Brake Calipers?

warwick.hoy · #1 09-13-2009, 04:40 PM

So I bought a 1983 Dodge 600 off a guy for 300 clams. The first among many orders of business is to get the braking system in order. I don't seem to be leaking any brake fluid, but when I pulled the passenger side front caliper off,...the gaskets are ripped and the piston is deteriorating. There is this white flaky material coming of the caliper. Brake lines appear intact and in good shape.

The driver side front caliper appears to be rebuilt. The exposed portion of the piston from what I can see is shiny bare metal. I didn't remove the driver side caliper.

Should I get a rebuilt caliper which goes for $28 + $20 core through Napa? Or should I try my luck at a salvage yard? Price, condition and availability unknown.

Should I replace both calipers at the same time? The passenger side is getting replaced for sure. I can preform the work on my own. Getting both replaced at the same time would provide some peace of mind but is it necessary?

TrooperFarva · #2 09-13-2009, 05:59 PM

The NAPA deal sounds pretty good.

Definitely replace both at the same time. Like all things related to brakes, always replace an axle at a time. If you only do 1 side, your car could pull to one side.

Auzzie-Phoenix · #3 09-13-2009, 06:52 PM

Autozone, O'Reilly, and Advanced Auto are your friends.

Chunk-O-Funk · #4 09-13-2009, 07:00 PM

No brainer. Get the rebuilt from Napa.
Do both if you can afford it.

warwick.hoy · #5 09-13-2009, 09:13 PM

I think I can afford to replace both. Thanks guys. I considered a rebuild kit,...but they sell you the boot and the piston seperately for the same price as one rebuilt by someone else (no core charge of course,...but I'll run the old ones back when change them out).

hbarcat · #6 09-13-2009, 09:20 PM

I'm a do it yourself guy with cars as well as an all around cheapskate, but the brakes on my car are one of those "important" systems that I don't skimp on.

T-Bird · #7 09-13-2009, 11:49 PM

Hi.

Well if You wouldn't have included the price of the rebuilt one in the op, I would have said to rebuild them. As You have the skills and probably the tools also.

For that price it's a no-brainer, IMHO.

I rebuild all sorts of calipers every once and a while, and like said before, anything You do on the brakes should be done on both ends of the axle. Otherwise You may well be into a surprize of your life at some inconvinient point in time.

The reason I rebuild mine is because the factory rebuilt units are sometimes less cost efficient over here and because I have the necessary tools to do the work. I do always check the prices and make the desicion based on that.

Just getting a stuck piston off can sometimes be a real challenge, even for someone with proper tools. And if that stuck piston has corroded the cylinder wall beyond repair and/or removing the piston scores the cylinder walls beyond repair, the rebuilt one is the only option anyway.

Regards
Sam

Truktek2 · #8 09-14-2009, 08:25 AM

I concur.

Bob Lee (QSC) · #9 09-14-2009, 10:13 AM

Get the rebuilt one from NAPA.

Check the other caliper thoroughly. If it cleans up well and is in good shape, you probably don't have to replace it. I've done a single replacement of a front caliper (the bleed screw busted off when I tried to loosen it, and then the screw extractor busted off inside it, and it still didn't loosen), and the brakes worked great because the other caliper still worked well.

Ben B · #10 09-14-2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrooperFarva

The NAPA deal sounds pretty good.

Definitely replace both at the same time. Like all things related to brakes, always replace an axle at a time. If you only do 1 side, your car could pull to one side.

+1. Always replace brake parts on both sides of the axle. It's not worth the risk of one side acting differently--brake parts are cheap, collisions are expensive.

Ben

Bob Lee (QSC) · #11 09-14-2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben B

+1. Always replace brake parts on both sides of the axle. It's not worth the risk of one side acting differently--brake parts are cheap, collisions are expensive.

I'd apply that advice to pads (or shoes), not necessarily to calipers, brake lines, etc.

There's a reason pads come in axle sets, but you can buy single calipers.

warwick.hoy · #12 09-14-2009, 05:42 PM

Looking at both calipers,...It appears as though one caliper is different from the other. The frame that holds the shoes to the rotor appears the same. I'm guessing the previous owner replaced the driver side caliper with a rebuilt one out of a salvage yard,...perhaps from a later model. He included a caliper in with the sale,...it seems to match the driver side exactly,...meaning it is a driver side caliper. The brake line would be positioned downward if I installed it on the passenger side. I'm not comfortable with that. Add to that the the boot is also ripped. I'm not wasting my time with that.

I can afford to replace both and will have plenty leftover to pickup a pair of jack stands, so that's what I'll do.

Mike N · #13 09-14-2009, 07:03 PM

If you're replacing the pads at the same time, you may want to look into a loaded caliper. They come with new pads, slider pins, hardware and often times the bracket that the caliper bolts to.

If you're just doing the calipers, shop around. Advance Auto lists them on their website for $19 each.

Mike N · #14 09-14-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

Well if You wouldn't have included the price of the rebuilt one in the op, I would have said to rebuild them. As You have the skills and probably the tools also.

For that price it's a no-brainer, IMHO.

I rebuild all sorts of calipers every once and a while, and like said before, anything You do on the brakes should be done on both ends of the axle. Otherwise You may well be into a surprize of your life at some inconvinient point in time.

The reason I rebuild mine is because the factory rebuilt units are sometimes less cost efficient over here and because I have the necessary tools to do the work. I do always check the prices and make the desicion based on that.

Just getting a stuck piston off can sometimes be a real challenge, even for someone with proper tools. And if that stuck piston has corroded the cylinder wall beyond repair and/or removing the piston scores the cylinder walls beyond repair, the rebuilt one is the only option anyway.

Regards
Sam

I prefer to rebuild calipers and wheel cylinders as well, but alot of parts stores here don't even stock rebuild kits anymore because reman calipers are so cheap.

Last kit I tried to get was for a 79 Camaro. The parts guy didn't have any kits, and a rebuilt caliper was only $12. Problem was he only had the drivers side and I needed the passenger side. So I bought the one he had, tore the guts out and used them to rebuild my caliper.

warwick.hoy · #15 09-14-2009, 07:20 PM

I already have the pads in hand. I originally thought all I needed was to do a brake job,...bought the shoes and when I got the calipers off saw the chalky piston and ripped boot.