caliper/piston problem? please help
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln NE
caliper/piston problem? please help I just put on new hawk brake pads for my 99 z. I noticed that one of the pistons on the front driver side caliper compressed a little hard. I didnt think anything of that and put the pads on. After I was done I took the car out a couple of miles and back to wash it. When I ran water over the front driver side rotor and caliper, they steamed and were obviously waaay to hot. Do I have a major problem with the caliper (do I need to buy a new one), or is this a problem that can be fixed? thanks for the help.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 377
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From: Fairfax County, VA (You know you're here when you see the bad roads)
how does is brake? They usually get pretty darn hot normally, enough to burn your hand if you touch right after braking. Did you take the cap off of your fluid reservior when compressing the caliper piston?
When the car is cold, take it for a short spin and then feel the calipers. If one of the front or rears is way hotter than the other side, it might be sticking. At that point, I would just replace it.
Some folks say you should replace calipers in pairs, because if one starts sticking, the other one isn't far behind.
Did you lube the guide pins?
Some folks say you should replace calipers in pairs, because if one starts sticking, the other one isn't far behind.
Did you lube the guide pins?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Lincoln NE
One of the guide pins was stuck. Also, I found a crack in the caliper. I checked the guide pins on the other side and one of those were stuck. I am probably going to end up geting a new set of calipers for the front. thanks for the help guys.
If you have stuck guide pins, you need to make sure you can get them loose and moving again, or you will need to buy a pair of pad abutment brackets and some slider pins. New calipers will not fix the frozen pins (but it will fix the crack).
