Holy Floating Calipers!!!!!!

[rovering]

I purchased my 2001 SE7 Disco with 49K miles. I had since added 3K miles. Today as I was tooling around a local road I noticed a harsh grating sound coming from my left front wheel area and decided to do a detail investigation. I pulled over into the nearest parking lot and started a visual inspection. I noticed that the inside of the rim was scored all the way around. I figured that maybe a stone was caught up between the backing plate and the rim as had happened a couple of times with my Bimmer. I removed the road-wheel to get out any caught up foreign object, and noticed to my alarm that as there was significant play with the caliper. I tugged on the damn thing and it came off into my hand!!!! The caliper i.e.!!! The two bolts that were supposed to bolt it to the backing plate were missing!!! Hence the grating noise was the caliper gouging a channel into the rim.
I immediately thought back to those rainy nights that I traversed “Alligator Alley” at a 100 miles an hour with this caliper simply help in place simply because the road-wheel was on…..sure as heck gives a new meaning to the term “floating caliper”!!!!
Anyway I figured since it got me 3K miles in this condition it would take me 4 miles more ….to home. I bolted the wheel back on …..tightly!!!…. and headed home… and quietly gave thanks to the divine power that kept the wheel from falling off, and the brake system for still working under those conditions. I also Thanked Land Rover for over engineering this particular part, over coming the ignorance of even the most primitive of mechanics or those who practice the trade with the blasé attitude of counting marbles.
Home work: Check other front wheel to see if the work of this inattentive mechanic was duplicated.
Happy and safe Rovering to all.

 

[joey]

That would have to stink finding that out on the side of the road.... I think I would be going to the offending mechanic and have them buy you a new rim...

Unless of course you are the mechanic, then I would buy myself another drink.

 

[rovering]

The Landy was purchased with the bolts missing. I dont know who the "madcanic" was. After I called the seller and raised hell he was apologetic and offered some token trinkets as compensation. He was far enough away for me to justify not paying him a visit. He said the truck was serviced at the dealership. I dont disbelieve that...as they dont always have the most qualified people. I have serviced my own BMWs simply because I have gotten too much bad work from some of these people. It is totally pointless taking your vehicle to have it worked on, only to end up double checking the work that was performed. Anyway the wheel is still in great condition. I will have it rebalanced just to make sure it is still running true.
On a more positive note I just received my Brush Bar, plastic headlight protectors and rear light protectors. I will tackle that ask tomorrow eve and post anything I think may be of worthiness.

 

[joey]

Well I am just glad to hear that all has worked out well. And I agree with taking things to people you don't trust. I only have one person work on things if I don't have the time, and I trust him. He may not know alot about Rovers, but he makes sure it works.

 

[rovering]

fallout from loose caliper

Thanks for the concern Joey. On another note it appears that the wheel has now developed a hum coming from the tire. Thankfully not from the wheel bearing. These are new treads "Winston Winner 165/70/16". I am going to rotate tires front to back and rebalance all. The weights are currently placed on the lip of the rim. That may be ok for steel wheels but not for mags. I imagine the right shop should be able to tape/paste the weight on the inner rim surface. And so it goes.

 

[joey]

ouch sorry to hear about the weights on the lip of the rim, that will gouge and tear up the alloy real fast.

Hope it works out.