Odd Problem.....
 

yet another strange problem i've been having

i was driving on the weekend and i heard a rubbing sound coming from the passenger side front tire... after a couple min i started smelling burnt brakes.
i pulled over and discovered a crapload of white smoke, the rim had come slightly loose causing my rotor to skew inside the caliper...... no big deal right? just tighten the lugs back up, problem solved!

except this morning the sound came back and when i pulled over the rim was so hot i couldn't hardly touch it. the only strange thing is that my rim is still good and tight and it drives fine now....

any ideas? i don't really want to get stuck on the higHway with a torched front brake..... the only thing i could think of is that the caliper piston is buggered up...

any ideas would be nice, i don't really want to have to buy new calipers, but i will if i have too. (excuse to get brembos anyone :p)?

From the sounds of it, it seems like the sliders on the brake caliper is seized, and it's keeping the brakes on at all times.

alright... yeah that makes sense. would that cause it to happen intermittently though? and is there any way to fix it, or do i need a caliper

Yes you can fix it, you need to get the slider out and clean them up, and then re lube them with the proper brake lube, like sil glyde

either the slide pins or the caliper piston itself is seized.....you wont know until you pull it all apart and check.

alright, thanks. i'll try cleaning it up

ok, so i pulled both front brake assemblies apart.

the slider pins are working nice and free, but when i press the brakes, the pistons will not return to their original positions. they do come out further, but i can't push them back in.... does that mean they are seized? or am i just doing something stupid?

pleeze help.... i am getting horrible fuel mileage and my brakes heat up like crazy


i wouldn't even be driving the car normally, but i have no choice. any help would be very apprieciated

what are you using to try and push the pistons back in? it can be extremely difficult to do by hand. use a pair of large slip joint (channel locks) pliers or a large C-clamp to try and push the pistons back in. if the pistons move in and out easily then your problem is something else. if the piston wont go back in at all or is extremely hard to then its seized.

also make sure the brake pads themselves are not seized into the caliper brackets. rust builds up under the pad/clips and seizes the pads into the brackets. the pads should just slide out easily with your hands.

i checked the pads in the shims, they are nice and free, no rust buildup. the car got new pads and rotors all four corners about 6000k ago.

i am using c-clamps to try and push the brake piston back in. no matter how tight i make it they won't go back in. so i may need new calipers i guess

then you need a new caliper. swing by canadian tire, partsource or napa and pick up a re-built caliper and some brake fluid. changing the caliper is easy just you need a friend to help you bleed the brakes once you are done.

good luck.

thanks.... sigh, i've done so much brake work in the last little while (my old car, this car and my friends car)

its almost routine.... you'd think i would know when the caliper is fried.... guess i'm just in denial cause' i don't wanna buy another one.. lol

oh well, thanks