Good friends, Thank you.

[cal]

Cracker and James, you F'n ROCK.


I drove my jeep to work Friday morning, in preparation for a weekend of wheeling. Not too far from my office, my front left caliper locked up and I had to fight my way off of the highway and be towed home. Some shopping around, I found new front calipers affordable.

Put new front calipers/pads on Friday evening, pedal goes to the floor and brakes don't stop. Went to sleep. Got up Saturday morning, re-bled front/rear, still no good brakes. Maybe my expedition rear calipers are causing issues (brakes weren't good before that), came up with some explorer calipers and pads, re-bled system. Still, to the floor and now the brake warning light comes on. Called around, got a new master cylinder (WJ). Installed, re-bled system. Its yet again, even worse. Cracker comes running up with some flare wrenches, we run to PAP and he pulls a new prop valve for me. We come home, I'm .. I'm done. I'm frustrated, angry, hundreds of dollars into a quick repair that keeps getting worse, super duty sitting in the driveway with an empty trailer and the rock-garden event has long since started. I'm cursing, throwing wrenches and ready to sell my jeep.

F'n Avery and James send me in the house for cold beer and even now are outside wrenching on my junk for me. I *EXPECT* everyone involved in a group to do whatever is necessary to get someone off of the trail, but sitting at home in the driveway my junk is my problem.

Thank you guys.

;)

-C

[jjmat3]

Stupid Jeep!

Very cool friends! Cheers!

[HaleYes]

Sounds like a couple of reach-arounds is in order.

:cheers:

[cracker]

Sounds like a couple of reach-arounds is in order.

:cheers:

Well there is three of us so a baby elephant walk is what I was hoping for.........














:D

[djblade311]

Cal, I remember getting frustrated with the good ole days of installing an ez locker in my carrier finding that I didnt have an open carrier. I was getting pissed and you had a laid back approach of ("it will work out"). Good friends do indeed help a friend in need.

thumbs up to Avery and James

[markw]

If it makes any difference, I installed 2 water pumps Saturday morning. :( First one I picked up had the flange pressed on too far and the pully hit the casting. I blame Charles, because he told me I should start Friday in case anything goes wrong... :) Got it together and made it to the Rock Garden on time. So did you get the brakes fixed? Last talked to MikeG on 2 meters as he was heading north on the 215 to Big Bear around 11pm. Have fun on the trail...

[cal]

If it makes any difference, I installed 2 water pumps Saturday morning. :( First one I picked up had the flange pressed on too far and the pully hit the casting. I blame Charles, because he told me I should start Friday in case anything goes wrong... :) Got it together and made it to the Rock Garden on time. So did you get the brakes fixed? Last talked to MikeG on 2 meters as he was heading north on the 215 to Big Bear around 11pm. Have fun on the trail...

meh, not so much on the fixed. we wrenched until 1am sunday, loaded the rig on the trailer with "so-so" brakes by 'my' standards and wheeled the living shit out of holcomb creek. trailered it home tonight, and the entire brake system is coming out of the XJ again for a retardedly complete inspection.

I (we!) replaced:

Front calipers/pads
Rear calipers/pads
Master cylinder
Prop valve
half the brake lines
bled 7! times (thats a lot of f'n brake fluid)

No one had a booster in stock, special order. I want to check a couple other brake lines too. Something is "way wrong", and its starting to piss me off. Pedal hits the floor, and i slow to a casual stop. Sometimes the front left caliper drags, sometimes it doesn't. who knows.

Holcomb, for those of you that care, is in really really bad shape. Its unlikely to be open for the next year or two, and I feel very special to have been invited to run it.

Thank you Greg Hoffman!

[Leep]

meh, not so much on the fixed. we wrenched until 1am sunday, loaded the rig on the trailer with "so-so" brakes by 'my' standards and wheeled the living shit out of holcomb creek. trailered it home tonight, and the entire brake system is coming out of the XJ again for a retardedly complete inspection.

I (we!) replaced:

Front calipers/pads
Rear calipers/pads
Master cylinder
Prop valve
half the brake lines
bled 7! times (thats a lot of f'n brake fluid)

No one had a booster in stock, special order. I want to check a couple other brake lines too. Something is "way wrong", and its starting to piss me off. Pedal hits the floor, and i slow to a casual stop. Sometimes the front left caliper drags, sometimes it doesn't. who knows.

Holcomb, for those of you that care, is in really really bad shape. Its unlikely to be open for the next year or two, and I feel very special to have been invited to run it.

Thank you Greg Hoffman!

Cal, double check the master again. I have had them bad right out of the box. Sluggish pedal or slow float to the floor. What kind of pressure are you getting at the rear brakes ? Another test bleed spot is the t-fitting on the top of the rear axle. You should have relatively good pressure there, a good starting point for the rear too.

Just my .02 cents

Leep

[RobertF]

The way you described your original problem as the left front caliper locking, and after replacing it, still having it drag some times, change out the left front brake hose. If you don't have a replacement hose, swap the fronts, left to right, right to left, and see if the right front starts dragging. I've had many a brake hose kinked or swelled up inside, working like a check valve, doing what you're describing, lousy brakes, then sticking on, but seeming to work fine while bleeding the system (you're hitting higher preasures bleeding than you are driving, making the hose flow) Also can't tell you how many "new" master cylinders have been bad out of the box, in my years of automotive repair, or the push rod length from booster to master being different. Never the less, master cylinder or not, the left front sticking still after caliper replacement isn't right. You would think if only one front brake was working, you would feel it, but I've found the strength of a 4x4 front end and steering masks the feedback and pull that a car would have, and all you feel is lousy brakes (unless the road is wet and you realize only one front wheel is locking!) remember your front brakes are like 80% of your stopping power.

