[falconey]

Took the car out a weekend ago and 1 mile from the house, I get to a stop sign and hear a clunk. Try to pull over, car won't move fwd. I am able to go in reverse with some resistance, but make it to the side of the road where I find a caliper through my wheel. That's where the fun began because then I had to get a wheel-locked car towed and dropped. In the process the brake line snapped.

Loved this car, but this was my knock out punch, lol.

[tlow98]

Did your caliper Cartier bolts just back out? Bummer of an issue!

[Diawal91]

Nice

[Antetokounmpo]

Caliper bolts sheared, probably were not torqued then backed out

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Someone actually posted the same thing on here a year or two ago...

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by falconey

... I get to a stop sign and hear a clunk. Try to pull over, car won't move fwd. I am able to go in reverse with some resistance, but make it to the side of the road where I find a caliper through my wheel. That's where the fun began because then I had to get a wheel-locked car towed and dropped. In the process the brake line snapped. Loved this car, but this was my knock out punch, lol. [Perhaps Wake-Up Call?]

Who was the "Genius" who changed the pads or rotor on that RR wheel last, & WHEN (HOPE it wasn't YOU)? It's NOT the car's fault that someone didn't put things back together or some tow operator (AND YOU) didn't recognize the fact that the caliper was caught in the road wheel.

Of COURSE it ripped the brake line loose. That and the RR Pad Wear Sensor wiring were the only things attached to the caliper that were still connected to the car. Didn't you hear a squeal or grinding from the RR when you came to a stop? The Drilled & Slotted "Boutique" rotor has rings/ grooves in it near the outer edge.

Thank your "Lucky Stars" that you weren't doing 80+ when it came loose. You might consider "adjusting" your concept of auto maintenance, and take it seriously. As a piece of machinery that can kill you and other people if NOT properly maintained or worked on by people who know what they are doing and take the time to do it right.

George

[Persian Whisperjet]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Who was the "Genius" who changed the pads or rotor on that RR wheel last, & WHEN (HOPE it wasn't YOU)?

You might consider "adjusting" your concept of auto maintenance, and take it seriously.

George

George makes an interesting point. After years of reading this forum I have *yet* to come across an example of someone muffing a repair!

[falconey]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Who was the "Genius" who changed the pads or rotor on that RR wheel last, & WHEN (HOPE it wasn't YOU)? It's NOT the car's fault that someone didn't put things back together or some tow operator (AND YOU) didn't recognize the fact that the caliper was caught in the road wheel.

Of COURSE it ripped the brake line loose. That and the RR Pad Wear Sensor wiring were the only things attached to the caliper that were still connected to the car. Didn't you hear a squeal or grinding from the RR when you came to a stop? The Drilled & Slotted "Boutique" rotor has rings/ grooves in it near the outer edge.

Thank your "Lucky Stars" that you weren't doing 80+ when it came loose. You might consider "adjusting" your concept of auto maintenance, and take it seriously. As a piece of machinery that can kill you and other people if NOT properly maintained or worked on by people who know what they are doing and take the time to do it right.

George

I'm a grown man and not here for a lecture, lol. I was just sharing my story. BTW I was the genius that changed the pads. I've done over 50 brake jobs in my life and I've done it 4 times on my 335i. I changed the pads and rotors in December and I take it very seriously. I obviously made a mistake or my torque wrench is fawked. I'm sure you walk through your life of perfection looking down at others, but I get quite a bit right in my life including auto maintenance. Maybe not this time and if so, God is watching over me because He saved my bacon.

The tow guy and me realized the wheel was stuck due to caliper and brake line. There was no squealing until after the clunk. The clunk was the caliper going through the wheel. I was on the side of a busy road with part of my car stuck out on the road and the back half on a decline, plus my car is lowered. The amount of crap I'd have to go through to get the car out without damage was just not worth it.


Anyways the really shatty part of this, is the car has been riding sooooo good. I've been wanting update my weekend car to an IS so this will probably push me to do that.

[nerovega]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Who was the "Genius" who changed the pads or rotor on that RR wheel last, & WHEN (HOPE it wasn't YOU)? It's NOT the car's fault that someone didn't put things back together or some tow operator (AND YOU) didn't recognize the fact that the caliper was caught in the road wheel.

Of COURSE it ripped the brake line loose. That and the RR Pad Wear Sensor wiring were the only things attached to the caliper that were still connected to the car. Didn't you hear a squeal or grinding from the RR when you came to a stop? The Drilled & Slotted "Boutique" rotor has rings/ grooves in it near the outer edge.

Thank your "Lucky Stars" that you weren't doing 80+ when it came loose. You might consider "adjusting" your concept of auto maintenance, and take it seriously. As a piece of machinery that can kill you and other people if NOT properly maintained or worked on by people who know what they are doing and take the time to do it right.

