Brake troubles...Any thoughts?

[Idually]

A while back I discovered a bad front caliper on my CTD Ramcharger (Pulling hard to the right when braking). I replaced both fornt calipers and pads(Rotors were o. k). and rebled. A few weeks later, I decided to check on them and noticed that the "shims" on the inside, left front brake had slid out from under the pad and started to "curl" up. I took it back apart. Removed the shims and added a new one. Reinstalled everything, borrowed a power bleeder from the nieghbor and bled them really well.



NOW, the left front brake makes a clicking/Popping noise when braking. Seems to brake well and isn't pulling, but the noise can't bee good. Any ideas??



Thanks!

Andrew

 

[B.G. Smith]

By the shim coming out it sounds like something is causing the caliper to walk around, could be either a loose wheel bearing or a warped rotor, usually with a warped rotor you will feel a pulsation in the pedal when braking. The click/pop noise could be too much slack between the caliper and the stationary mounting hardware or it could be in the A-arm bushings(upper or lower) or the ball joints. bg

 

[csnider]

My shims walked out on a set of pads. brakes got real bad. I went ahead and got new rotors new pads everything and the shims started walking out again so now I dont use the shims. . problem is when the shims walk , they bundle up and make the pads settle out of square with the rotor. . makes a barely livable brake system into a dangerous one. . I think... .



If you want great brakes, the Hydratech system for our first gens IS the way to go. . I have the system in my 92 and it stops as good as my Gals 04 Honda CRV. . great system that uses hydralic assitance instead of vaccume. . not sure of the cost as I bought the truck with the system already installed. . looks like they mod the steering pump to power the brakes up. . great stuff. If I keep my 93 . I'm going to put this system in it. .



http://www.hydratechbraking.com/products/

 

[BHiggins]

I had the same problem, the arm the caliper mounts to was worn slightly. Every once in a while, I'd lose a "shim" which is actually a spring. I got a new spring and immediately put it into a vice to give the spring more arc. If you try this, be careful, trying to re-arc spring steel in a vice can be dangerous. I learned the hard way when the spring popped out out of the vice and nearly went through my bosses windshield a good 30 feet away. Once the spring had an arc well over stock, I re-assembled it and it never fell out again. Incidentally, I did this without even removing the caliper, just the slide and retainer bolt.

 

[BHiggins]

I just re read your post, and I'm not sure the "shims" you were talking about are the same as the "springs" I had a problem with. If I'm way off base here, just ignore my last reply.