The TT is dead... again... brakes seized (no crash or anything)

[ncttrnl]

So obviously I'm not gonna make it to autocross this week but...

http://ncttrnl.com/albums/random/ttowed.jpeg

I just finished replacing my brake light switch, hopped in my car, and started driving home from my parents when the brakes felt a little wierd. Not like not stopping wierd but like not letting go wierd.

I got down the street and managed to get out of traffic and it was obvious they were seizing but not terribly bad yet. I flipped a u turn and drove back to my parents in the shoulder with the hazards on but it didn't make it. Eventually the rears started seizing badly and I had to stop to prevent damage to other components or even fire.

The brakes started smoking pretty bad in the rear and I had to have the car towed the 2 blocks back to my parents house.

So I dunno what to do at this point. When they started to sieze I figured I would just replace whatever caliper dies but it seems more than one of them siezed so I think it may have been my ABS module or brake booster or something. I haven't looked yet.

A couple questions for the gurus of the track and garage...

Are their decent aftermarket options for master cylinders, boosters, abs?
What kind of price is involved and what kind of labor?

At this point, its obvious NCTTRNL is no longer fit to be a street car so I am going to call my insurance agent about changing my coverage for the next year while I gut it and build it. I'm also going to go ahead and register it as an NPO.

[jr_scheiBe]

A sad day Tony .....:(


....but now you can build something that can rival Satan4's lil "go cart"

[quattrogirl]

OH God I'm sorry to read this! Glad you're ok tho and didn't have an accident.

Brakes hrmmm uh I know all about Stasis stuff, but that's it ....if you'd like to talk to them about your braking system hit me up an email & I'll make the introductions.

For the ABS unit, I'd go with the stock one from the stealer dealer. I just replaced mine. It was ugly. About a grand all up for part & labor. Do you have an independent person / mechanic who can order the parts under a wholesale account & pass the savings on to you?



Awww Tony c'mon autoX a rental car! :)

[mario]

sucks dude....hit me up via PM or email re:brembo...i might be able to help.

[SoCal_GLI]

come to the base when you get the parts, i'll help you put them on

[Fritz]

fuck man, you know i feel your pain.

[PDVR6]

Sell it and buy a rabbit or 2002....



...but seriously. If you are going to use the car on the race track, dont bother with the abs. Get better braking through more pistons, bigger rotors, and qaulity pads. But, ya dont have to take my word for it.

[chris]

Damn...sorry to hear the bad luck Tony...but glad there was no wreck or injury. You've been on a bad luck streak lately :(

[Paul]

He needs to make sure he throws in a brake bias controller/proportioning valve. The stock ABS controller is how Audi/VW controls bias today.

Sell it and buy a rabbit or 2002....

...but seriously. If you are going to use the car on the race track, dont bother with the abs. Get better braking through more pistons, bigger rotors, and qaulity pads. But, ya dont have to take my word for it.

[wikedgolf]

that blows.. but im glad ur ok! thats all that matters

[mitssn]

Crap man, I'm sorry to hear this... Sounds expensive. I have never heard of the brakes just seizing like this. Thats pretty freakin dangerous if you ask me. What if you were going like 70mph at the time?????

[Paul]

it happens all the time, i mean it's a small fraction of a percent of cars on the road, but it happens. Piston seizes up in the out position and well the rest is history.

Crap man, I'm sorry to hear this... Sounds expensive. I have never heard of the brakes just seizing like this. Thats pretty freakin dangerous if you ask me. What if you were going like 70mph at the time?????

[Paul]

The factory master/slave should be sufficient, you may want to check to see if there are larger OE master cyls if you plan on running multiple piston rear calipers as well. For example on the earlier B5 a4's you don't want to run front and rear BBK unless you are running the S4 master cyl. Not sure what's available for the MKIV/TT market that's OE. Also if you're not going to drive the TT on the street, you may not need to register it... that is if it's not going to be parked on the street at all. Just get it insured with some sort of racing insurance that covers theft, damage, etc during storage at home/storage location or at the track. (not crash damage, pit damage etc).




A couple questions for the gurus of the track and garage...

Are their decent aftermarket options for master cylinders, boosters, abs?
What kind of price is involved and what kind of labor?

At this point, its obvious NCTTRNL is no longer fit to be a street car so I am going to call my insurance agent about changing my coverage for the next year while I gut it and build it. I'm also going to go ahead and register it as an NPO.

[ncttrnl]

Thanks for the responses.

This happened on surface streets and basically the pistons weren't retracting letting go after stopping. It got worse and worse at each light and I went through three total before I decided to just get it towed. I wasn't going more than 20 once I noticed it. I was kinda hoping to just get the rears hot enough to fade because I still had some pedal feel but then it seemed like maybe more than one caliper was seized. Its hard to tell from inside the car what is wrong when you are more worried about the crazy east chula vista people in their SUVs hitting you.

Anyway...

I am leaning towards no ABS but I don't know if it will be more costly to do that or just replace the ABS system with OE. I'm hoping that its just a rear piston that seized up since they have that twisting caliper thing in them for the parking brake.

I will probably stick with willwood and I will be using an proportioning valve in the cabin mounted where my radio and A/C controls used to be.