[karstic]

Where's the pics from Holcomb?

[cal]

The way you described your original problem as the left front caliper locking, and after replacing it, still having it drag some times, change out the left front brake hose. If you don't have a replacement hose, swap the fronts, left to right, right to left, and see if the right front starts dragging. I've had many a brake hose kinked or swelled up inside, working like a check valve, doing what you're describing, lousy brakes, then sticking on, but seeming to work fine while bleeding the system (you're hitting higher preasures bleeding than you are driving, making the hose flow) Also can't tell you how many "new" master cylinders have been bad out of the box, in my years of automotive repair, or the push rod length from booster to master being different. Never the less, master cylinder or not, the left front sticking still after caliper replacement isn't right. You would think if only one front brake was working, you would feel it, but I've found the strength of a 4x4 front end and steering masks the feedback and pull that a car would have, and all you feel is lousy brakes (unless the road is wet and you realize only one front wheel is locking!) remember your front brakes are like 80% of your stopping power.


Your front brakes are closer to about 70% if you set your brakes up right. I havent replaced the line yet because my brake lines are special order, but like the booster, they are on order.

[cal]

Where's the pics from Holcomb?

I didn't take any, I was busy spotting rigs, wrenching on a big green bronco or strapping it off of the trail ;)

[karstic]

I didn't take any, I was busy spotting rigs, wrenching on a big green bronco or strapping it off of the trail ;)

Yeah I got the story.

[cal]

Yeah I got the story.

He's a good driver. That was a tough bit of trail to do in two wheel drive with no rear brakes. ;)

[TOny J R]

He's a good driver. That was a tough bit of trail to do in two wheel drive with no rear brakes. ;)

Cal

Without your spotting, I would still be out on the trail sitting on a rock!! :thumbup: You were able to get me through what should not have been done with the BrokenBronco as it was!!! I will post pics when I get home tonight. Karen took quite a few as your rig was comung up the garden.

Again, thanks to you and your dad for the help back down and out!!!

Tony and Karen
(karstic's little big brother)

[mikedashg]

Where's the pics from Holcomb?

I've filled a 4GB card with pictures and video. I've got issues (Cal knows), so don't expect them anytime soon. But I'll post it up when the time comes.

[cal]

I've got issues (Cal knows),

No my friend, you have subscriptions.

[mikedashg]

Cal

Without your spotting, I would still be out on the trail sitting on a rock!! :thumbup: You were able to get me through what should not have been done with the BrokenBronco as it was!!! I will post pics when I get home tonight. Karen took quite a few as your rig was comung up the garden.

Again, thanks to you and your dad for the help back down and out!!!

Tony and Karen
(karstic's little big brother)

Oh, I didn't know you were Karstic's brother. No wonder! Just kidding.

Yeah, Cal deserves a thank you for sure. He did some acrobatic spotting there between his dad and you coming back through the rock garden. Cal's got mad spotting skills spotting two rigs at once while the one in front is strapped the one in back (even with my heckling) "they looks good, they're done, just let em drive it" :twak:

[mikedashg]

No my friend, you have subscriptions.

That makes you editor in chief.

[hellbilly04]

Cal, You will pretty much drop everything & anything your doing to bail or help another member-friend out. I have seen it first hand many many times. All I can say is TruckHaven ;)

[tcm glx]

Cal, You will pretty much drop everything & anything your doing to bail or help another member-friend out. I have seen it first hand many many times. All I can say is TruckHaven ;)

I can vouch for that Cal...if you hadnt saved some hellbillys a$$ in truckhaven, I wouldnt have had a place to sleep, and Jim would not have banged the crap out of his rocker panels!!

You da man, but you were missed at the garden,..

[TOny J R]

Some photos. Again a HUGE thanks to Cal!!!
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657346/fullsize/dsc_0176.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657275/fullsize/dsc_0240.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657288/fullsize/dsc_0242.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657301/fullsize/dsc_0244.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657278/fullsize/dsc_0252.jpg
The brake failure
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657280/fullsize/dsc_0280.jpg
Solving all the problems!
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657281/fullsize/dsc_0351.jpg
The end of the run
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657309/fullsize/dsc_0358.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657310/fullsize/dsc_0359.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657311/fullsize/dsc_0360.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657312/fullsize/dsc_0363.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657313/fullsize/dsc_0364.jpg



What was left of the rear brake. Nothing was left attached to the backing plate. When I removed the drum, it fell to the ground
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657299/fullsize/dsc_0366.jpg
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/657300/fullsize/dsc_0367.jpg

[cal]

1) WOW. I've never seen brakes go like that!

2) Nice pics! Considering just how devastated that place is, it looks really pretty there.

[TOny J R]

The rest of the pics
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/564665661YDshBb

[gerroffroad.com]

Cal, Avery and a hand full of other folks on here are what I like about wheeling and a prime example of what being a good friend is all about.