Hello all! Just yesterday I returned home from a trip to Florida bringing back a friend. He was forced to leave his 172 here while the hurricanes were passing through and ride the bus to Florida (YUCK!). Anyway we decided to refuel at Dillon SC. The wind had shifted and I landed a bit long but no big deal. I applied the brakes and they were their usual Goodyear stiff but worked. It was when the ag plane taxied out of the tall grass on the opposite end that the classic "deer in the headlights" look crossed my face. I applied more pressure to the master cylinder than ever before and instead of smoking the tires or giving me more brake it seems the right side stopped working and the left became marginal. This shoots me straight off the runway like being broadsided between 2 parked 172's (looked intentional they said) and then a cross between a spin out and ground loop leaving me nose first about 3 feet from one of those Ag tanks they use to refill the spraying planes. The Ag pilot runs over apologizing profusely then asking why I ran off the runway when I had room to stop (he was at the very end). Told him I did not know what had happened. The brakes went soft on the left and gone on the right. He took one look and said "Da#ned goodyears, you should throw them as far as you can" Anyway we spent an hour bleeding and flushing to no avail. The right side looks good just wont grab. The left side disk has chipped corners where the teeth or cogs extend on both the inside and outside and it appears to be starting to chew up the cogged drum it rides inside. oh yes it is now missing one clip and pin also. I looked in Skyport and the almost one grand they ask to convert to Cleveland brakes is not too pretty as an alternative and besides I had no problem with the ones I am using up till now. For those of you with experience on the matter where should I go from here? I have two other Ercoupes I can remove the brakes from but they both fly (this one is my favorite) I am going to the Athens fly in so if anybody has any ideas (or parts etc) come on down. (I could use the advice/help)
Thanks in advance! Claude Wheelbarger six-two-zero (W13) Waynesboro, Va.
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