A loose wheel and hair raising experience

OP: Welcome to Tacoma World Hope everything works out OK.

 

Loose rotor/rotors will slap against the pads pushing the pistons back inside the caliper bores. Then you will need push pedal aka master cylinder to advance the pistons against the pads to grab the rotor.

I see that a lot in my progression. Bicycle disk brake rotors that are “bent” do the exact same thing. Ya got to “pump the levers” to get the brakes to work.

 

Hyundai's. Yeah, the rotors went over the lugs, but it also had a few placeholder bolts that kept the rotors fastened to the hub. I guess I always assumed that those bolts would hold if the wheel was loose.

 

Honest question here, but wouldn't he have brakes on one side of the front still? I get the rears aren't doing much, but as a former driver of cars with wonky brakes, it seems to me that the vehicle would pull one way or the other when braking as opposed to no brakes.

Thanks.

 

The shop also needs to inspect the wheel for lug nut holes out of round or for any damage.

Suggest to replace all the lug studs on that hub, not just one........

 

German vehicles have a counter sunk bolt in the rotor, threaded into the hub to hold the rotor so you are not fighting the loose wheel, wheel bolt, and loose rotor to align with the hub.

 

Discs have to go over the studs or they wouldn't translate any brake torque to the wheel/tire.

Pad knockback isn't that uncommon when pushing hard on the track and makes perfect sense for a loose disc/wheel clamp up but what about the brakes locking up when pulling into the dealer? Still seems like some piece of the puzzle is missing.

 

I hope you documented all this with pictures and emails of appointment and get to a lawyer now dont let this slide

 

The net >
1. Get the stud replaced (I would have them replace all 5. Tell the tech that would be all fingers on one hands worth)
2. Get them to mark on receipt exactly what happened (future reference)
3. Get them to replace your shorts
4. Find a new dealership
5. At home re-torque and re-torque after a few hundred miles

 

I agree rotor wobbled and knocked the pad back. However OP should have still had a rear brake on that side and front brake on other side. It's 100% a horrible feeling to have the pedal go to the floor but should have still had 50% braking and after a few pumps back to normal. Well until the pad got knocked back again.

How old are the cars that they still have bearings in the rotor itself and need a castle nut?! Or are you saying the small shitty ones that just hold the rotor in place on the lug until you put the tire on to really clamp the rotor down with the tire?

IN my younger and dumber days I had to replace the heads on a 99 Cobra and that required removing the master cylinder (only other option was to pull the motor). Put it all back together but didn't have the tools to cycle the ABS pump to bleed the brakes. Drove like 7 miles with just the emergency brake to get it done.

 

Thanks everyone for the helpful (and even unhelpful) responses. In doing a little research on how common this might be, I came upon a court case here in Michigan. Same deal... lugnuts not tightened after routine service at the dealer. The consequences were more serious in this case. Initially, a lower court ruled that the dealer violated Michigan's Motor Vehicle and Service Repair Act. Later, a higher court overruled essentially arguing that the tire rotation was completed and tightening the lugnuts was really not part of the service! See here...https://www.odometer.com/car-care/2...n-does-not-include-tightening-lug-nuts--what/.

 

That jacked up interface between the wobbling disc that was not secured by the wheel bolts most likely triggered anti-lock braking

 

OP, the hand brake would have stopped you immediately. It's cable operated (doesn't go through the Master Cylinder at all) and goes direct to the brake shoes in your rear drums. Some call it an 'Emergency Brake' for just this reason.

 

Would've helped, certainly. But I dunno about immediately. Rear brakes don't have the same stopping power as front brakes. Still worth using, though.

 

Oh and a pack of new underwear for the near death experience. lol

 

Makes no sense does it ????? The rotor will not come off because the caliper would hold it in place. SOMETHING AINT RIGHT ???

 

Where did this happen in Michigan?

 

Tacomaworld,... Where to go for expert advise from those that know nothing and have no experience on said subject.

1. Loose wheel on this type rotor will push the pads away from the rotor. Causing more pedal travel when pressing brake pedal.
2. Only the front and rear brakes are independent. Left and right are not. So if you have no pressure in the LF, you also have no pressure in the right front until the pads on both sides are compressed against the rotors.
3. Op... Be sure the lug holes in the wheel did not get 'wallered' out from banging around on the studs. And since it's a hub centric wheel, be sure the center bore was also not damaged from slapping around on the hub.

 

You are correct to a point SIR, the brake system on all cars since [2000 I believe] are bi- directional. Meaning left front and right rear are together, etc ,to prevent what happened with a loose rotor. I could see a little pedal fade >> but no brakes

 

lol I'm glad I'm not the only one that immediately thought of Ron White's big ol' goddamn building when I read this original post.