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Locked up the brakes

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Old 11-22-2006, 03:48 PM
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Locked up the brakes

OK so I had to run to Walmart today and of course the traffic was bad. I was driving on the interstate and when I was coming home I had to lock up my brakes. Its was one of those everyone was cruising and then as the brakes started coming on the reaction time got slower and slower the further back you are so when I noticed it was time to put on my brakes I really had to slam them and ended up stopping about 2" from the car in front of me and the guy behind me luckily went off the road so he could avoid slamming into the back on me. It really was a close one and seeing how I havent even made my 1st payment yet I would of been really mad if I already got into an accident.

Now it seems the brakes are squeeking a little. Do yall think thats just because there may be some brake dust causing it.
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Old 11-22-2006, 03:52 PM
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Exclamation

Is there any pulse along with the squeak? Whether there is or not, you may have just glazed them a little bit with the panic stop. If you let the car rest overnight, it might stop the squeak.

Speaking from experience, I heated up my brakes during our summer road trip because I was unfamiliar with how to drive downhill on mountain grades. By the time we hit Silverthorn, Colorado, my brakes were pulsing so hard it was making the entire car shake and groan every time I hit the brakes. I tried to be gentle on them in the hotel parking lot, let the car rest overnight, and by the next morning the brakes had cooled off enough that there was no more pulse. I was really scared that I'd warped the rotors, but not forcing any more driving than I needed to do that night probably saved them.
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Old 11-22-2006, 03:52 PM
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If you truly locked the brakes and the car slid/skidded for any distance, then you should check your tires for flat spotting. If you flat spotted your tires, it's time for new ones. No way around it I'm afraid.
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Old 11-22-2006, 03:57 PM
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I did leave a couple tire tracks but I dont think it was hard enough to bare the tires in any spots. I think it might of just heated up the brakes a little bit. I guess I will just let them rest over night and cool down...

On the positive my kids I think just learned the importance of seat belts. Thats the first time we ever had a close call.
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Old 11-22-2006, 04:03 PM
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this is the kind of situation that I'm sure the ABS brakes of the 2LT would have come in handy. Much better panic-stopping distance and with ABS im pretty sure you would never "flat spot" your tires b/c of the pulsing of the ABS.
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