occupants,...and certainly the safety of occupants of cars around you. So, I do NOT receommend you try any of these. Just trying to assist, if your circumstances call for desperate measures.
Last edited by wildwestrider; 09-06-2015 at 11:21 AM.
#17
NO...with the pad off, the "puck" or cylinder that pushes the pad will push out against the rotor..leaking, possibly falling out....causing the loss of fluid and your brakes...
It is fairly common that the calipers seize internally...fix is a rebuilt/replacement caliper, new pads, and most likely a new set of rotors if the old ones got grooved from the stuck pad.
It is fairly common that the calipers seize internally...fix is a rebuilt/replacement caliper, new pads, and most likely a new set of rotors if the old ones got grooved from the stuck pad.
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