Seized front caliper?

[Rot Box]

The other day my front passenger side brake caliper started dragging really bad which in turn overheated my brake pads, bearings and rotor I'm going to replace everything but I'm wondering if there's a chance the new caliper will do the same thing

Do you think it was just my old caliper seizing up or should I look into it further? Thanks

Andrew

 

[The Warden]

How easily did the piston retract?

I ask because I had a similar problem, but from the best I can tell, my problem was that I hadn't lubricated the points where the caliper slides on the knuckle well enough...the caliper was fine, but because of a lack of lubrication, the caliper stopped sliding and killed one of the pads. Replaced the pads and rotors, reused the calipers, and lubed the bejeezus out of the the sliding points, and everything's been fine for 2 years now...I check the brakes regularly and the pads are wearing evenly.

If the caliper's definitely bad, I would replace both front calipers (always do brake components in pairs!) and the rubber hoses...if you want to be 110% certain that all will be well, replace the master cylinder as well. I've seen a bad M/C on an M-B cause the rear brakes to lock up before...

Just my $.02...good luck!!

 

[Iowa 73]

Change the caliper and you should be fine. The caliper kit should come with new slide pins. Make sure you clean the calilper mount with some sandpaper and wipe some grease where the pins slide. No need to change both calipers. The brakes on my '89 were sticking when I bought it, and all I had to do was clean up the caliper mounts and pins and they were back to normal.

 

[Agnem]

If the hoses have any years on them, change them out. It's possible for a hose to swell internally and turn into a one way valve.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

If the hoses have any years on them, change them out. It's possible for a hose to swell internally and turn into a one way valve.

glad someone pointed it out.

I make it routine to change a hose with caliper. You're gonna have the system open anyway. Hoses are cheap. rear ending someone isn;t.

 

[Rot Box]

A lot of good advice thanks for the help everyone

I haven't even fiddled with the old caliper to see what actually failed. I'm pretty sure the pistons didn't back off but hopefully I can look into it further when the weather lets up a bit. I'm betting all the Utah salt and all the camping trips around the Great Salt Lake didn't do it any favors

Anyway I'll be sure to add some anti seize to the pins on the new caliper and install new hoses as well

 

[icanfixall]

A standard vacuum booster brake system on our rigs will make around 1100 lbs of hydraulic pressure in the system. Usually a brake hose wears out from the insides due to the pressure put on them. The outside looks great but the inside and failed. Then you press the brake fluid into the claipers and it has no way to overcome the bad brake hose.. Hot brakes and ruined rotors is what happens next. Like crazy posts.. Hoses are cheap. Who wants to do the job twice anyway. The hose is a wear item just like the pads. Think how many times that hose will flex driving over any little bump in the rod..... Now add the repeated pressure spikes it sees in its lifetime.. Cheap insurance changing them really. A good brakeing system is priceless... If you have a bad brakeing system you will eventually stop.

 

[Agnem]

I can vividly remember when we were building the Night Moose, watching my son manuever it into a specific spot we needed it to be in, and him pushing on the brake, and the right front brake hose popping right in front of me and squirting brake fluid everywhere. I then visualized my son driving on the highway, as a new driver with no real experience, confronted with the loss of brakes. I've been a big fan of replacing hoses since then.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

I can vividly remember when we were building the Night Moose, watching my son manuever it into a specific spot we needed it to be in, and him pushing on the brake, and the right front brake hose popping right in front of me and squirting brake fluid everywhere. I then visualized my son driving on the highway, as a new driver with no real experience, confronted with the loss of brakes. I've been a big fan of replacing hoses since then.

Brake hoses have manufacture dates on them. But i'm still getting hoses made from 2000! Granted they're new and in a sealed package. But when we get a car in the shop, the brake hoses always get a close check by where they are retained to a strut or spindle since thats usually where they flex the most.

My last two accidents with the General Tao have resulted from faulty brakes. Haitian sensation driving a Camry blew a brake line and slammed into the back end of my truck. No insurance too.

 

[gatorman21218]

its not too bad of a job to rebuild the caliper. plus you have the piece of mind that it is done right. The parts are stupid cheap too. like 12 bucks for the seals for both calipers. What you do is you put a 2x4 block in the caliper over the pistons and VERY CAREFULLY blow compressed air into the hole where the brake hose goes. It dont take too much air and when the pistons come out it sounds like a shotgun going off. Keep your fingers away. Once you get the pistons out inspect them for scoring and then inspect the bores. If the bores are scored then they are nothing more then a core you cant rebuild them. The pistons are replaceable but if they are smooth then you can reuse them. If the bores are ok then clean everything and when dry, lube the new o-ring with clean brake fluid and install. coat the piston and bore with brake fluid as well. Install the dust boot into the caliper and then put the piston in. This is the only way the boot will go on. Installing the boot on the piston first will not work. make sure it goes in straight and it should go in without much force. if you **** it then you need to start over, usually by blowing it out. once you get the piston almost in you need to fold the seal over the piston. this is the hardest part and can be very aggravating but a couple of picks make it easier. Then add a piece of plyboard to the 2x4 and blow the pistons out again. you dont want to pop them out of the dust seal, but just enough to make sure they travel free and dont bind. push the pistons down again and drink a beer. you are done

 

[gatorman21218]

And when diagnosing brakes, when the brakes lock up, undo the bleeder screw. If nothing happens and its still locked up, the caliper is toast. But if fluid shoots out and the brakes unlock, something else is holding fluid against the brakes. Sometimes its the hose, but ive had a bad hydrobooster do this.

And l-cam, I'm on my 3rd hydroboost unit in 18 months. I dont know where A1Cardon remans them, but it wouldnt surprise me if they put them together in the men's bathroom at a waffle house.

 

[typ4]

I have teflon braided lines on the front of mine. no more hose failures, and they were on the 79 2wd before that.I swear it
is worth the extra expense

 

[The Warden]

I'm on my second booster in like 3-4 years, nothing wrong with the first one either (other than peeling paint), just wanted to try out the more modern dual-valve design - sometimes OEM quality control really shines bright.

Two questions, if I may...first, is there an external way to tell the difference between the dual-valve design that you mentioned and the earlier design? Second, what difference did you notice?

And, thank you for the recommendation on a rebuilder I have two units that I think are in good shape, but having a backup plan is always a good thing...

 

[The Warden]

Thank you for the explanation, and I didn't realize that you were talking about the GM setup. If I'm reading you correct, it sounds like this'll only really make a noticeable difference on ABS trucks...do I have that correct?

 

[LCAM-01XA]

If it will make you feel better about it, Fords still don't have that new-style hydro. But yah, pretty sure a non-RABS truck won't benefit anything from a new-style booster even if one was to convert it to that by swap mounting plates and pedal pushrods.