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brake calipers seized

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Old Jun 21, 2010 | 09:07 PM
  #41  
maxprivate's Avatar
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Originally Posted by twiggy144
Absolutely. The can be seized to the point they cannot be pulled by finger or hand force. In this event try pulling them with pliers. If pliers dont work, you need to disconnect the brake line, and clamp the caliper pin in a bench vise, and force it out by turning the caliper in a spinning motion from right to left around the clamped pin, untill it breaks loose. Add a little bit of penetrating oil, and it will break loose. If this is the situation, installing new pins are probably in order, because the old ones may be very rusted.
I never tried messing with the pins at all, I think the one on the top of the caliper has the rubber sleeve, once I redo the front brakes Im going to check these this time. I most likely will just replace the caliper just to be safe, Its not that expensive and I rather not ruin a second set of brake pads guessing what the problem is. As for the rotors I guess I have to buy new ones which suck. Had I known X drilled rotos had such a short life span I would have never gotten them. I think they were 100 bucks each. What a waste.
Old Jun 21, 2010 | 11:44 PM
  #42  
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From: London, ON, Canada
Originally Posted by maxprivate
I never tried messing with the pins at all, I think the one on the top of the caliper has the rubber sleeve, once I redo the front brakes Im going to check these this time. I most likely will just replace the caliper just to be safe, Its not that expensive and I rather not ruin a second set of brake pads guessing what the problem is. As for the rotors I guess I have to buy new ones which suck. Had I known X drilled rotos had such a short life span I would have never gotten them. I think they were 100 bucks each. What a waste.
Don't replace the caliper.. The easy thing to do is what we've been discussing in here.

If the pins are installed incorrectly, THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM.

When doing brakes, they need to be serviced anyway, so check it out and report back or something.
Old Jun 22, 2010 | 02:32 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by f.weezy.babii
can somebody tell me the what calipers are for... i know they go around the brake pads and stuff i just need to know because i just had the rotors, brakes and pads replaced and the car is still squeaking when i use the brake. are calipers the cause?
...Really?






Generally, new brakes that still squeak = cheap pads.
Old Jun 22, 2010 | 04:04 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by CraigSE
Don't replace the caliper.. The easy thing to do is what we've been discussing in here.

If the pins are installed incorrectly, THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM.

When doing brakes, they need to be serviced anyway, so check it out and report back or something.
Like I said I never removed the pins, so they are installed correctly. The caliper is the original 97 caliper when I bought the car new, most likely its seized but not sure. Im gonna try greasing the pins on that caliper and make sure its free before I replace it. I'll let you guy knows what I find.
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 12:58 AM
  #45  
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Be sure to use the proper grease when greasing the pins that the calipers move back and forth on.

It has to be disc brake grease (probably silicone based) or it will make the rubber seals/boot swell and cause binding.
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 10:34 AM
  #46  
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How did they know the caliper was seized, like the wheel would not move at all when lifted??
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 02:27 PM
  #47  
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From: Montréal, Qc, Canada
I am currently rebuilding my calipers. Ill take pictures for you guys.
How to properly maintain them: I do this every two year since I am driving in snow and salt.
And How to rebuild:
Old Jul 1, 2010 | 03:40 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by perkman87
How did they know the caliper was seized, like the wheel would not move at all when lifted??
The passenger overheated so much that the fresh caliper paint discolored and come off in some areas, so I knew something was up with that side.

Originally Posted by ColtMax
I am currently rebuilding my calipers. Ill take pictures for you guys.
How to properly maintain them: I do this every two year since I am driving in snow and salt.
And How to rebuild:
That would would be great. I ordered new Brembo cross drilled front rotors and Im waiting for them to come in to re-do my front brakes.

Last edited by maxprivate; Jul 18, 2010 at 11:02 AM.
Old Jul 18, 2010 | 10:55 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by twiggy144
Pulsation = warped rotors. Change the rotors. The calipers may still be fine. Check and lube the pins.
You hit the nail on the head. So I finally got my brakes fixed. I found that the caliper that was sticking had a frozen pin. I was able to free it up using vise grips and grease along with brute strength. I should have gotten all new boots and pins but I was in the middle of the job and couldn't wait to order them, so I reused them. I greased them well and the caliper now rides on the pins freely. The caliper itself was probably good but I changed it anyway since it was the original caliper, lasted 13 years. Besides the calipers are cheap anyway.

The pulsation was definitely caused by warped rotors, they were shot so I installed the new rotors and pads. I bled the lines with the help of a friend and added fresh fluid. I now have no more pulsation and this things stops like a champ. For future brake jobs I now know to grease the pins and make sure they are free before installing new pads. It was my first time doing brakes on my own car so it was a lesson learned. BTW its a really easy job and I saved at least 200 bucks or more doing this myself. Just a little inspiration for those wanting to do their own brakes.

Last edited by maxprivate; Jul 18, 2010 at 11:04 AM.
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