Wallace
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- Messages
- 7,705
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex, England.
I felt compelled to update this, even though this comes under "stupidest thing you've ever done on a car"...
Changed the clutch on my little yaris the other week, when putting it all back together it was raining and I was short on time, everything works fine but there's been a clunking noise every time I hit a bump ever since then. Put it down to a worn bushing and thought I'd look at it when I had time.
A thousand miles later and the noise is getting worse, and is noticeable when braking too...
Finally jacked the thing up today and had a look. One of the caliper bolts is gone. Missing. Vanished.
I'm sure I remember putting it back in so maybe I forgot to torque it. Or the bolt-fairy has been round in the night. Amazingly it hasn't done any damage apart from a witness mark where the caliper has clattered into the wheel rim a few times, and the brakes have been working fine New bolt sourced from Toyota, should be fine.
Still... inexcusable mistake. Could have killed someone, or myself. I've done stupid things before but that takes the biscuit, I've been getting quite good at spannering lately and I guess I got overconfident, or just forgetful.
Lucky, top or bottom bolt? A friend had the bottom bolt drop out on an Opel Manta and the caliper pivoted out on the top bolt and went through the alloy wheel. Instant lock up and tyre deflation at 60mph across the opposite lane onto the verge, luckily nothing coming the other way.