Does anyone know why brake calipers are so expensive?

 

I didn't think they were very expensive. OEM maybe, but not aftermarket. You can rebuild you old ones with a simple seal kit too. Don't waste your $$$ on new ones when a rebuild usually does the trick.

 

Would a rebuild get rid of that rubbing noise you get when you just barely have your foot on the brakes? That drives me nuts.

 

If you are referring to the squealing noise like a pig, that may be your pads or rotors are glazed or they may be dirty.

 

No it's not squealing---I have no brake squeal. It's just when you barely lift your foot off the brake pedal and it makes a groaning noise. My dad's Acura RL doesn't do it.

 

What you're explaining is normal. Anytime you have two materials (in this case, brake rotors and brake pads) rubbing against each other, there is going to be noise. It means your brakes are working. What's the problem? Is it outrageously loud or something?

 

No, not outrageously loud, it's just annoying. I was just wondering if a caliper rebuild/lube would fix it, that's all.

 

You mean the groaning you get when you're stopped and you just barely ease up on the brake pedal so that the car creeps forward but with the pads still touching the rotor? I could do that with every car I've ever owned that had an automatic. It is a phenomenon of sliding contact called stick-slip, where alternating sticking and slipping of the rotor against the pads excites natural frequencies in the rotors, calipers and probably other parts as well. It's perfectly harmless. I love doing it - annoys the hell outa the wife.

 

Why not change your pad compound?

 

i also think trying new pads (like QuiteStops) would help

 

Yeah...that's what I'm talking about. It's weird because my dad's 2002 Acura RL (auto) doesn't do it no matter how hard I try. I was just wondering if you could get rid of it on the Max. But if it is normal and everybody has it I guess it's cool haha.

 

Mine doesn't do it unless it's *really* cold out. I have sumitomo pads on oem calipers/rotors. Im about to go Brembo/Porterfield tho.. I hope I dont get that sound all the time, that would drive me nuts.