Stuck Caliper

[want_a_gsx]

ok so lately, i could hear a grinding noise from the rear right side. yesterday, all the sudden the car did not want to move. it was like the e-brake was stuck. i put it in first and just dragged the car. the wheel wasnt turning but the left rear was. we took off the tire and the brake pad is GONE. there is nothing there. the guy loosened up the caliper and the rotor started moving. i went for a block and it seized up. before, putting it in reverse and then moving in 1st fixed it. had to force the car to go 20 ft to pull over. the rear right tire was not moving whatsoever.

now, to me, it seems like getting a new brake would fix the problem....but i talked to someone on widsm.org and this is what he told me....

"While I do not have any extra rear brake stuff laying around (at least none that I know where it is) I can give you a few words of advice.

1. New shitty rear brake pads from auto zone are cheap.

2. You do not need to turn your rear rotors even if they look like absolute shit.

3. This problem all started because the slider pins that the rear caliper ride on seized. In order to fix this problem, remove the rear caliper from its bracket and clean and lubricate the sliders then put it all back together.

Chances are if one side did it, the other side is not far behind. Basically every 1G I have owned I have had to do this to at some point.

If you can wait, I would be happy to clean and lubricate the calipers for you and get them back into working order over my Thanksgiving break from work.

You would have to remove both rear calipers (might as well do both right away) and bring them to my parents' house in Eagle, WI 53119. The whole thing goes pretty quick.

Thats about all I know. Good luck."

can anyone support this? anyone ever have to do this?

sry for the long post but my car is my DD and it's stranded on some random street and i need to get it outta there.

Thanx all,
Omar

 

[JayRolla]

I would look into getting new ones or rebuilt ones. If they are stuck they need to be rebuilt, if thats what he is going to do. Also do both of them.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

The piston can get stuck, but more often than not it will be the slider pin that seizes (as you mentioned). Most people change their pads but neglect the hardware.........check the pins, replace as needed (pitted or otherwise messed up), and to spend ~$1 on a pack of brake grease for the pins. Plus look at the clips that the pads slide on, replace as needed.

Being a 91 you could probably use a brake overhaul by now. Re-built calipers are not that expensive and if you have the tools, re-build kits are cheaper.

I agree........do both, and really if the backs are gone you need to look at the fronts as well. The fronts take the brunt of the abuse.

 

[JayRolla]

Damn Formontoya how fast where you going to do that to your rim. My buddy was doing about 140 on the highway in his 91 Audi S4 5cylinder(nicely modded) and hit a monstor pot hole. His rim looked just like yours maybe a little worse.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Damn Formontoya how fast where you going to do that to your rim. My buddy was doing about 140 on the highway in his 91 Audi S4 5cylinder(nicely modded) and hit a monstor pot hole. His rim looked just like yours maybe a little worse.

It's vented about here...................
http://dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234518
I was going around 30-35MPH when I hit the curb. Although I sure wouldn't want to be busting 100 when something like this happened.........had to be a scary ride until it shut down.

I'm actually getting pretty close to acquiring the final pieces in the next couple of weeks.

 

[JayRolla]

Man, that much damage at that speed. His dent was quite a bit worse, he was the only person ive seen do that to a rim. His where some rare racing rims from germany that he paid like $100 a piece and they where worth like 300 each.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Yea, when you "nail" a curb straight-on with 18" low pros, it can do some damage.

 

[want_a_gsx]

is it possible to just remove the back calipers until i have time to work on my car?

going to school full time and really need a car to drive....

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Anything is possible. However, it would totally force the brake bias to the front causing the biggest "accident waiting to happen" type of thing you could do to your car.

So the short answer is NO.

 

[want_a_gsx]

fawk i am trying to save up money to rebuild the motor and now this!
!

how much would rebuilt calipers go for? man this is the worst news i could get right now. that guy offered to do that stuff for me during thanksgiving break, but i need to drive the damn car!!!

 

[Eric_7810]

Dude dont feel so down, this is the story of all DSMers. Youre saving up for that next (or first) mod, motor swap, ect. and you have a maitenance problem pop up and rob you of all your money. Its happened to all of us.

 

[want_a_gsx]

its just frustrating to have to fix something like brakes and stuff, knowing that after that is fixed, the car will still run like crap. smoking like a damn school bus.

not gonna lie man, its pretty embarrasing specially when i'm in the car with buddies/girl and the car is smoking everywhere, even getting inside! or when an pontiac gxp pulls next to me and wants to race but i cant!

 

[MinkelR]

I tried rebuilding a caliper once and I failed miserably. If that person's willing to fix up your calipers for cheap, I'd say go for it if you can wait. If you end up buying a new/rebuilt one, they're pretty simple to install. I don't know the cost of a rebuilt caliper on a DSM but when I replaced one on an Accord it was around $200 at NAPA, but they have a $99 core charge, so it ended up around $100. I'd poke around some of the supporting vendors sites and compare prices of local autoparts stores.

