[JoeD]

Ever since I had my '65 Thunderbird hardtop, I've had a problem with the front brakes wanting to stay applied. I'd have to actually pull up the brake pedal with my foot after a stop. In fact, it seems an enterprising mechanic who worked on the car some time before I bought it actually put a spring to pull up the brake pedal.

Last summer I had the brake rotors replaced because they were warped, and I decided to shell out the $$s for new rotors (it's not an inexpensive or easy job as the new rotors must be staked to the old hub, a task I wasn't up to doing myself).

To my pleasant surprise, the "self applying" brake problem completely went away! In hindsight, what was probably happening was the warped rotors would rub against the brake pads, even when the brakes were released. Because the calipers are a fixed design, my guess is they can't "float" to accomodate any excessive runout in the rotors, so the pads can't be moved back enoug to clear an excessively warped rotor. The friction heads up the fluid in the caliper, causing it to expand, pusing the pads against the rotor, causing more head and expandion, and well you get the idea.

It's so obvious in hindsight, but it didn't occur to me before. I know a few people on the forum have complained about this problem with '65 and '66 T-birds, so if your disc brake rotors have any warpage to them, it may pay to have the rotors machined or replaced to make sure they're perfectly flat.




Joe