Brake/Rotor assembly problems

[sniperelite]

OK so today I was going to change out my brake pads for the first time and ran into a few problems....and a few problems turned into many bigger problems. So I got the caliper off to gain access to the brake pads to find out they were in pretty bad shape.

Here is the new Porterfield R4-S pads compared to the worn out ones. (Same exact pads btw)

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So after I took the pads off I noticed that my rotors were in pretty bad shape. So I called up Pepboys and found out they only charge around 10-15 bucks to cut each rotor so I decided to pull them off and get them cut. Well I encountered the same problems almost everyone who has a dsm experiences when trying to pull their rotors. My main problem was I could not get the bolts from the back side of the caliper off to take the caliper housing off completely. I am guessing it is these bolts closest to the center of the rotor that I need to remove?

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And I was hoping that once I got those bolts off the rest of the caliper would come off.

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Well I almost blew out my back trying to get those bolts off and just couldn't do it most likely because I didn't have the right tools. So I decided that it was too late to get the rotors in to Pepboys today and I cut my losses. Well I decided to go out again about an hour ago to put everything back together and I said screw it and just decided to put the new pads on even though the rotors would eat them up quickly I was expecting to finish the rotors sometime this week. Well once I got the new pads in I tried putting the brake caliper back over the pads. Well the pistons were sticking out too far and I tried everything to push them back down to get them over the pads. The lower piston was moving a little bit but the upper piston wouldn't budge. So being the dumbass that I am I went and pumped the brakes a little hoping that it would free them up a little bit. Well it worked a little bit too well on the lower piston....it completely came out of the caliper and I had brake fluid all over the garage. The upper piston however still remained the same and now I am wondering if it had seized up or something like that.

Here is the caliper after I pumped the brakes and the piston fell out.

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As you can see the piston is supposed to be sealed by that rubber seal on the caliper. I tried for about 40 minutes to get the piston back in but I had no luck at all. The rubber seal is just too slippery with brake fluid and will not stretch far enough to allow me to put the piston back in.

So now here is my dilema. I am wondering if there is any way I can get that piston back in the hole without ruining the rubber seal or will it save me more hassels to just get some new brakes and possibly rotors for my fronts?
My second question is....was I trying to take off the correct bolts to get the second part of the brake calipers off of the rotor? Or was I breaking my back at the wrong ones?
The third question is even if I do somehow get that piston back in the caliper, if the upper piston is seized up would there even be any way to fix that or should I once again cut my losses and get new brakes. (keep in mind the car has about 120k miles on it with the stock brakes and rotors)
And finally my other question is that for about the last week when I am driving I hear this horrible screeching/scraping/clicking/banging sound coming from around the front right wheel well. I was figuring that somehow I cracked the brake pad that was in there and that is what was causing all of this noise, but once removing the caliper I found out that the pads were not cracked, although they were worn down pretty bad.

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Now upon further looking around I couldn't really see anything else that would have been causing this noise. It did seem like there wasn't that much grease/lube on many of the parts there and I am thinking maybe it is just that there isn't enough grease in there so the parts are rattling around on eachother while driving. The only other thing I noticed is when I turn the rotor by hand I heard this banging sound coming from right behind the wheel well and right underneath the passenger side floor. I recorded a quick video off of my phone to see if you guys think this is what could be making all the noise.

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FHW2WErcDKA"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FHW2WErcDKA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>

Sorry for such a long post but I am trying to find out what is wrong with my car so I can fix it and drive it to work instead of taking the bus.

 

[ricktb]

Can't say I've been in your situation.. Yea you want to pull the bracket that secures the caliper in place (2 bolts for the rear I know) Remember to turn the right way heh.

A tip I learned when replacing pads...

First open the lid on your master cylinder, next place an old pad across the pistons and use a "C" clamp to slowly squeeze the pistons back to zero, so the new full pads will fit.


If you can somehow manage to get the piston back in, you will need to do a bleeding procedure to remove any tiny air bubbles from the line.

Another tip, lubricate the 2 small metal peices at either end of the pad, add a shim to the backside of the pad and lubricate. Also re-grease the caliper pins, I've heard you may even want to replace these bolts. This should help keep your brakes quiet. Make sure its a silicone based lubricant, and never lube the rotors or pad faces.

Good luck

 

[Auto RS T]

You want to remove the two outer bolts in your first picture. It is a good picture, you can see how the bolts go right into the caliper bracket.

I would price out a new set of rotors, they can't be much more than what you are going to pay to have them cut. Also I don't know if they can cut slotted rotors on a laithe without damaging the bit.

As for the caliper I would just get a front set and be done with it. You can repair it, but you may have other problems. If the piston boots are ripped they are junk. You also must bleed the brakes now that the piston has fallen out, or if you are replacing calipers.

To push the pistons back in use a small piece of wood across the two pistons and compress them together with a large adjustable pliers or c clamp. During this procedure I open the bleeder with a hose on it and allow the old brake fluid to drain out.

The noise in your video seems normal to me. You have to remember the axle is bolted to the hub you spun therefore it has turned inside the transmission creating the clunk you hear.

Put the brakes back together correctly and see if that grinding noise remains. It would be a good idea to go ahead and shake the tie rod ends and check the balljoints for play.

I also found this tech article that may help guide you on your brake install.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...liper-upgrade-all-2gs-except-gsx-tsi-awd.html

 

[sniperelite]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about just getting the Baer big brake kit but that will set me back some in money and I will not have enough to get some new tires which I need bad. Does anyone know if I can bring my caliper to a shop and they can just recondition it and get the piston back in or do you think I can just go to pepboys or autozone and get an oem replacement caliper for now? Also, I know that they cut rotors, but will they be able to cut slotted rotors or will it damage the bit they use and not be able to do it correctly?

 

[turbosax2]

Here's my advice. Take it for what you will.

Get some rebuilt calipers from an auto parts store. Rebuilding calipers is a bi***, and frankly it's not worth the effort. Might as well replace both of the front calipers while your in there.

They may not want to cut your rotors because they're slotted. You will have to call around and ask. If they WON'T cut your rotors, just get some NAPA replacement rotors. I have heard this recommendation from a few of the road racers on the forums. They say that for the average Joe, just get NAPA rotors with a good set of pads because the pads do most of the work. The rotors are cheap too.

And like was said before, make sure you lube the anti-rattle clips and the guide and lock bolts when you reassemble everything. I use CRC Brake and Caliper grease.

 

[steve]

I see no reason to cut those rotors. Are they warped?

Take a block of wood and a clamp and see if the other piston can be pushed in. If it can then disconnect the caliper from the brake hose, open the bleader, clean dirt and just off the loose piston, boot, and seal.
Lube up the piston and seal with some brake grease an stretch the boost over the piston while putting it back in the bore and then seat the boot in it's groove.

If the other piston is frozen, just replace the caliper.