i broke a TOYOTA?!

[Sniffs]

I was heading into town to get an anniversary present. halfway down a road towards a bank, all of a sudden...NO BRAKES! i had to crawl up a curb to get stopped.

Ironicly, I broke down in front of the new Toyota/Scion and Hyundai dealerships! the thing went right in the shop

long story short, a bracket welded to my rear end broke off at the weld. my rear brake lines just happened to be attached to it (as was a tense suspension component), and it snapped like a twig.

oh, i will be providing pics of this. I feel like a moron, but I didn't really DO anything.

 

[V1P3R]

That's gotta suck.

Sound like a freak accident? Is it an old car?

 

[Jim Prower]

SCARY!!! My brother had the same thing happen on his '88 Celebrity just recently...glad we got that sorted out.

What model Toyota? Not exactly familiar with your cars.

 

[V1P3R]

Oh great... my car is an '88.

 

[Jim Prower]

I think his issue was a brake line that was rubbing on something. It had been self-maintained by the previous owner, so it may not have been completely Chevrolet's fault.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

In other news, I know someone who's recent model Corolla had something snap to do with battery connections (can't remember what), and so he couldn't start the car meaning he missed work for the day. I told you all Toyotas aren't as great as you think, but noooo.

 

[V1P3R]

and how do you know it wasn't his dumbass fault because he didn't take care of his car...? Hmmm... yeah

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

and how do you know it wasn't his dumbass fault because he didn't take care of his car...? Hmmm... yeah

Hmm, OK, because it's not something he would have touched, it's a Corolla and he's a Ford fan so obviously it's not his sports car he flaws everywhere, and he works asa parts inetrpreter around mechanics all day so he's not domb regarding cars. And it would still be under warranty, Toyota have screwed up, it just snapped all on its own, cheap Toyota.

 

[Duke]

I was heading into town to get an anniversary present. halfway down a road towards a bank, all of a sudden...NO BRAKES! i had to crawl up a curb to get stopped.

Are you kidding? My old early-'80s Supra broke itself all the damn time. It was the worst-engineered piece of crap I've ever owned. Not the worst car, but the most marginally engineered. By the time I got rid of it I doubt it had any back brakes at all (they were virtually impossible to replace), it wouldn't go into 1st gear below 50 degrees, and it had been through 3 head gaskets, 2 cracked heads... and a second engine!

 

[Omnis]

Did you at least have your handbrake? That sounds scary as hell, dude.

 

[Sniffs]

it's a 90 4Runner SR5 v6 4wd

Prower: WHO are you talking about?
Vip3r: you don't mess with WELDS, dude.
Duke: this was no engine component! my 3VZE is leaking oil like a sieve, and still running

nope...not even the parking break! i damn near ripped the parking pawl off my tranny.

it wasn't that expensive, even considering the labor (2.1 hrs, 117 bucks). the brake lines were pre-bent metal.
add to scary...I didn't know they went out till a guy in front of me stopped to turn into a credit union. i woulda smeared him all over the road, anyway...I think it was an Aveo in front of me.

 

[Thirdeye]

Was it any fault of rust, or just a bad weld?

 

[Sniffs]

more like old age. they showed me, at the dealership, the break off. the only rust I saw was the surface stuff on the metal. the welds looked pretty thin, anyway.

 

[V1P3R]

Old age...? mines an '88. xD

 

[Sniffs]

but do you bash and batter yours trying to get up and down logging roads, with trenches sculpted by log trucks carrying a full load of red-oak the size of a jacked up truck's tire, crawl in 4lo into a former deepmine coal pit to retrieve a jacket, wade through axle deep mud trying to get crews to work, or even home; cross country through bumper high snowdrifts in a driveway that was JUST PLOWED that morning?

this is why I threw out the blazer still pictured in my icon.

 

[V1P3R]

No, but for a car I don't baby it around here. It's hit many of potholes and contruction areas where I though I broke "something" after hearing a loud thud...

 

[nissan tuner]

Are you kidding? My old early-'80s Supra broke itself all the damn time. It was the worst-engineered piece of crap I've ever owned. Not the worst car, but the most marginally engineered. By the time I got rid of it I doubt it had any back brakes at all (they were virtually impossible to replace), it wouldn't go into 1st gear below 50 degrees, and it had been through 3 head gaskets, 2 cracked heads... and a second engine!

thats a 7M-GE for you

 

[Sniffs]

update:

what is it with Toyota and cheap wiring? I went to go change a supposedly blown taillight, and noticed that the wiring harness has been hacked about. probably by the same kid who did a crap mod poser job on this vehicle. on top of that, the spade contact inside the connection clip had rotted away. had the same problem with my first toyota, except that was a side marker, and, now that i can afford it, would have been an easy fix. this one isn't. I need the whole harness for the passenger TL bucket.
and before you ask. no, there isn't a single junkyard around here that carries anything older than a 98 or 99 wrecker. most guys simply remove the wheels around here, and cube vehicles without stripping for any parts.

 

[V1P3R]

I gotta say yah, in the wiring lights department Toyota seems to suck... I've played with the wires in my car but there has also been weird stuff like the 3rd brake light working or not working or melting. I remember when the mid '90s corolla 4dr. came out and pretty much all the ones that I saw had at least one tail light out.

 

[Duke]

Hey, it could be a 1985-1995 Audi. I recall seeing those with 90-day tags still on them and the taillights were FUBARed electrically.

 

[V1P3R]

This gen...

 

[Sniffs]

heh. looks like the back end of a mid ninties escort, too

now that it's finally cleared up, I'll get to those pics. we had to change computers, which means I had to reinstall EVERYTHING.

edit: I have officially hit Platinum level! go me!

 

[Sniffs]

okay.

today, i FINALLY changed my own brakes...with help for a noob
this should NOT have taken 4 HOURS. ever had to beat your wheels off your axles?
the right side was easy enough, but holy CRAP was the left tight. it took hours of wacking with a hand sledge to get the wheel off, then my watcher ended up having to do most of the work. nearly everything was seized hard (including the damn wheel) is that normal with a lot of brakedust?

 

[Sniffs]

okay, I'm poking this awake for a reason.

I went for an inspection, and for the third year in a row I was refused a look untill front suspension components were replaced! it's not the parts cost, it watching my step father try to figure out how to get them back on again. (pros grumble if they have to do something with an OLD car, nowadays)

the choking and Gagging problem has had a double resolve
1. the air cleaner tubing had been removed to install a new alternator...it was put back on in a pinched state, and was letting too much air in
2. the positive battery terminal was about to fall off, and also had to be replaced

the taillight is back in business, having been rewired. it had a bad bulb as well *rolls eyes*

the weld that was repaired back in May broke off when I had the vehicle aligned.

and now there's a CV joint out, fortunately, it's only active during 4wd use

we 're now contemplating putting a Chevy Blazer back together. we'll have a look and make sure it IS the cam, if it is...

 

[xXSilencerXx]

That sucks, glad you didn't crash cuz of it.