sound like a stuck caliper?

[AlaskanJack]

Hey not to be insulting buyt I think in your case pictures are what is needed to see what your calipers look like installed. No chance you are installing the slide pins in upside down??

Do you still have your box for the calipers? Check the part number on it and call a different napa and ask them for the part number for a caliper for your vehicle.

 

[jgilbs]

no offense taken. i know for a fact the slide pins are installed correctly. i can very easily move the caliper by hand. its the PISTON that is the problem. It will expand and contract, but its like its not retracting enough. I have replaced the MC, flex hoses, caliper, rotor and fluid and its still doing this. The passengers side is fine, however.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

i have the same problems, four brake jobs in five years. to sets of rotors and now my abs light comes on and my brakes are hot as hell too. i think its gotta be something in those sensors on the wheel. i have had new calipers, hoses and am looking for a cure too.

 

[jgilbs]

the problem is the piston is extending and retracting, but its niot retracting as much as it should be. pass side doesnt work again!

 

[jgilbs]

i have the same problems, four brake jobs in five years. to sets of rotors and now my abs light comes on and my brakes are hot as hell too. i think its gotta be something in those sensors on the wheel. i have had new calipers, hoses and am looking for a cure too.

i only have RABS, so its not sensors in the front wheels.

when I look at my rotors from their side(like looking at them while in front of the truck) they look like the tops lean out a little. is this normal due to the suspension and the truck being on jacks? does anyone elses tires "toe in " when they lift it?
pic:
tires when on ground || ||
tires when lifted \\ //

 

[huskyfan23]

Yikes you pressed the brake pedal with the calipers not installed? NO NO NO you need new calipers now....

I almost did that when doing my balljoints the other day. Glad I didn't!

 

[1993xlt]

.

 

[jgilbs]

thanks for the contribution ok, i know the master cylinder is seperated between the front and rears. since i have only bled the fronts - could this cause the piston to stick if the rears havent been bled yet?

 

[lonestar]

Quick Test:

When the calipers feel stuck, crack open the bleeder valve to see if it is the actual caliper is sticking of if the pressure is not being released. Once the brake pedal is released there should be no pressure on the brake piston.

If there is pressure, you need to investigate why the master cylinder or proportioning valve is not releasing.

If the calipers still feel sticky after opening the bleeder, it may be a bad/dirty caliper. I tend to rebuild my own calipers to ensure I don't have this problem. A caliper rebuild kit consists of a seal and dust boot. Simply blow out the piston, remover dust boot and seal, clean all surfaces using brake cleaner and emery clothe. Insert seal, insert piston, install dust boot.

Remeber, disk brakes to drag some. They do not release the same way drums do, there is no spring return. The pads rub the rotor, and simply squeeze and release, however they should still be able to be turned by hand.

 

[jgilbs]

yea, this is my 3rd caliper that is doing this, so i dont think its a bad rebuild. when I crack the bleeder screw, it doesnt release, so it almost seems like a stuck caliper, but i have had 3 different, calipers in there and still the same problem(happens on both sides) when i crack the bleeder screw, the piston retracts, but it doesnt retract enough to release pressure on the wheel. i know disc brakes are supposed to drag to some extent, but this is definetly excessive. i dont think i have a proportioning valve, since i only have rear ABS.

 

[jgilbs]

ok, well im goin to NAPA to get some new hard lines which will mean I have replaced EVERYTHING in the front system. anyone know what length I will need(looked like 2.5ft, but im not sure)

 

[cjbarron5]

change the proportining valve this is the one thing most people forget about when brake problems arise

 

[jgilbs]

i dont have a proportioning valve. the brake hardline exits the master cylinder, hits a "T" that connects the drivers side flex hose with the hard line to the passenger side flex hose.

 

[cjbarron5]

really??????/ thats odd ive never seen a brake system with out one i would look a little harder ill climb under mine today and see if i can find out where it is cause it should have one

 

[jgilbs]

well, thechnically it does have a proportioning valve, but it is an intrinsic part of the master cylinder, which I have already replaced.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

when i crack the bleeder screw, the piston retracts, but it doesnt retract enough to release pressure on the wheel.

Hrmm.... what about the pads, how are they installed? How/where are they greased? When you crack the bleeder, does the piston retract from the pad, or do they stay together?

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TEST IN NARROWING THIS DOWN:
If NO hydraulic lines are connected to the calipers, do they still drag???

 

[jgilbs]

OK - so this is where my problem starts to make NO sense. with the lines connected, both wheels were dragging. with the hard lines disconnected(flex lines, which are brand new connected to the caliper) the pass wheel is fine, but the drivers side drags(pass wheel still drags, but not as much compared to drivers side) if i hadnt replaced the caliper - i would be 100% sure it was a bad caliper. but i have gone through 3 of them, all with the same problem. i CAN move the caliper VERY EASILY in and out(i cant move the piston easily, but i can move the whole assembley with little to no friction) - just the piston wont retract to be flush with the caliper body. is this normal? when it is hooked up, it DOES expand/contract, just not enough to allow the wheel free movement. its still stuck on there, prob by 1/10 of an inch, or less. WTF?!

EDIT - When I crack the bleeder screw, the drivers side still drags. [Unrelated, but pertinent] Could I have improper installation of the crush washers on the banjo bolt? I placed one between the head of the bolt, and the banjo fitting, and one between the banjo fitting and the caliper. is this correct?

 

[jgilbs]

im beginning to think it just might be because im using my old pads and maybe they have an uneven wear pattern on them. what do y'all think?

 

[97BlackX5.0]

what kind of brake pads do you have and are they brand new.... i had a few sets for some small cars come back in to the parts store i worked at because they were to thick and wouldnt slide onto the rotor with the caliper all the way retracted... maybe you just have a little bit too thick of pad and its dragging a little .... sounds far out but after all this def a possibility

 

[jgilbs]

theyre about a month old and i used them on my old(warped) rotor, so I'm thinking that maybe their worn unevenly, causing them to not be square to the rotor. i easily slid a piece of paper under the pad at the top of the caliper, but couldnt slide it under the lower side. looks like its off to napa to get the new hoses and pads.