72 Volkswagen Super Beetle
Asked by Teresa Nov 28, 2018 at 10:46 PM about the 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle
Question type: General
So I was getting my car towed home. We took the
dirt roads. It was kind of rough but not that bad.
We stopped right in front of my house and noticed
that 2 front tires were smoking. Then, none of the
wheels would move. What happened?
2 Answers
Hornet_2497 answered 6 years ago
It probably wasn't the tires smoking but rather it was the brakes dragging until they got hot and locked up. This vehicle has calipers on the front brakes and those cylinders get old, can seize up and not release the brake pads. You will have to do a complete brake job on both front wheels....calipers, rotors and pads. The new calipers will have to be bled. I think this is the vehicle for which I recommended a tune up and fuel filter before it leaves you by the road somewhere.
Yes and you were right on the dot about the tune up. She runs amazing now! But... the accelerator cable snapped so I needed a tow home. When I got home I got out to open the gate and the 2 front tires were smoking and then the car wouldn't move at all. I've been told I had to bleed the brakes before having this issue. Now the brakes are SOLID and the car moves just fine... I have no idea what happened.. it's always something with this car