Besides Chrysler, who makes new calipers?

[brods]

I'm tired of having stuck calipers every couple of years and want to buy new quality calipers. Besides Chrysler are there any other sources for brand new, not remanufactured, calipers for our trucks?

 

[BILTIT]

You shouldnt have stuck calipers even with remans. Whens the last time you flushed all the brake fliud?

 

[JR]

Caliper pins rusting up?

I've made it a habit on all my vehicles to pull the pins annually and clean and seize them. I do this whenever I rotate tires close to the start of winter.

 

[jgillott]

Oh the joys of living in the rust belt.

 

[brods]

I did a complete flush when I did the calipers, as well as can be done with the ABS crap. Its not the pins this time, if anything the ear bores are oversize since the caliper moves up and down quite a bit when the rotor is rotated back and forth. (I have pulled the caliper to confirm it is the pistons) Stock calipers went 9 years 121K, reman junk bad less than 4 years and 26K. I knew better and should have purchased new like I've done in the past with other vehicles. I'd like to get new calipers with metal pistons and silicone seals instead of the phenolic pistons and EPDM seals that all the rebuilt ones seem to have.

So far the only other new calipers I've seen are from Stainless Steel Brakes and they are huge $$$, plus they didn't look like they had outer dust boots on the pistons.

 

[Bob4x4]

There are race based companies that build calipers but you may be hard pressed to find many for a 2500 or larger truck

 

[jgillott]

If it is any consolation, I'm getting about 2-3 years and max of 50K out of my rear calipers on my 3rd gens. The salt just kills them regardless of how well I try to maintain them.

When I finally buy a new truck. I'm keeping it for the warranty period and then it will be gone. I'm not playing with this trying to keep an old truck around game any longer.

 

[The patriot]

Did any of you try coating them with something like Boeshield? Maybe powdercoat?
My calipers are either originals, or I did them once. (getting old, got to look at the book to be sure)
I bleed my truck annually, and replace the brake fluid and PS fluid at that time. I had to remove & lube my front caliper pins probably 3-4 times since I've bought it.

 

[cerberusiam]

Unless you build them yourself or spend $$$ you won't get anything but the phenolic pistons. OE or take you or chances with the remans. I have almost 140k on the A1 Cardone remans with no issues, but the best reman you can get and they seem pretty solid.

 

[Motorhead]

Does any of the rebuilders use stainless steel insert sleeves when the caliper halves are re-sleeved back to stock bore? Is there also a stainless steel piston available? That would help because you don't get the corrosion. Even on the west coast I have had rear calipers stick just from the fact that they don't move much or wear much. I have done a couple of fluid changes on my '07 and while changing the fluid, I have the brake pedal person hold the pedal down some to close the master ports and then open the caliper bleeder and compress the pistons to extract the old fluid. I repeat this a few times on each caliper and it keeps them freed up.

 

[seafish]

Raybestos is doing a line of high quality new calipers under their Optic-Cal brand.

I read about them on another forum and they seem to be a well manufactured unit..NOT rebuilt.
They DO make them for 3rd gen trucks, though I do not have the part #.

Here is a link about them--

https://www.brakepartsinc.com/raybestos/en-us/products/calipers

 

[brods]

Thanks seafish, I ordered up a set for the truck. They are the same price as the rebuilt ones, which seems too inexpensive for new ones, but we’ll see when they show up. I have other vehicles to do as well so hopefully these calipers will be at least as good as rebuilt ones and a big plus is they save the hassle of dealing with the cores! At least now I can pull the old calipers apart to see why the pistons were hanging (corrosion from moisture in the brake fluid or from moisture getting past the dust boot).

 

[jhenderson]

I second Brods findings on worn mounting points on remans. I put two sets of calipers on my 3rd gen and both had worn pin holes and slide surfaces. I wished I had rebuilt my first set myself. The castings were in better shape than the remans I bought.

 

[seafish]

Thanks seafish, I ordered up a set for the truck. They are the same price as the rebuilt ones, which seems too inexpensive for new ones, but we’ll see when they show up.

Definitely let us know what you think of the quality after you get them. Also, maybe post up the part #'s ??

 

[seafish]

I second Brods findings on worn mounting points on remans. I put two sets of calipers on my 3rd gen and both had worn pin holes and slide surfaces. I wished I had rebuilt my first set myself. The castings were in better shape than the remans I bought.

IMO, that is a also problem with many reman parts today...the core part itself is worn down due to multiple rebuilds.

 

[brods]

Definitely let us know what you think of the quality after you get them. Also, maybe post up the part #'s ??

The site you linked to has a search by vehicle on the left side of the page: https://www.brakepartsinc.com/raybestos/en-us/catalog-part-search
It lists these calipers for 2003-2008 2500 and 3500 trucks

Disc Brake Caliper (Front Left)
Per Car Quantity: 1
Part Number: FRC11432N
Sub-Brands:OPTI-CAL
Graderemium

Disc Brake Caliper (Front Right)
Per Car Quantity: 1
Part Number: FRC11431N
Sub-Brands:OPTI-CAL
Graderemium

Disc Brake Caliper (Rear Left)
Per Car Quantity: 1
Part Number: FRC11690N
Sub-Brands:OPTI-CAL
Graderemium

Disc Brake Caliper (Rear Right)
Per Car Quantity: 1
Part Number: FRC11689N
Sub-Brands:OPTI-CAL
Graderemium

 

[brods]

The rears showed up already. I wasn't really paying attention when ordering and was pleasantly surprised to see they come with a new mounting bracket too! Bought some more for a different vehicle.

 

[seafish]

Those look NICE...are the pistons steel or phenolic resin??

 

[Wayne M.]

Excellent resource. Thanks. I've been lucky with mine- still the originals. I've replaced the pins and boots a couple years ago.
Worthy of note that I see Centric seems to have what appears all new with a bracket, just like these, that I put on the F550's I work on.
I'm thinking I should buy a set just to put away. Hmmmm.

 

[MartyK]

Where are they made?