Archived Break Caliper stuck

[hackengineering]

I have a good freind who called a few days back for me to look at his front end. He has a 2001 4x4 with 185000. When i took the left front tire off the hub was extremly tight. I removed the caliper and pads and the hub was free. So i squeezed the plungers back in the caliper and reinstalled. Now he just told me the tire is pretty much frozen with the brake locked up. Any suggestions to start, is it just a bad caliper or is there something that could cause aditional pressure in the line and not release that i should look at first?

Thanks

CH

 

[GAmes]

It could also be the flexible brake hose that goes to the caliper. If it deteriorates inside it may allow brake fluid to go into the caliper, but not allow it to release.

 

[Extreme1]

Replace both calipers and the brake fluid. The brake fluid absorbs water and the calipers rust internally. When they start to drag or stick, they are shot and need replacement.



This assumes that the caliper is free to move on the slides...

 

[DBraunig]

You can check to see if it's the caliper or the flexible hose.



Crack the bleeder open and see if the wheel frees up, if it does it's the hose.



If it's still stuck, it's the caliper.



Dave

 

[GAmes]

You can check to see if it's the caliper or the flexible hose.



Crack the bleeder open and see if the wheel frees up, if it does it's the hose.



If it's still stuck, it's the caliper.



Dave

Dang!!!! I wish I had thought of that before replacing the calipers, power brake booster/master cylinder and proportioning valve on my 67 Chev PU(power brakes came off a 72). :{

 

[AndyMan]

My 99 had them sieze up like that. At first I thought it was lines... so I replaced them. Next I went to replace calipers and found them STUCK. lots of clamping, prying and beating later they came off. $20 each at O'reilly auto parts. For each of the lines and the calipers.

 

[Joe Mc]

It could also be the flexible brake hose that goes to the caliper. If it deteriorates inside it may allow brake fluid to go into the caliper, but not allow it to release.

When I bought my truck in 01 it had 75 k and one of the first things I did was to change out the brake hoses.



I'm betting it's a bad hose acting like a check valve.

 

[RON'S RAM]

One other thing to check. Not sure if the 01's are the same as the 97's but if so, do the calipers slide easily back and forth without the pads in place? If not, remove the rubber or plastic bushings that are in the caliper that the pins slide thorugh. Over time, rust builds up around the bushings causing them to get tighter on the slide pins and making the caliper stick. Scrape the inside of the hole clean & wire brush it. I used a small round file too then lubed the bushings and re-installed them. Caliper now slides free. Cost $0. 00

 

[hackengineering]

UPDATE Not a Caliper

So we needed to tow the truck home, we took the caliper off, removed the pads and put the caliper back on with hope we could just pull truck on trailer. After all that we found the wheel still had a horrible scream and was nearly locking up still. Looks like bearing i guess huh. Thanks for all the suggestions for the caliper.

 

[RON'S RAM]

Ouch! A little more money and a lot more work.

Have fun!

 

[HEMI®Dart]

'01 front axle bearing assembly's are a bear to find if I remember right. I think it's a dealer only part.



I had the metal bracket that mounts the brake hose rust & squeeze the hose shut. Fluid would go through (3000 psi?) but not return.

 

[hackengineering]

Anyone know that the socket name and size is for the caliper holder bracket. Its about a 11/16 but and maybe a 16 point head. Cant get the rotor off without it.

Thanks

CH

 

[RON'S RAM]

Check these out, is this what you're talking about? Torx bits or e-torx sockets.

35 bit E-TORX STAR EXTERNAL INVERTED FEMALE SOCKET SET - (item 260141286150 end time Jul-23-07 20:05:10 PDT)