If I do have to replace the master cylinder, I'll probably go wilwood there as well and run a remote resevoir setup for the clutch and brake cylinders.

I just feel very lucky that this happened on surface streets and not in rushour nail the gas and slam on the brakes traffic in the morning. Its a major annoyance and expense but at least thats all it is.

Whats funny is I'm looking at older Ghias/Healys/Minis right now for a daily but damn they are expensive right now. I'll be driving the truck for awhile.

[Tom (aka Godzilla)]

I think the interior of your car has a curse on it. You should remove it from the vehicle immediately and perform the welded-in roll cage exorcism to remove any remaining demons. :D

[boragirl]

bummer =( good luck with everything tony!!!

[mitssn]

I think the interior of your car has a curse on it. You should remove it from the vehicle immediately and perform the welded-in roll cage exorcism to remove any remaining demons. :D

:;poking with a stick;:

Tony aint got the balls to...

[Fritz]

Tony, i'm thinkin bout getting one of these replica 356's... yea


http://i3.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/5e/f9/1e_1_b.JPG

[wikedgolf]

theres a european auto dealer by my work that has all kinds of old and little euros..
they just got in an old mini!!!!

its super hot!!!

[909dub]

Are you sure it isn't as simple as an incorrectly installed brake light switch?

It may be more than a coincidence that this happened after you replaced the switch. You might not have released the mechanism, so now it is ratcheting down on the pedal. Those switches can be a little tricky to install.

I have only seen the brakes seize on an Audi once, and that was because the owner put PS fluid in the brake reservoir :rolleyes:

Before you throw any parts at it (expensive ones at that), double check your work under the dash ;)

[ncttrnl]

Are you sure it isn't as simple as an incorrectly installed brake light switch?

It may be more than a coincidence that this happened after you replaced the switch. You might not have released the mechanism, so now it is ratcheting down on the pedal. Those switches can be a little tricky to install.

I have only seen the brakes seize on an Audi once, and that was because the owner put PS fluid in the brake reservoir :rolleyes:

Before you throw any parts at it (expensive ones at that), double check your work under the dash ;)

The brake light switch literally clicks into place with a quarter turn and it has no real way it could cause this.

Simple would be a seized rear caliper in this case and thats what I'm hoping for but that would still mean new rotors and calipers in the rear.

[PDVR6]

http://www.aueer.d2hosting.com/images/misc%20photos%20001.jpg

356's are the bestest.

[ncttrnl]

http://www.aueer.d2hosting.com/images/misc%20photos%20001.jpg

356's are the bestest.

Thats hot!

Thats actually what I want but I'd have to find one that is original so I wouldn't have to worry about smog and I'd have to find one that needs work so that it would actually be affordable.

I keep tossing around the idea of shoehorning the motor and tranny out of the TT into an older car and then putting a VR into the TT but the welding and fabrication is a bit too intimidating for me at this point.

[Fritz]

i'm looking for an old fixer-upper, original would be nice.. but then i'd have to get rid of the TT.

[PDVR6]

Thats hot!

Thats actually what I want but I'd have to find one that is original so I wouldn't have to worry about smog and I'd have to find one that needs work so that it would actually be affordable.

I keep tossing around the idea of shoehorning the motor and tranny out of the TT into an older car and then putting a VR into the TT but the welding and fabrication is a bit too intimidating for me at this point.


That car actually is original, its a 1956 356 A that is rotting away in the garage until the 56 oval is complete. Real porsche's are made by hand. :D

[EDM]

I keep tossing around the idea of shoehorning the motor and tranny out of the TT into an older car and then putting a VR into the TT but the welding and fabrication is a bit too intimidating for me at this point.

Here (http://www.renegadehybrids.com/main.htm) is a site you might want to check out then. Check out this (http://www.renegadehybrids.com/turbo914/914subaru.html) 914 they built.

[Fritz]

... the more i think about it... i really want a 356. i'd give up my 04 TT for a 356-B roadster... in a heartbeat.

[Satan4]

If you find a good source for Willwood let me know, I would like to get a set for my Miata.

[LAZY TURBO]

damm that sucks, atleast nothing bad happend to u

[lostntainted]

Here (http://www.renegadehybrids.com/main.htm) is a site you might want to check out then. Check out this (http://www.renegadehybrids.com/turbo914/914subaru.html) 914 they built.

"no sex tonight honey, i've had my fill for the day" thanks for the nice video to watch... over and over and over and over.....:D

[mike]

Is that yours Pat? 356's are cool, just dont plan on going fast, turning or stopping. I forget for sure but I think only the 56 had the upside down rear license plate light. You know you should call me when you get ready to fix that, I have the factory manuals........................... got them out of Der bunker next to Ava Braun. I would cruise that thing as-is, I know a guy with a quad cam he'll sell you. sleeper, made 260 at the flywheel.

I cant wait untill my Carrera is done. I've got all the machining done, next is the assembly, then its off with the 915 for cryo treated gears and the ZF I'm going to bring up to 60%

[FINA4]

Good thing that you're OK. Speaking of, my car is at Hoen right now.

[TwentyValveB5]

wow, that sucks man... i liked your ride too... so what's on tap for the TT?

want to buy my 90 as a DD? :)

[SoCal_GLI]

there's a few 356s here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=59