Front brake was stuck on; will it happen again?

[martin calva]

I left my V90 "collectors car of the future" in its garage over winter and into the spring. Yesterday, I finally got around to starting it up and, as always (battery still 95% charged) it started instantly. I noticed that the car was reluctant to reverse out of the garage but I thought no more about it.

I soon noticed a steering wheel shake - similar to having a front tyre with a bulge. It got worse. I stopped to look at the front tyres. One wheel was hot, with a wisp of smoke coming from the brake assembly so it seemed pretty clear that that brake partially was stuck on.

Before phoning for a breakdown service to take the car back home, I left the wheel to cool somewhat and a pressed hard several times on the brake pedal (engine running). I reasoned that this might either free it or lock it solid. In the latter case, I would be no worse off, still needing to call for assistance.

The car would still move easily so I drove it for a short distance. I found that the steering wheel shake had gone so I carried on driving. Arriving home, with several checks for wheel overheating on the way, I found that the wheel was back to normal temperature.

I presume that while not being used, the relevant brake piston had temporarily got stuck in its cylinder.

Two questions:
- Is this likely to happen again before too long? If so, what needs to be done?
- Will the overheating of the brake assembly have done any harm?

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Martin