Dragging caliper, HOT Options

[Goonter]

ok so for a few days now (2-3) ive been smeeling my brakes after a 20 minutes drive or so. i thought it was normal since i am using the brakes and all. but today i noticed that only one is getting hot. the front left side. after 20 minutes of driving i went outside. it smelled and felt hot.. i touched the caliper and it was HOT. i touched the front right side and it was cold. 9its winter here right now). i figured it was a dragging caliper. when i try to accelerate it feels like it's being held back and the acceleration is not smooth. does it just need a celiper replacement?.. or is this something more complicated?.. inputs are much appreciated thanks

[SwissFerdi]

It seems like it's sticking, which I think can be adjusted by altering the position of the caliper in regards to the rotor.

[Jeunesse]

^^^huh?

check the wear on your pads first. If it is not even, then that may be the cause of it. Then check to see if it is seized.

This post has been edited by Jeunesse: Jan 28, 2010 - 2:01 PM

[GriffGirl]

It could be seized though; if you remove the caliper you can get the pistons out and rebuild it yourself, it's not hard if you have a vice a hammer and a spike thingie to knock the piston out

[Goonter]

i have a hammer.. that's about it lol

[95CelicaST]

Take the caliper and rotor to a local brake shop and have them rebuild the caliper (since you don't have the tools to do it) and turn the rotor if they can. The rotor might be warped from overheating, so don't be suprised if you end up buying a new set of rotors for the front.



Might as well take the other front caliper off and clean it up. Then when you get the rebuilt one back you can paint them before you reinstall.

[Goonter]

i just went to midas and got my rotors machined and left caliper replaced along with all brake pads. there goes my side skirts money

[azian_advanced]

that sucks.. i had the same problem. i drove to lockport and got there with smoke coming out from the caliper. i got both rear calipers professionally rebuilt (for free ) and problem solved. soon after, the piston on the front caliper bracket seized up too, so i got both fronts rebuilt too. always nice to have family in the automotive industry

[D-Man]

ok so for a few days now (2-3) ive been smeeling my brakes after a 20 minutes drive or so. i thought it was normal since i am using the brakes and all. but today i noticed that only one is getting hot. the front left side. after 20 minutes of driving i went outside. it smelled and felt hot.. i touched the caliper and it was HOT. i touched the front right side and it was cold. 9its winter here right now). i figured it was a dragging caliper. when i try to accelerate it feels like it's being held back and the acceleration is not smooth. does it just need a celiper replacement?.. or is this something more complicated?.. inputs are much appreciated thanks

i just went to midas and got my rotors machined and left caliper replaced along with all brake pads. there goes my side skirts money

GOOTNER: uneven/warped rotors and/or SLIGHTLY seized depression pumps (bad seals/backpressure in fluid lines). and after driving they SHOULD be hot. lol.

pt2: is this problem solved yet?

also, calipers would've been cheaper from Alex. we've a full set if yours are fcuked up. i'll make sure he gives you a good price; before you tear something else up lol; quit wasting money fool. that's what BUYING/SELLING forms are for. PM me and i'll help you find some skirts.

[Goonter]

lol yah i know it was a waste of money. honestly when she gave me a quote i was like "****in A i dont wanna do that ****" lol. but i didnt have the tools or garage to do the job in and i didnt know anyone else that can do it for me so i had to get it done.. girl from midas was nice enough to take $50 dollars off for me lol. anywayit was pretty F'd up. i'm guessing it was seizing (lightly) for a while now and i just havent noticed. after the brakes were done i felt like the car was SO LIGHT! never felt the car drive so light ever since i got it lol. Anywho HOOK ME UP WITH SOME OEM OR TRD's D-man!

and Azian. you gotta get me in that family sir

[DGAF]

It's great tha you got it fixed. At least now you know you are safe outhere.

[Goonter]

i know .. kinda sucks that i have to hold one paycheck back to get my parts though . . i cant wait to post the pics up in the summer!~

[babi_boi]

Ok so I am having just about the same problem, The only thing is, is that my brakes and rotors are all brand new. I got the EBC Green stuff brake pads, and the Rotora Slotted brake rotors. For the first couple days they sqeeked a little, (which was said they would do in all the reviews about the brake pads). Then they also sound kinda like metal on metal. But I just figured it was normal b/c they are new and they reviews said that they was noisy for they first week or 2. But now after having them on for a couple days, almost a week. The front left brake smells like it is burning from time to time and it is making a roaring noise. The noise does not happen all the time, Mainly just between braking. But if they start to make the roaring noise and I hit the brake with a decent amount of pressure, (not slamming on them, but not just easing them either) then the noise gets really loud for about 3 seconds and then stops. Can anybody help me figure out why this is happening and how i get it to stop. Thanks

I figured it out. It sounded like metal on metal b/c the heat shield behind the rotor was bent and rubbing on the rotor. The roaring noise was the e-brake hanging up on the inside of the rotor, (rear right). But she is running great now and the brakes work amazing.

