brake caliper overhaul

hello.

anyone any tips on overhauling brake calipers. want to check all these ones i have are in tiptop condition before i fit them.

ta.

Check seals, check caliper, bleed nipples etc, then check caliper movement and return, check for excessive corrosion.

Usual stuff that if it looks like it's fecked it usually is.

Liam

First of all I'd fully strip any calipers your intending on fitting to your car as a matter of course anyway, just to give yourself piece of mind.

Also by fully stripping the calipers back to each of their key components, you can inspect each part of them in tern and check they are all ok.

The cast iron caliper body's are pretty robust items, so are generally alright, apart from being covered in dirt and the odd bit of surface rust, (which can easily be cleaned off), check for any cracks or damaged to the body of the caliper, especially if you got them from a scrap yard as the chances are the car they were taken from, was involved in a heavy accident which could have caused damage to them.

What you really want to do is check the condition of the actual piston within the caliper, don't worry about the inside of it, as these always go rusty, but carefully inspect the outside of the piston, as this is the part that the caliper's fluid seal bear's against. Any inperfection in this surface could cause fluid leaks and loss of breaking, which is NOT good.

Also check the condition of the rubber fluid seal and the rubber dust seal. Give them a gental stretch, (not too much as you dont want to damage them), but just enough so you can inspect them for cracks. The rubber should be soft and flexable, however if its not and there are tiny cracks in the surface of the seals this means the rubber is old and should be replaced.

I'd also check the condition of the rubber boots that go over the sliders, again these shouldn't have any cracks and should be soft and flexable. While your their check the slider rods and the holes they go into, they should be clean shiney metal and rust free. Also try and get all of the old grease out from the hole and replace it with new as this will help the caliper slide more easily.

Oh and I'd also replace the bleed nipples for new items, they're only coppers to buy anyway, so their's no real reason not to replace them. It also makes bleeding the brakes a hole lot easiler when you come to fit the calipers onto the car.

Sorry about the long post , but I hope that little lot answers your question.

Brian

if you're having doubts just buy caliper repair kits and replace every perishable. actually do they still sell them these days? havent seen a caliper repair kit for a long time now.

I have had problems with aftermarket repair kits, specifically with boots not fitting. The seals are always fine so just be careful as you may need to re-use the boots. There is a lube recomended for new seals sometimes you get it in the kit, but a little bit of brake fluid usually works fine to get the seals on, just be careful not to get any on your paint.

I have to re-do my rear ones as there getting a bit slow on releasing and the pads are f**ked .

I know you can buy new seal kits directly from Fiat.

These generally give you new fluid seals, dust seals and the little rubber boots that go over the sliders, (I also got a little bag of grease for the sliders, when I bought the seal kits for some Punto GT front calipers) but it may depend on the calipers your rebuilding as to what you actually get in the seal kit, so I'd check on Eper before doing any ordering.

HTH

Brian

Repair kits with new pistons are £13 per caliper http://www.brakeparts.co.uk/.

If in doubt just send off to bigg red and they come back as new!

Liam

£13 per caliper.. i only paid £7 more than that to buy the bloody things!

send them where?

here http://www.biggred.co.uk/

Liam

I can remember Liam putting up the pics of his had done at that place does he do all types Liam[ for future referance]

Yes!

Liam

Prices good are they and service is good [quick turnaround] ?

See here

http://www.fiatforum.com/lets-talk-f...light=bigg+red

Liam

John at big red is a top bloke, i brought an uno turbo caliper refurb kit from him come with every seal needed for the whole caliper even some that i didnt need as i couldnt get the handbrake mech to come out ect... but i stripped the calipers down to as many parts as poss and put a wire brush on the drill and off i went, comes with grease packs to lube the seals ect.. now my brakes are good as new

gaz