I am not blaming GM for this specific case at all but here goes.

I took a trip to my parents house for spring break, to Ft Worth, TX. It is about 350 miles from my house down here. Now I recently had a brake job done, by a very reputable shop in town. I know all of the guys and trust their work, knowing the things I know. I had the car for two weeks before this week, so 3 all together. About 1/2 way to Dallas I hear a CLUNK...grind....CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK..all the way out of the back. I pulled over and inspected for damage, all I could guess is that I had run over something in the road, no big deal. 150 miles later, I am so close I can smell home, I exit off the highway and slow down and at 70 MPH, my brakes come apart. I pull it over immediately and see that my caliper bracket-spindle bolt had fallen out, at the 1/2 way point.

After a day of fighting I get a bolt put in there to get me by until the dealer gets my actual GM bolts in for me. Now what I noticed is that when that bolt comes out, it sounds IDENTICAL to the racket the cars make from the suspension problems. I mean exact.

Now, when I worked at XHP we used this particular parts house a lot for odds and ends like cam bolts of LSx timing covers, etc. So I trust these parts guy at the GM house. I order my bolts, and he says quote

"what happen did it just fall out?"
I said yes it did.
"That is VERY common on those cars, especially the early models"
Oh?
"Yep, since it is a bolt only and no nut holding it on, it backs itself off over time"

I noticed it sounded a lot like the suspension knocks everyone hears too

"Alot of times, that is what it is, that bolt is loose and the caliper is rattling around" "That is why you replace a bunch of crap, and it never gets fixed"

In conclusion: I fully understand that in this instance, it was the shop who did my brake job, fault. However, for a very knowledgeable parts man, who also knows what gets fixed most often, to tell me that...wow.

Just be sure and check those bolts people, because when that stuff comes apart at 70 mph, it isn't fun. I saved the car, myself, and others, someone else might not be so lucky.

 

Hmmm.... So what bolt is this? On the part the holds the caliper on? So, just make sure the caliper is on tight? I mean...that could have a lot to do with why the noise keeps coming back after I get parts replaced.... Haven't had the car out yet this year but it might be good to check or keep an eye on...

 

I couldn't get the picture, but turn your wheel ALL the way to one side. There is two bolts, top and bottom, on the bracket..those are the slide bolts. DIRECTLY below those and the bolt that holds the bracket to the "knuckle". Check those. Essentially what happens is the bracket and caliper can come off as one piece with these bolts removed.

 

Hmm... Like I said I'll have to check them out. Thanks! So I'm assuming it'd be a good thing to put a nut on there to hold it on?

 

You can't the bolt is flush, meaning it doesn't come through the other side. Blue loctite should take care of it. As a matter of fact, notice the GM guy said "especially on early model HHR's"

GM's miraculous fix to this problem was..the later models come equipped with....loctite.

 

Ah, gotchya!

 

Using Loctite on these bolts for ANY car is always a good idea.

 

Also, after having been a "parts guy" , I can tell you they are sometiimes more knowledgable about exactly what is causing a problem, just from their sales history. For instance, a customer complained that his Dodge Stratus' sterring was getting sloppy, I pulled out 2 tie-rod ends and put them on the counter. The originals were plastic and wore out quickly.

 

YOur referring to the bolts that hold the caliper on, or the bracket the caliper attaches to? Just trying to get a frame of referance.

 

Sounds like he's talking about the caliper bracket and it's bolt holding it on.

As we say in my garage where I work on motorcycles.

"Only loctite the bolts you DON'T want to loose."