This post has been edited by babi_boi: Mar 13, 2010 - 11:59 AM

[Con99vert]

Ok so I am having just about the same problem, The only thing is, is that my brakes and rotors are all brand new. I got the EBC Green stuff brake pads, and the Rotora Slotted brake rotors. For the first couple days they sqeeked a little, (which was said they would do in all the reviews about the brake pads). Then they also sound kinda like metal on metal. But I just figured it was normal b/c they are new and they reviews said that they was noisy for they first week or 2. But now after having them on for a couple days, almost a week. The front left brake smells like it is burning from time to time and it is making a roaring noise. The noise does not happen all the time, Mainly just between braking. But if they start to make the roaring noise and I hit the brake with a decent amount of pressure, (not slamming on them, but not just easing them either) then the noise gets really loud for about 3 seconds and then stops. Can anybody help me figure out why this is happening and how i get it to stop. Thanks

I figured it out. It sounded like metal on metal b/c the heat shield behind the rotor was bent and rubbing on the rotor. The roaring noise was the e-brake hanging up on the inside of the rotor, (rear right). But she is running great now and the brakes work amazing.

Could you elaborate on how the e-brake was hanging up on the inside of the rotor and how you fixed it? My right rear has been hanging up for some time now. It is almost like it doesn't fully release after stepping on the brakes. It drags for a while, and then slowly releases after driving for a while. Then it drags again each time I hit the brakes.

[babi_boi]

Ok so I am having just about the same problem, The only thing is, is that my brakes and rotors are all brand new. I got the EBC Green stuff brake pads, and the Rotora Slotted brake rotors. For the first couple days they sqeeked a little, (which was said they would do in all the reviews about the brake pads). Then they also sound kinda like metal on metal. But I just figured it was normal b/c they are new and they reviews said that they was noisy for they first week or 2. But now after having them on for a couple days, almost a week. The front left brake smells like it is burning from time to time and it is making a roaring noise. The noise does not happen all the time, Mainly just between braking. But if they start to make the roaring noise and I hit the brake with a decent amount of pressure, (not slamming on them, but not just easing them either) then the noise gets really loud for about 3 seconds and then stops. Can anybody help me figure out why this is happening and how i get it to stop. Thanks

I figured it out. It sounded like metal on metal b/c the heat shield behind the rotor was bent and rubbing on the rotor. The roaring noise was the e-brake hanging up on the inside of the rotor, (rear right). But she is running great now and the brakes work amazing.

Could you elaborate on how the e-brake was hanging up on the inside of the rotor and how you fixed it? My right rear has been hanging up for some time now. It is almost like it doesn't fully release after stepping on the brakes. It drags for a while, and then slowly releases after driving for a while. Then it drags again each time I hit the brakes.

That is exactly what mine was doing. When I took rotor off the back passanger side everything was full of rust, and there are like brake pad inside the rotor that are for the e-brake. Mine was completely gone. So I sprayed everything down with wd40 (any lubricant should work). I did not have the extra money to change the pads at the moment so for now i just took everything out. Not sure if other ppl would recomend it, but i did not want it to ruin my rotor. Hopefully this week I will have the extra money and can put the pads and stuff back together. But it has not made any noises since i removed them and my brakes still work great. Not sure about the e-brake, (driver side is still normal) I try not to use it b/c my car has been sitting for about 6 years, trying to brake it back in slowly. So actually it is not fixed the right way yet, but the noise is gone . Sorry I couldn't be more help. Maybe you could try to change the pads inside the rotor and spray everything inside the rotor, with a lubricant.

[Con99vert]

My right rear brake has been dragging and I think it is the e-brake. Unfortunately I am not supposed to do vehicle maintenance in my apartment parkinglot so I have to go somewhere else. Can somebody tell me what tools I may need to fix this? So far I have loaded up the floor jack and jack stands, lug wrench, allen wrenches. I have never done brakes on a Celica before so I don't want to take a bunch of tools I wont need, but want to make sure I bring all the ones I defintely need, and might need.

[Galcobar]

Allen wrenches are unlikely to be required, but that's what a trunk's for. You'll want to have brake grease on hand, when you re-assemble to e-brake components. I'd suggest a flathead screwdriver for prying purposes, including adjusting the position screw of the e-brake.

Also helpful: bungee cord or string, to tie the caliper up instead of leaving it hanging by the brake hose. If you need to actually work on the caliper, off the car, a pair of needlenose pliers makes remove the brake hose clip easy, and a 10mm flare-nut wrench (meant for delicate hose connections) is required.

[Con99vert]

So I decided to finally tackle this problem, but it is kicking my ass. It seems to me that my caliper piston is way too tight. My pads were wore down to metal so i decided to start by replacing the pads since i know that uneven wear can cause the brake to stick. So i installed new pads and pushed the piston back in with a C-clamp. I lubed up all of the slides, brackets, pins, bolts and put everything back together. The wheel spun freely and was nearly silent compared to the constant metal on metal scraping sound that it had before. As soon as I started the car and pressed the brake pedal, the wheel immediatley locked up and would not spin freely. This leads me to believe that my caliper is not releasing correctly. How much would it cost to either have the caliper rebuilt, or replaced? Is this my next step, or am I missing something much easier?

[95CelicaST]

Your caliper piston is siezing. Your caliper needs to be rebuilt.

The answer to your questions is that we cannot tell you how much it will cost to be rebuilt, as that is determined by the shop's rate, materials, etc.

[Batman722]

Just replace it.
you can pick up a rebuilt caliper at autozone or pepboys, IIRC it's about $50 or so.
order the new one, replace it (2 14mm bolts, bleeder is 8mm, and the line is 10mm), return the old, and bleed the system and you should be good to go.