George

Bro gtfoh with this "condescending i put quotations around everything" attitude. Shit is so annoying. You sound like a classic bimmer snob. Giving us a bad name homie

Sorry to hear about you problem OP.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by falconey

I'm a grown man and not here for a lecture, lol. I was just sharing my story. BTW I was the genius that changed the pads. I've done over 50 brake jobs in my life and I've done it 4 times on my 335i. I changed the pads and rotors in December and I take it very seriously. I obviously made a mistake or my torque wrench is fawked. I'm sure you walk through your life of perfection looking down at others, but I get quite a bit right in my life including auto maintenance. Maybe not this time and if so, God is watching over me because He saved my bacon.

The tow guy and me realized the wheel was stuck due to caliper and brake line. There was no squealing until after the clunk. The clunk was the caliper going through the wheel. I was on the side of a busy road with part of my car stuck out on the road and the back half on a decline, plus my car is lowered. The amount of crap I'd have to go through to get the car out without damage was just not worth it.


Anyways the really shatty part of this, is the car has been riding sooooo good. I've been wanting update my weekend car to an IS so this will probably push me to do that.

I have to come to George's defense. Losing a brake caliper in this manner can only look like an error in the reassembly of the brake. The torque on the cage bolts is around 50 pounds or less (rear brake) going from memory. Even without a torque wrench, an experienced hand would know what the nearly correct tightness was. Either the bolts were not tightened at all (left finger tight), or the bolts were far over torqued, stretched beyond their yeild strength and eventually failed.

Getting rid of the car based on poor craftsmanship with a brake job seems a bit silly and really just an excuse.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Who was the "Genius" who changed the pads or rotor on that RR wheel last, & WHEN (HOPE it wasn't YOU)? It's NOT the car's fault that someone didn't put things back together or some tow operator (AND YOU) didn't recognize the fact that the caliper was caught in the road wheel.

Of COURSE it ripped the brake line loose. That and the RR Pad Wear Sensor wiring were the only things attached to the caliper that were still connected to the car. Didn't you hear a squeal or grinding from the RR when you came to a stop? The Drilled & Slotted "Boutique" rotor has rings/ grooves in it near the outer edge.

Thank your "Lucky Stars" that you weren't doing 80+ when it came loose. You might consider "adjusting" your concept of auto maintenance, and take it seriously. As a piece of machinery that can kill you and other people if NOT properly maintained or worked on by people who know what they are doing and take the time to do it right.

George

+1

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by falconey

... BTW I was the genius that changed the pads. I've done over 50 brake jobs in my life and I've done it 4 times on my 335i. I changed the pads and rotors in December and I take it very seriously.

Thanks for providing the background. I apologize for ASSuming that you were a young guy who didn't pay attention to mechanical details, and that someone else had done the work. We ALL make mistakes, and sometimes fasteners fail even when NO mistakes were made. NO Lecture intended -- just offering a different perspective which apparently was inapplicable to YOUR situation.

My selfish purpose for following Forums is to LEARN something about my car. So for "Lessons Learned" purposes, I wonder if you can offer any insight as to HOW or WHY the caliper came loose?

Have you had a chance to determine WHY the caliper came loose?
Did BOTH guide pin bolts fall out or is ONE or both broken -- if just one broken & still in caliper, which one (top or bottom)?
Did you notice any "Clunk" when slowly moving forward or backing, as in parking?
Was there ANY unusual sound or braking action at all before the last stop?

Thanks for any insight you can provide. Please accept my apologies and condolences.

George

[MadJoe]

I've had something go through a rim before, but not like that!

Mine was I hit something on the highway at zero dark thirty in the morning and it practically lifted the whole damned car off the ground (I know the entire passenger side came up because the back tire didn't hit it). A mile or so down the road I get the "low tire" indication on the dashboard (thankfully that was when I still had run flats). I never expected the rim to be destroyed, but it was. Just not that bad!

[falconey]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Thanks for providing the background. I apologize for ASSuming that you were a young guy who didn't pay attention to mechanical details, and that someone else had done the work. We ALL make mistakes, and sometimes fasteners fail even when NO mistakes were made. NO Lecture intended -- just offering a different perspective which apparently was inapplicable to YOUR situation.

My selfish purpose for following Forums is to LEARN something about my car. So for "Lessons Learned" purposes, I wonder if you can offer any insight as to HOW or WHY the caliper came loose?

Have you had a chance to determine WHY the caliper came loose?
Did BOTH guide pin bolts fall out or is ONE or both broken -- if just one broken & still in caliper, which one (top or bottom)?
Did you notice any "Clunk" when slowly moving forward or backing, as in parking?
Was there ANY unusual sound or braking action at all before the last stop?

