Brake Failure -- near catastrophe

[fixbone]

The rod connecting the brake pedal to the rear assempbly attaches with a cotter pin and secured with a ring.

The ring was never placed on my assembly. The rod slipped off while driving -- the pedal is then no longer connected and swings like a free pendelum to the floor. No braking whatsoever. Fortunately, I was driving slowly. I had just been driving fast and would have crashed.

I have had the car for two weeks and this was a real scare.

The local dodge viper mechanic believes the retaining ring weas never placed.

You should all check this out becasue the brakes feel normal until the connecting rod suddenly slips off.

I may not be exact with the terminology but the rod connects the brake pedal arm to the assembly portion visible on the floorboard.


Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Steve-Indy]

Glad you're OK.

What year is the Viper?

 

[fixbone]

2005. Copperhead. New.

 

[Volltage]

I to have had my share of problems mostly because of no lock tite. i.e. 2 belts a cam sensor and a rear end all in 5 weeks.

 

[wormdoggy]

Correct me if I am wrong but can't they trace the defects directly back to each worker on the vehicle. Since each Viper is hand assembled I am sure they would like to know which workers are not meeting quality control standards. I would report it to DC.

Just a thought!.
Cheers
Patrick

 

[98MODMTR]

2005. Copperhead. New.

That's making a statement!

 

[SRTRICKY]

OUCH


Glad to hear your okay though!

 

[GTS Dean]

Yet another sign of the Viper becoming "just another Detroit car."

 

[edretti]

YIKES! Glad your ok.

 

[gthomas]

No braking whatsoever. Fortunately, I was driving slowly. I had just been driving fast and would have crashed.

I have had the car for two weeks and this was a real scare.

As a joke I would stop cars with the parking brake after I turned 16, and would show friends, and show off my skill.
It came in handy one time when the enire braking system failed on a friends car while I was driving.

 

[Topawam]

Must definitly report to DC.
Action must be taken before something serious happen.
Glad you're Ok.

 

[fixbone]

How to I notify DC? The service manager said he would, too, but I think I should as well.

 

[Mach10]

Wow. Glad to see your ok fixbone!!!! Thats something you should definetly take up with DC like the previous threads mention. I too, just bought a 05' Copperhead and its in the shop for a airbag light staying on. Thanks for the update.. I will have them check out that section of the brake system while its in there.....

Who knows, maybe if you push a little with DC, maybe they will give you a brand new 06' Viper Coupe as an apology

 

[sween]

i would definitely report that to DC. glad your ok

 

[DEVILDOG]

Who knows, maybe if you push a little with DC, maybe they will give you a brand new 06' Viper Coupe as an apology

Yeah, maybe the build quality of the first year SRT Coupe will be better.
Glad no one got hurt or killed...including others on the road.
At this point after all the problems I've read about on this forum I finally have to say that SRT build quality *****!
DC has destroyed the Viper. Thank God I decided to keep my American (pre-DC) GTS.

 

[Sleeper]

At this point after all the problems I've read about on this forum I finally have to say that SRT build quality *****!
DC has destroyed the Viper.

In addition to my own anticipation, I am certain I speak for most of the readers on this forum who have anxiously awaited your final disposition in regard to our cars. Once again your brave and forthright conclusions put everything into keen perspective. I thank you therefore not only in behalf of myself, but also for countless SRT owners who find themselves quietly dealing with the shame of their purchase. We will doubtlessly continue to reap the benefits of your poignant and pithy insights!

DEVILDOG rocks!!!
DEVILDOG you are the man!!!

TD

 

[Sleeper]

DEVILDOG you have such a huge red spoiler, its TOTALLY AWESOME!

Where did you get it? Will it fit on my SRT 10? Thanks for your insights.

TD

 

[DEVILDOG]

At this point after all the problems I've read about on this forum I finally have to say that SRT build quality *****!
DC has destroyed the Viper.

In addition to my own anticipation, I am certain I speak for most of the readers on this forum who have anxiously awaited your final disposition in regard to our cars. Once again your brave and forthright conclusions put everything into keen perspective. I thank you therefore not only in behalf of myself, but also for countless SRT owners who find themselves quietly dealing with the shame of their purchase. We will doubtlessly continue to reap the benefits of your poignant and pithy insights!

DEVILDOG rocks!!!
DEVILDOG you are the man!!!

TD

RIGHT ON...THANKS!!!

 

[DEVILDOG]

DEVILDOG you have such a huge red spoiler, its TOTALLY AWESOME!

Where did you get it? Will it fit on my SRT 10? Thanks for your insights.

TD

Yeah, just like the commemorative edition GT2. The GTS actually has a stellar race history. The SRT none...nada. Sorry, your SRT is not a street race car, therefor, no wing for you. The rear end of your SRT is meant to hold golf clubs. Also, you may want to consider a chrome luggage rack.

 

[Skip White]

We must remember the Viper is a very low production car. Human error is inevitable, but that is a pretty big error.

Just like the harmonic balancer that wiped out many engines. We all really need to check this out on our cars.