 

[want_a_gsx]

well i figured if i'm gonna get the calipers fixed, mind as well get bigger ones like 93+. not sure if i would also need bigger rotors and such...anyone know about this?

also, when you bought the calipers, how many did you get for the $200?

 

[hewhoisknot]

DSMmotorsports sells them for 100 a pop.

 

[want_a_gsx]

holy crap you mean $100 per caliper?...just needed to clarify

 

[MinkelR]

Yeah, you only get one caliper for $100, but some stores will pay you for your old one so they can rebuild it and make some more money, which is the core charge. Now I'm curious, If you bought a caliper off the internet, then brought your old one to Napa, would they still give you the money?

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Or you can go down to Auto Zone/Pep Boys/whoever and pick up a (1) rebuilt caliper for the rear or front for about $60. You'll have to pay a core charge, which is generally around the cost of the part, but you get that core charge refunded when you bring the old caliper back.

Also check the hardware, slider pins and the clips that the pads slide on. Then do a proper bleed.

Calipers are really an easy job. Just 2 bolts and the brake line, then you're ready to re-install.

The only suggestion I would make is to get a flare/tube wrench for the brake line.

 

[want_a_gsx]

i saw a 93 tsi at the junkyard. still had the calipers. well i only looked at the front ones though. is it worth it getting all 4 calipers since i do need the back ones too?

also, what exactly is done to the calipers in a rebuild? just the cleaning/lubricating of the slider pins or are some components actually being replaced?

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Generally the items in a kit only include the seals/rubber goods.

There's not really much to a caliper........the body, piston(s), seals, and the bleeder screw. The other hardware is the caliper bracket, pad "slider" clips, caliper "slider" pins, caliper "slider" pin dust boots, and 2 bolts to hold on the caliper bracket. The rear is a little more involved since it also incorporates the e-brake.

You would dis-assemble the caliper. Clean up the body to remove any loose particles. Hone the piston bore, something like this on the end of a drill......
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/lis10400.html
Clean everything very good. Re-assemble.

Just an idea of what's going on...........

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How you acquire the parts is up to you. Of course any parts pulled from the junk yard may require more refurbishing to make them correct.

But this should help you decide.

Oh yea............the most important thing.........get a manual to guide you along the way.

 

[THE REAL DEAL]

Dude dont feel so down, this is the story of all DSMers. Youre saving up for that next (or first) mod, motor swap, ect. and you have a maitenance problem pop up and rob you of all your money. Its happened to all of us.

HA! tell me about! i had plans for this week to get a safc. this past weekend, my front end started shaking really hard when braking so this morning i replaced both front rotors and pads and I have an appointment this afternoon at southern indiana tire to get my outer tie rod ends replaced (because i couldn't get the stupid jam nuts loose) and get an alignment. Not to mention I kept having to run back and forth to Advance so I could get tools I was missing or I had broke.

So today, I will have spent about $260. Exactly how much it would have cost me to get the safc. And next month will be out of the question because I gotta buy christmas gifts. What luck.... but, I'd rather feel safe to drive my car 3 hours to go see my family on thanksgiving and christmas than have the safc and not even be able to move my car or get in an accident.

 

[tearintalon1]

first of all if you ran the brakes down till the backer of the pad fell out than you are going to need new rotors on one side but i would recommend replacing both to have even brakeing because the other side is probably into the rotor any way. When there worn that badly theres nothing usually left to cut or resurface. The caliper needs to be checked because you might have ran the plunger into the rotor or piston of caliper into rotor.So replacing atleast that side caliper you must if both calipers are good free up the pins that they float on and grease them using synthetic caliper lube. Then reassable and happy driving =)

 

[want_a_gsx]

1st picture: shows the slider pin popped out. this is what i was told i would have to clean and lubricate in order for the caliper to work properly. red- pin popped out, green- in working order

2nd piture: oh man...the brake pad is completely gone

3rd pticture: tons of dust, from the calipers rubbing against the rotor. i had to pull to the side once the caliper seized and the car wasnt moving, so had to force it... is the caliper damaged?

i was also told that even if i do get a rebuilt/new caliper, it still wouldn't come with the bracket, so its not gonna fix the problem.

what do you guys think?

thanks,
Omar

 

[tearintalon1]

i would think about getting some new rotors maybe even upgrade the whole system. if you call any junk yard or mitsubishi graveyard you can find any bracket your looking for i even have 4 extra calipers from a 2g talon if you need

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Hard to tell, but is the caliper pin protruding through the caliper bracket? If so the bracket needs replacing as the pin should not protrude through. It allows dirt, rust, and grim to ruin the pin. That's why there's a boot over the other in.....for sealing purposes.