Brake Calipers question

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I always heard from mechanics to do brakes in pairs, re: both fronts or both backs. The reasoning is so you have a common wear baseline for each. I'm OCD about brakes and most automotive stuff though...

 

[displacedtexan]

I always heard from mechanics to do brakes in pairs, re: both fronts or both backs. The reasoning is so you have a common wear baseline for each. I'm OCD about brakes and most automotive stuff though...

I'm not a mechanic, but I'm a very serious hobbyist. I build engines, run all sorts of parts that aren't supposed to fit, say things like "swapping headgaskets is easy"...

I always replace brake/steering/suspension stuff in pairs.

 

[OKHunter84]

I always do brakes in pairs. I usually do fronts yearly or when needed and backs every other. If the other caliper looked alright then I wouldn't replace it. A caliper shouldn't be a wear item like a pad or rotor. If you have brakes wearing on one side more then the other that could indicate other issues.
I would do the rotors, pads and the broken caliper.

 

[Eleven]

I’m not a mechanic but do all my own work. If you were just replacing the caliper, maybe I wouldn’t do the other side. But you’re replacing rotor and pads: definitely replace both side.

It looks like your piston seized for whatever reason. Is the caliper housing itself still fine? You could do a rebuild.

 

[IDVortex]

Bought some cheap, low quality disk called brake stop, figured instead of using those pieces of junk id return them and turn my old rotor using a grinder.


Satire.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

Not to hijack the thread but am I the only idiot who loses caliper guide pin bolts regularly on washboard roads? What’s the hack to keep those things from backing out?


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put loc tight on them like most every one of them has from the factory and actually torque them to spec.
One of my peeves is watching guys put anti seize or grease on fasteners that originally had thread locker on them...your doing it wrong...If you think this is a good idea put the tools down and step away.

 

[IDVortex]

I've never re-applied blue loctite on any of my caliper bolts, just torque them back down. Never had a issue. Maybe ill start doing it, sounds like its the thing to do .

 

[StuckInTheEast]

Its a ford...Id put oem hoses on it too if your doing the calipers. Seen enough Ford brake hoses fail internally to not risk that if its pushing 10 years or 100k miles

 

[IDVortex]

Its a ford...Id put oem hoses on it too if your doing the calipers. Seen enough Ford brake hoses fail internally to not risk that if its pushing 10 years or 100k miles

.... if my hoses fail im burning this pos.

Im literally done with this truck this week.

A simple tie rod repair turned into 'we cant align your truck due to your lower ball joint is shot' to 6 hours later my brake caliper left the chat.

 

[realunlucky]

One of my peeves is watching guys put anti seize or grease on fasteners that originally had thread locker on them...your doing it wrong...If you think this is a good idea put the tools down and step away.

I just put anti seize on mine yesterday when i changed the brake pads lol


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[StuckInTheEast]

With a user handle like that I wouldnt be taking any chances with brake repairs ...
I said what I said...I won't take it back

 

[taskswap]

I'm not a mechanic, but I'm a very serious hobbyist. I build engines, run all sorts of parts that aren't supposed to fit, say things like "swapping headgaskets is easy"...

I always replace brake/steering/suspension stuff in pairs.

Same. The other reason I said I'd do the same is that if OP or somebody else was working on these brakes and didn't torque the pin bolts properly or did any number of other incorrect things, they probably did the same thing to both sides. So while the other side "is probably" fine I'd be assuming the worst. Even on a tight budget I'd personally much rather discover this in my driveway than on a FS road 6 hours from home... At the very least I'd be taking it off and inspecting it very carefully. It's what, a half hour task, once you know what you're doing? Kind of crazy to just hope for the best here...

I'm also one of those oddball packrats though, my bed has a box of misfit "just in case" parts including a set of upper and lower rad hoses, a spare belt, and that kind of thing. I'm the kind of guy that if I did replace the other rotor, the "probably good" one would be going in that box for a few months to make some friends while I get some miles on the new brakes and make sure it's all kosher.

Because if there's anything worse than having a "shoulda fixed this at home" issue 6 hours up some FS road, it's having an easy DIY field job suddenly become impossible that day because you actually OWN the part you need, but just left it at home...

 

[displacedtexan]

Same. The other reason I said I'd do the same is that if OP or somebody else was working on these brakes and didn't torque the pin bolts properly or did any number of other incorrect things, they probably did the same thing to both sides. So while the other side "is probably" fine I'd be assuming the worst. Even on a tight budget I'd personally much rather discover this in my driveway than on a FS road 6 hours from home... At the very least I'd be taking it off and inspecting it very carefully. It's what, a half hour task, once you know what you're doing? Kind of crazy to just hope for the best here...

