I might have a sticky caliper, does any one have any experience fixing the prob / replacing calipers???? any suggestions or comments that i should know?

 

guessing you have one pad worn to nothing and the other still good?
Sticking or stuck calipers are often from failure to flush the fluid out every few years

Depending on which caliper it is- you can buy rebuild kits with a new oring and cover boot ~$25 per caliper
If the piston or its cylinder wall are damaged heavily then its replacement caliper time
If you had a problem on 1 side of the car- both sides will be bad
If front caliper and excellent upgrade for the same $75 each is legend 2 piston calipers- gives much better stopping force

Pull the caliper off and look at it

 

What are the symptoms? Smoke from wheel? Wheel gets hot? Pulling to one side?

 

I had a sticky caliper and from driving u can not tell, When i changed my rotors and pads the boot off the back of the caliper came off and water got behind it and rusted it out, I could not pust it back, I fianally after alot of grease and muscle got it back into place untill i found anouther caliper.
When driving I really did not notice a difference, when i got my new caliper off a tottaled 2003 CL and was taking my old one off it was on there clenching hard I had to hammer it off.. So u really can't tell and mine was pretty bad, mine was in the back though, back driverside!

 

If its sticking replace it. They arent that much new/rebuilt

 

i had the same exact problem last week...it happened twice but when i took it in to get looked at from a reputable shop/friend of the family he said they looked good and some debree(sp?) must of gotten in there becuz to this day it hasnt done it anymore....

 

Hi All :

I don't know it this is your problem but here's my experience. I have posted this resolution to this issue in another post. Search for post with my ID and you'll find it.

In short, I had to file off the built-up rust underneath the S/S raceways the pads move back and forth on. I had to pry the pads out of the caliper and could not get the new ones back in. It seems that over time, rust builds up and is just enough to jam the pads and prevent them from moving. Take the raceways off and file the top and bottom of the brake traveler were the raceways sit. You'll be amazed at the pile of oxide that comes off.

You'll know you've solve the problem if the pads move back and forth easily and not bind. I also put a light coating of grease on the filed surfaces and on the raceways to try and prevent this from happening again.

smartypants.

 

there should be a metal slider tab that spans to both sides of the rotor across the caliper bracket
the pad end tabs move on the top and bottem of pad/caliper slider plates

If you had bare caliper bracket to pads, there is a part missing!
Remove it to clean with brake spray and regrease with synthetic caliper grease
This area is critcal to pad motion, as well as greasing the pad backs where they contact the pistons and the support fingers of the caliper
Do NOT grease the 2 pistons- do the pad back side where the piston will contact- just a smear is good (keeps grease from attracting dirt)

It is NOT the same as a sticking caliper-- which has a rusted piston bore or bad seal on it- and is scored inside causing sticking on or off or partial on-

some have driven home an hour not seeing the smoke coming off a stuck partially on rr brake, destroyed EBC pads- melted paint off the back of them = thats HOT--fire starting hot

Need to change brake fluid EVERY YEAR starting at year 2-3 of the cars life
We all are past that and should be doing it every year
Moisture gets compressed and turns to rusty crud that builds up and ruins brake systems... its amazing what comes out of the calipers on a flush/bleed!
wiki- hygroscopic for info

I suggest a full flushing be done BEFORE any brake job- that way its all clean fluid and you dont contaminate or stir up crud- its all gone

 

whats the story about the Legend calipers upgrade

 

the legend caliper has 2 smaller pistons on 1 side of the caliper-40 and 36mm iirc compared to 1 55mm piston (guessed on single piston size)

So it applies a much better, more even pressure to the pads and reduces braking distance
It also has 3 outer fingers to distribute pressure across the outer pad- stock has one on each end- nothing in the middle

the 1995 LS-C model has pistons sized closest together, its only a few mm between models that do work - but thats the closest

Everyone who has done it says well worth the 75 bucks a side- same price as TL calipers

 

thanks for the info.

 

get Legend calipers great bang for the buck. Rockauto has raybestos ones for pretty cheap.