Brake Problem

[kimbill]

The Ghia just came out of a six month storage. The brakes seemed to be dragging, but soon eased up, but pulled severely.  Soon after, there was a heavy clunking sound from the left front wheel (this is a Ghia, so the fronts are discs).  The clunk kept "beat" with the tire rotation.  Limped a half mile home, and the rim was hot, and a little smoke...... What do you think I'll find when my son, and I, open her up?

Bill

[volkenstein]

Bill,
     I think you'll find a seized caliper piston/rock hard seal and that disc *may* be thinner than the other one now.

Volkenstein

[Dave]

And i'm guessing the beating clunk may be corrosion on the outer edge of the disk catching on the caliper.

[68autobug]

The Ghia just came out of a six month storage. The brakes seemed to be dragging, but soon eased up, but pulled severely.  Soon after, there was a heavy clunking sound from the left front wheel (this is a Ghia, so the fronts are discs).  The clunk kept "beat" with the tire rotation.  Limped a half mile home, and the rim was hot, and a little smoke...... What do you think I'll find when my son, and I, open her up?

Bill

Hi Bill
disc brakes have residual pressure to keep the pads just touching the discs.
this used to be advertised in the 60s as self cleaning and self adjusting brakes.. lol
after some rainy weather and I don't drive My beetle for a week or two..  I can hear the rust on the disc being scraped off by the pads and they also squeal loudly when the brakes are applied when driving around town..  but I believe You have a seized brake caliper..  Hence the hot brakes and the pulling... maybe the caliper seized the last time the brakes were applied.. so its really applying some pressure to the disc..
You can buy repair kits or maybe replacing both discs and calipers etc... ]and new pads]
cheers

Lee in Australia  [all autostick beetles sold in Australia had disc brakes.]

actually all 1500 and 1600 beetles sold in Australia had front disc brakes..  Lee