brake caliper q's

hey all, I just changed my 99 corollas front pads/rotors beacuse of vibration with high speed braking even though the pads still had half the life; (my novice brother did the job) and shortly after i noticed slight smoking and smell and some clanging noise from the driver side, and the pickup was stiffer as if the brakes were sticking,

so i called my mechanic friend and he looked at it and saw that the caliper wasnt releasing properly even though everything was structurally intact. Also when we jacked the car up (both sides), in drive, the wheels wouldnt turn. Upon further review, we realized the bottom housing unit for the screw of the caliper wouldnt come out at all even after hammering it, (he said its supposed to go in and out with braking). There was no room for the new thicker pads to function, so he put the old pads back on and it seems to be working well now, with more room.

Now, i dont know how to fix that problem. Do i need a new caliper which is costly or just a new housing nut/screw? Is this a common problem? Thanx guys for any input.

Reply 1 : brake caliper q's

You mean the slide pins got stuck? Could be your rubber booth got torn / damaged, allowing dirt and moisture in there. If that happens, it can rust. This may result in a stuck calliper.



The best way to tell, is to disassemble the entire calliper. As far as I know, you can buy the slide pins from the dealer / shop. If the damage can be repaired, get it fixed and also replace the other rubbers (refurbish).

Reply 2 : brake caliper q's

i had the exact problem. i ended up going to napa and bought manufactured calipers. they cost 40 bucks each and i haven't had a problem with them

Reply 3 : brake caliper q's

You have two possible problems. The caliper slides are rusted or damaged or your caliper piston is rusted or damaged (or the piston bore).



You can get the calipers from any auto parts store for around $40 which is not costly at all. However, you may only need to replace the one that isn't working. If the other is working fine, there's no need to change it. I work at AutoZone and we sell calipers for the 8th gen corolla's for $42 with a lifetime warranty so it's not a bad deal.



Anyway, changing out the caliper is a very simple job too so you can save money by not taking it to a mechanic. BUT, understand that you will need to bleed the system. So be sure to get some DOT3 brake fluid and either a helper (to press the brakes to bleed the system) or a one-person brake bleeder kit (around $10 - $15).