Technical Brake Binding BIND!

[Telegraph]

Hi all I thought it would be a good time to sort our Croma's front and rear brakes AGAIN!. I should explain that over the past seven years our car has got through three sets of front discs and two rear and the wear has been ilogical and exaspirating!.So this time I decided that I would sort it out armed with knowlege gleaned from this forum and also from other forums particulary a very helpfull procedure from a Zafira brake bind suferer.So to start with I renewed the caliper seals front right and rear left as these brakes have tormented me repeatedly in the past.Sure enough both cylinders had dry and sticking pistons so no wonder they were binding!.I thought foolishy drama over war won ect but NO! we drove to Ashbourne to treat our Cocker to a good walk and when we arived I was greeted with the smell of red hot brake pad rear right this time so I googled the problem and the zafira person came to my aid and and provided a simple procedure of pumping the piston out pushing back and again to get some fluid moving around until the piston can be moved smoothly and easily without the use of weapons of mass destruction.However I needed to take the caliper down the shed and grip in the vice and set about it with sealeys tackle and red hydraulic grease behind the dust seal so I was able to push it in and out with one hand.Then back to the car bled ect two bolts tight worked the hand brake hand brake off and guess what binding still Grrrr slackend slider bolts and now loose. By turning the upper slider it was plainly bent so I unbent the thing and tightend up and at last all well.All thats left to do now is to change the Master cylinder!.

 

[Bazm]

Hi telegraph, glad you have it sorted now. Our Croma is currently in the garage getting new rear discs and pads as one side went rapidly from OK to completely worn metal to metal. Now we have just been told the calipers need replacing. Fiat quoting 180 each.

Does anyone here know the part number for the equivalent Vectra c for a 2006 1,9 16v Croma?

Many thanks.

 

[Telegraph]

Gulp! Is it possible to renew the old ones with a new piston and seals.

 

[Telegraph]

Just found these worth a call £80 ahttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231476969913?clk_rvr_id=990933309145&rmvSB=true

 

[Vento]

Some time ago I ordered a right rear calliper for a 1.9 150 HP multijet, built 2008. Fiat partnumber 77363637 or TRW BHS933e. This calliper fitted a car with disks of 20 mm thick. What I needed was for 12 mm disks. So keep in mind there is more than one kind.

 

[Vento]

so I googled the problem and the zafira person came to my aid and and provided a simple procedure of pumping the piston out pushing back and again to get some fluid moving around until the piston can be moved smoothly and easily without the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Dear Telegraph, do I need to dismount the calliper to use the mentioned method, any way, would you explain how to follow this what you call a simple procedure.

Thanks in advance

 

[Bazm]

Thanks folks . Much appreciated. I've been without computer access for a couple of days, hence no response until now. They are vented discs on the back and around 20mm so I guess it's the BHS933 that I need. The garage had received the BHS935 which were the wrong ones.

Due to problems sourcing suitable calipers the garage have sent the originals off to be reconditioned and they should be back ready for fitting on Monday. I have no idea where they have been sent but will let you know and report on how good a job they have done.

garage also advised that the source of some of the strange noises from the front end are rusted top strut mounts for the shocks. I'll have a look on the forum to see if there is a lower cost option Vauxhall if it's a Vectra C. Then, if I get those replaced, I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and have have shocks changed at the same time ...

Thanks again for the help gentlemen.

 

[Telegraph]

Vento the procedure for the front is to replace the front pads with suitable packers old worn out pads would do then pump the piston out without pushing the piston out to far then push back in again and repeat until you can push it in easily. I used a cotton bud fifted dust seal and aplied red hydraulic grease all around the piston.
The rear calipers from my experience will have to br taken down the shed for some attention in a vice as they were realy tight and will need at tool to push and turn. Ater attention I was able to just pus and turn gently without loading in the tool.It would be unfair to single out Cromas for this trouble as lucas brakes are fitted to meny cars.
Our Croma had tight piston seals which were bone dry and bent slider pins also rust underneath the stainless pad guides.Should new pads need fitting they should be debured with a file. As the Zafira guy sugests if you aply the handbrake when released the pads should be loose front and back should not drag.I have just changed the master cylinder but do not do this unles you have to it is a terible job.

 

[Vento]

Vento the procedure for the front is to replace the front pads with suitable packers old worn out pads would do then pump the piston out without pushing the piston out to far then push back in again and repeat until you can push it in easily. I used a cotton bud fifted dust seal and aplied red hydraulic grease all around the piston.
The rear calipers from my experience will have to br taken down the shed for some attention in a vice as they were realy tight and will need at tool to push and turn. Ater attention I was able to just pus and turn gently without loading in the tool.It would be unfair to single out Cromas for this trouble as lucas brakes are fitted to meny cars.
Our Croma had tight piston seals which were bone dry and bent slider pins also rust underneath the stainless pad guides.Should new pads need fitting they should be debured with a file. As the Zafira guy sugests if you aply the handbrake when released the pads should be loose front and back should not drag.I have just changed the master cylinder but do not do this unles you have to it is a terible job.

Thank you very much, will do this exercise next time when maintenance is due