Thanks for any insight you can provide. Please accept my apologies and condolences.

George

Thanks for the apology George. We're all good. The weekend this happened I was in the midst of refreshing my kitchen and cabinets with all new paint and besides that I was so disgusted I didn't even want to acknowledge the issue. We were getting rain so I put on a spare wheel and lowered the car. I'll prolly jack it up over the weekend and reassess the damage. There was a huge chunk out of the brake pad. The pin bolts seemed to still be in the caliper. I didn't check the bracket bolts yet to see if one may have just snapped.

To the other poster about how I tighten. I'm a pretty good gauge on torquing down brake components and I typically finish off with a torque wrench. I also test my vehicle afterwards. Purchased a brake package on black Friday, installed shortly after receiving. have been driving problem/noise free since this incident. The obvious culprit is me, but I may never know the reason. I know this will make me over the top safe going forward and I think I'm already pretty thorough.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by MadJoe

I've had something go through a rim before, but not like that! ...

I had NOT seen the Right Side of the photo until you posted the above, and I wondered HOW you knew what his rim looked like. I had NOT scrolled the oversized photo to see the wheel with caliper AND CARRIER embedded in wheel rim.

I had ASSumed from OP's text that the caliper guide pin bolts came loose.
THAT is the entire carrier coming loose (the Guide Pins are still holding the caliper to the CARRIER). WHEN was the CARRIER ever removed, by WHOM & WHY? When the discs were changed? Were New Bolts used, or at least proper application of Loctite?

BEFORE selling that car to someone else, CHECK/REPLACE ALL CARRIER BOLTS.

Here is RealOEM diagram of system:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=34_1476

Here are TIS Procedure for Removing & Installing Brake Discs, and the Instructions for NEW BOLTS and Torque Spec:
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...brakes/GR2uYhS
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...brakes/5VxrBpt

NOTE: Replace self-locking or microencapsulated screws; Torque 110 Nm

THAT is frightening.

George

[Captain Buumer]

I know a guy who can weld that rim.

The caliper bolts we just tighten as hard as possible but not so hard that the tools break. I think the bolt snapped for unknown reasons so it's unfortunate.

[falconey]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

I had NOT seen the Right Side of the photo until you posted the above, and I wondered HOW you knew what his rim looked like. I had NOT scrolled the oversized photo to see the wheel with caliper AND CARRIER embedded in wheel rim.

I had ASSumed from OP's text that the caliper guide pin bolts came loose.
THAT is the entire carrier coming loose (the Guide Pins are still holding the caliper to the CARRIER). WHEN was the CARRIER ever removed, by WHOM & WHY? When the discs were changed? Were New Bolts used, or at least proper application of Loctite?

BEFORE selling that car to someone else, CHECK/REPLACE ALL CARRIER BOLTS.

Here is RealOEM diagram of system:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=34_1476

Here are TIS Procedure for Removing & Installing Brake Discs, and the Instructions for NEW BOLTS and Torque Spec:
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...brakes/GR2uYhS
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...brakes/5VxrBpt

NOTE: Replace self-locking or microencapsulated screws; Torque 110 Nm

THAT is frightening.

George

If I don't feel up to repairing the car I'm going to junk it or sale it for parts. I'm not going to sale something that isn't safe.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by falconey

If I don't feel up to repairing the car I'm going to junk it or sale it for parts. I'm not going to sale something that isn't safe.

The car needs a new wheel, caliper, caliper carrier, bolts and guide pins, pads, brake hose, brake flush, maybe a new rotor, or a light resurfacing, and proper reassembly of the components. You are going junk it? Really?

By the pic, you are mostly already halfway through the rebuild. ASSuming the hub is not damaged.

[ZGator]

Do you even have to remove the caliper carrier (and bolts) to remove the Rear Rotor/Disc? I honestly can't remember and if so, I certainly never replaced the bolts.

[feuer]

It doesn’t mater whether you have done 5 or 50 or 500, what matters is to have done it correctly.

[213e90n51]

Originally Posted by Captain Buumer

I know a guy who can weld that rim.

The caliper bolts we just tighten as hard as possible but not so hard that the tools break. I think the bolt snapped for unknown reasons so it's unfortunate.

I had a miata with a rim that was welded from my friends brother, came right of and broke in half on a big street. I was legit 3 wheeling in a turn and scraped the whole rotor and caliper dislocated. Shocks and mounts were fine.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ZGator

Do you even have to remove the caliper carrier (and bolts) to remove the Rear Rotor/Disc? I honestly can't remember and if so, I certainly never replaced the bolts.

Yes, the carrier has to be removed. I've never replaced the bolts. Just use Loc-Tight Blue