It was a post like this that saved my engine, on the balancer issue, now this post may save our life.

Sudden brake failure can catch us off guard, in a time of need, and don't think that e-brake or gearing down is going to do much for you, as the rear is only 15-20% of our stoping power.

I don't know what I'd do beyond gearing down, and the e-brake. I guess steer my way out of it.

Glad you and the car are all right.

Never do you hear of a brake pedal rod, or linkage failure on any car ever made.

Devil dog, come on now, you know the GTS had it's share of problems. The SRT is nearly 100% different, as far as mechanical parts, and they really have had very few problems. Really the SRT is not to bad, but then again I've been lucky. The differential has been really bad for many, but this just makes it all the more reason to put the Quaffie setup in the car. The 4X4 stance the car has, makes good enough reason to put a set of Motons on the car.

If the oem clutch were any better we would for sure have a problem come super charger time. The oem clutch is so weak, your going to upgrade it to a stage 2 at least.

If the wheels and tire were slightly better, there would be little reason to go all the way, HRE's, SSR Comps, and whatever that sharp looking wheel VD has.

That crappy roll bar, forces us to buy one that is superior to a decent factory bar.

and that 205+ temp is just enough to push us all to some sort of ultimate cooling mod. Our cars will be more than perfect in the end, as a result of being somewhat faulty in the begining.

anyone ever look at it like that.

 

[DSR207]

Nicely put Skip, but you forgot to say : I still love this car

 

[Skip White]

Oh, sorry, I do love the car. Why else would a guy put up with all this, and can't wait to buy another one.

SRT's are great, and all Viper's for that matter

 

[Skip White]

Devil Dog, I can understand you liking the GTS with it's bulbous curves,(Mae West), and it's nostalgic,(outdated) look, not to mention it's well recognized,(common) appearance.

So unlike the SRT as it's oppisite to the above in every way. And we havent even started on the performance side yet, couple that with the fact, many people don't even know what an SRT is, except they like it very much.

Of course the later GTS never had to many problems, as it was an inovation of many models before it.

 

[Jay Herbert]

Glad to hear you are OK, loosing brakes is scary, happened to me one in my Triumph many moons ago.

...Never do you hear of a brake pedal rod, or linkage failure on any car ever made.....

This is a picture of me putting one back together that fell apart in a car I was riding in, can't blame this one on the factory though, the person had just had someone install one of Sean Roe's brake links. Brakes are serious business, if you do work on them, remember the risks:

 

[Mach10]

[quote
DC has destroyed the Viper. Thank God I decided to keep my American (pre-DC) GTS.


[/QUOTE]

That may be so to some degree but a viper is a viper. Some may have more problems (quality oriented)then others: with their SRT, RT-10, Porsche or even Corvette. Face it, pretty much any car out there will have its little discrepancies but the bottom line is that we love them and further more, we love to drive them. It's a passion and a way of life........

 

[Sleeper]

Dr. Fixbone,
Sorry for the delayed response, but I do appreciate your alert to this (potential) brake pedal issue. I will check this as soon as possible, inasmuch as I am also the lucky owner of the Copperhead edition of the Viper (#1 of 300!). We should be diligent in resolving the question of whether or not an issue exists in regard to brake pedal design/construction. My car is currently in the hospital (8 hours from here) for some minor orthopaedic interventions, so I have not been able to investigate the concern raised by this thread. I thank you for participating in the raison detre of this board, to wit, informing others with knowledge to improve their ownership and driving experiences. If my car has the same problem, I will post the findings.

TD

 

[DEVILDOG]

Devil Dog, I can understand you liking the GTS with it's bulbous curves,(Mae West), and it's nostalgic,(outdated) look, not to mention it's well recognized,(common) appearance.

So unlike the SRT as it's oppisite to the above in every way. And we havent even started on the performance side yet, couple that with the fact, many people don't even know what an SRT is, except they like it very much.

Of course the later GTS never had to many problems, as it was an inovation of many models before it.

Yes, big (.)(.) are great as well as a curvacious and fluid design. No, it's not outdated it's iconic. Yes, it's well recognized as a VIPER. Yes, it had fewer problems as it was better designed and put together better. Yes, the SRT is the opposite. Nobody knows what it is because it looks like a camaro/S2000/Sebring and don't recognize it as a VIPER and don't care what it is because they don't like it. Performance, yes the GTS proved it's superior performance by winning all the great sports car races multiple times. The SRT has not won a race because it has not entered any of the races that the GTSR won. BTW, an innovation is something new not a copy of many models before it.

 

[Skip White]

Ok, at least it's still a Viper, and I admit I do have a thing for curves, but that SRT just gets me every time I look at it.

but your correction about innovation, hmm, I thought it did in fact mean, and improvement over a previous design.

Back to the brake failure. We all need to check our car, and see that this doe's not happen to us.

 

[SRTRICKY]

Honestly if the brake fell off of mine I'd get a lawyer and make them buy the car back..who know what the guys smoked before starting their shift and starting on that car!