I'm also one of those oddball packrats though, my bed has a box of misfit "just in case" parts including a set of upper and lower rad hoses, a spare belt, and that kind of thing. I'm the kind of guy that if I did replace the other rotor, the "probably good" one would be going in that box for a few months to make some friends while I get some miles on the new brakes and make sure it's all kosher.

Because if there's anything worse than having a "shoulda fixed this at home" issue 6 hours up some FS road, it's having an easy DIY field job suddenly become impossible that day because you actually OWN the part you need, but just left it at home...

100%

 

[IDVortex]

Well, as a update. The other side caliper was replaced when I did the brakes 2 years ago. Looked like it was when I took it apart, looked for my notes and noticed it was. Looked fine, regressed the pins and called it a day.

And, to be fair. Im not being cheap, ill spend the money, but this week has been expensive on this thing, and tired of spending right now. Ha.


When I took the passenger caliber apart, I was shocked to also find that the caliper pins were stuck, the top one was actually seized. Took a good minute to clean it back up. My rotor was terribly warped, but presume due to the caliper leaving the chat.

Interesting to note though, both my drivers pads had heat cracks in them. In all the brakes ive replaced, never had pads that had cracks all over them before. Rotor didnt look terrible at all, just normal wear.

 

[entropicitis]

Interesting to note though, both my drivers pads had heat cracks in them. In all the brakes ive replaced, never had pads that had cracks all over them before. Rotor didnt look terrible at all, just normal wear.

USA made?

 

[IDVortex]

USA made?

Wherever Napa gets them from.

 

[taskswap]

You started this thread. You KNOW you need to rip that other caliper off and show pics, now, right? It's a rule.

 

[JR Greenhorn]

The pistons in that caliper picture you posted are done for. They're going to become a problem sooner than later. That caliper should have been replaced, or it's going to need to be in a matter of time. What's going to happen next is because the seals/bellows around the pistons are compromised, water and dust are going to get in between the piston and bore, and seize the piston in place. You will apply the brakes one day, and one or both of those pistons won't release, it'll just stay clamped onto the rotor. You may not notice it, especially if it's a windy day or you're on rough roads. If you drive it like that long enough, it'll get hot enough to smoke, but you won't notice that until you come to a stop and see the smoke rolling up over the hood. If you keep driving it like that, it will start a fire.


I lived on a gravel road for many years. Seized caliper slider pins are a part of life. Because of it, I've replaced calipers on trucks, cars, SUVs, even a street motorcycle once, always just the one that's bad, and never the other side (unless/until it also needs it). Maybe you live on a paved road, but likely you're on gravel/dirt FS roads often enough? Same thing.


What happens is the fine dust, silt and water get into the pin (which is usually sealed inside a rubber bellows). Eventually the pin surface corrodes and stops sliding freely, but it will move if brake force is strong enough. You can often see telltale evidence of this when the fixed pad is worn much thinner than the piston side pad.

How you deal with this is to inspect the pins every time you have a wheel off, for any reason. Carefully pull back the bellows so you can inspect the pin surface it covers. If there's visible corrosion on the sliding surface of the pin at all, replace it (that may mean replacing the entire abutment bracket, or just the pins, depending on how it's designed). If the bellows is swollen or torn, replace it. If the sliding surface is OK, wipe away anything that doesn't look like the fresh, clean grease it had on it.

Be careful using solvents to clean around brake stuff. It's not uncommon for EPDM "rubber" to be used around brake parts, because it tolerates DOT 3/4 brake fluid well. However, a lot of common solvents, oils and greases will cause EPDM to swell. If your bellows swells, it will let even more silt and water in between it and the pin.

If your pins and bellows are OK, ensure the bellows are "comfortably full" (not packed or stuffed tightly) with the correct grease, not just whatever grease you had around. The correct grease is "Ceramlube" (like: lube with ceramic in it). Ask for it by that name in your local parts store. The grease itself is purple, although it usually comes in a white container. One small container will probably last you the rest of your life.


If there are any pins that slide through holes in the pads to retain them, replace those pins every time you replace pads. Those can corrode and seize a pad in place too. You can find them on Rock Auto, or ask your local parts store to look them up. Usually it's only a few bucks for a kit that has all the pins and clips you need in it. Same goes for the other special bolts around the caliper and/or abutment bracket. It's way easier to spend a few bucks to get each of those bolts new when you replace rotors, than it is to fight those same old bolts on and off every time you have to do anything with the brakes.