My last post was removed because I named the installer of my new Harrop calipers on my VZ Ute. I had better not name him this time! I was driving along at 100kph the other day at 6am on an empty Old Coast Road south of Dawesville when the right front corner dropped on the ground. A big effort getting the ute onto a tilt tray and then up on my lift at my home workshop. On inspection I found the top caliper bolt missing. The caliper had then rotated on the lower bolt into the inner rim of the wheel. I heard nothing. When braking the caliper was being pushed hard onto the rim and basically rubbed it away. Even just the drag of the pads would hold the caliper against the rim. In any event the wheel locked without warning and broke apart the suspension, dropping the ute onto the ground. Imagine if that had been on a busy freeway at 100kph. On closer inspection the empty caliper hole had no Loctite visible and the sheared off lower bolt moved easily in its threads confirming no Loctite was used. So I visited the installer today who wanted nothing to do with the issue as. One of his mechanics said they don't use Loctite on caliper bolts. Imagine that, these most critical bolts for safety are just screwed in and obviously in this case were not torqued to the spec.
Am I right to get angry, as myself and others could have been killed? My plan is to get an expert mechanical report and using that report try and get some action from whomever controls the licenses to work on motor vehicles. Any recommendations or ideas people? My lawyer says nobody sues for $5k anymore but this isn't about the money. This workshop owner should be taken to account before he kills someone.
