*Emergency* Please tell me this isnt what i think it is...

[merryprankster]

i was driving and heard a clunk thunk bump.
i stopped the car, the brakes are really soft.
and heard this metal drop.
this is what i found.
PLEASE tell me this isnt a pad...
and what kind of damage has it done to my calipers, discs, etc...
!!!!!!
i heard the same noise today on the highway...
oh dear...

[plaaya69]

Yup that does look like a brake pad. The reason why your brakes got soft is probably once the pad fell out and all of the brake fluid went to the other 3 brake calipers, the brake caliper that this pad came from expanded so your brakes went back a little more than they usually would and they felt soft. I would inspect all of the other pand and replace them all. Also replece the brake lines because if they are original then they are probably old, hard, and could be starting to crack.

I know what was very scary for me was when I gotten to a fast food place in my 87 N/A and all you heard was a big pop. The brake pedal droped to the floor and I had no brakes at all and i get out to look on the ground and I see a puddle of brake fluid. After that horrible night I replaced all of the brake lines with some good stanless steel brake lines(not cheap ones either) and I inspected all of my brakes because that feeling is very scary.

[merryprankster]

thanks. what are good brake line manuf. ?

[plaaya69]

The thing is that with SS brake lines you have to buy the right kind because if you dont then they wont last. The brands that I would look for are either a set of OEM brake lines or if you go with some SS lines go with Earl's or goodridge because if you get some cheap ss lines you will get dirt between the metal and it will wear faster and get dirty and make sure that the ss lines have somesort of protective coating on the outside.

--Here is some info on the Earl's ss brake lines--

Serious race car owners have used flexible brake hoses of extruded Teflon™ for decades. They are protected against abrasion and swelling by a sheath of tightly braided stainless steel wire. The resistance to “lineswell” both improves the firmnessor “feel” of the brake pedal and reduces the time required for effective pressure to reach the brakes and begin to slow the car. Equally important in street vehicles, improvement in pedal firmness and feel make brake modulation easier and more efficient—right up to the time that the anti–lock brake system is actuated. The familiar brake pedal “thump” of anti–lock brake systems is significantly reduced. The decreased system reaction time reduces stopping
distance in emergency situations—as much as 18 feet at 80 miles per hour.
The Teflon™/stainless steel brake hoses have not been available for legal use on street driven vehicles until recently. All safety–related components on street vehicles must meet stringent requirements and tests set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The most demanding test for brake hoses is the “whip test,” designed to simulate the continuous flexing of the hoses during suspension and steering movement. Until Earl's developed and patented their exclusive “whip dampener,” Teflon™/stainless steel hoses were not able to pass this extremely rigorous test. The D.O.T. does not “approve” any products. It calls out specifications and test procedures that the components must meet. The manufacturers then self–certify that they are in compliance. The D.O.T. may randomly require that components be tested by an independent certified laboratory selected by the D.O.T.