Sticking Brake Caliper

[97ponygt]

First how common are these? Had to slam on my brakes going 70mph. Essentially, once I slammed on the brakes the tire's didn't even move. There's now a flat spot on the tire where I had to stop. The tire basically went from full tread to nearly bald. I'll post pics, it's pretty crazy.

Anyway, I bought new wheels/tires and now there's a light chirping between the rotor and the pad. Replaced both the rotor and the pad and used a c-clamp to push the caliper back in. The first day it sounded fine. But the more I drive it, the more it's starting to chirp.

Really thinking this is a sticking caliper but wasn't sure how common they are. The chirping can be heard on both wheels. When I replaced the pads and rotors on Sunday I had to beat the caliper off with a rubber mallet because it was tight against the rotor.

 

[97ponygt]

Those are pictures from about a month ago

 

[07GtS197]

Let me guess it’s the front drivers side that’s sticking?

I’ve owned 3 sn’s and 2 were new edges. Both new edges had sticking calipers. It’s a very common problem but I’m not sure why. If you have the money I would use this as an opportunity to upgrade to cobra brakes.


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[PinkieT]

I had a nice set of Powerstop heavy duty pads and drilled/slotted rotors get trashed on my Ram 1500 when less than a year after I installed them the caliper froze up. My brother in law's Kia Soul has a locked up caliper. It happens. Sometimes the pins the movable part of the caliper ride on corrode, sometimes the piston in the caliper freezes up due to corrosion in the bore. If when you stomped the brakes you moved parts beyond their normal travel, they may have moved out of the good metal to the corroded area and stuck. I could be wrong. Once you take your brakes apart, I would love to know what is really the problem.

 

[ttocs]

I doubt its much more than a nearly 20 yr old part that sees use every time you drive it wearing out. Brakes need to be rebuilt every so often.

 

[Werecow]

Make sure you put antiseize or the recommended grease on the sliders whenever you put brakes on each time as well. If you don't the only pads that work on your brakes are the inside pads because the calipers can't slide and allow the outside pads to pull work in the outside of the rotor. That's why sometimes you'll see more wear on the inside pads and not as much wear in the outside pads. Also make sure the sliders/pins can move when you reassemble them..

 

[apsmith49921]

Make sure you put antiseize or the recommended grease on the sliders whenever you put brakes on each time as well. If you don't the only pads that work on your brakes are the inside pads because the calipers can't slide and allow the outside pads to pull work in the outside of the rotor. That's why sometimes you'll see more wear on the inside pads and not as much wear in the outside pads. Also make sure the sliders/pins can move when you reassemble them..

This 100%

Just did the wife's jeep. Caliper grease on all points, disc quiet on the pads and properly torqued bolts.

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[97ponygt]

Yeah I think there's a lot of truth to what's been posted by everyone. I already have the cobra calipers on there and I did those seven years ago. So probably time to replace the calipers. Although I don't remember putting caliper grease anywhere... Anyone have a good write up saved for this?

I've needed to buy new red ones in the front to match the rear anyway. That's the most frustrating part in that I just went through the exercise of changing the rear calipers to Cobra's and flushed the brake fluid.

Really thinking it's the caliper since the sound's only gotten worse while driving it the last couple of days. The first 50 miles I didn't hear a lot and then it's gotten progressively worse.

 

[97ponygt]

Another question... should I do calipers with the cobra logo with the caliper and bracket powder coated red and the cobra white? Or go with the red powder coated power stop ones with no logo?

 

[97ponygt]

Okay, opening this back up. So I changed, rotors, calipers, pads, basically all moving brake components and still find that the rotors grind against the pads every so slightly at only one spot on the rotor. It's a little chirp every time that pad hits the rotor. It's not a constant grind. Is it possible that wheel hub is bent in some way? I took video and can post if that helps.

 

[07GtS197]

I doubt it. It’s more likely the new rotor has a slight warp in it. Take a straight edge to it and find the spot. If it’s just a high spot and the rotor isn’t bent it should sort itself out once the pads get worn down some.

 

[97ponygt]

Can say it’s not the rotor. This is the third rotor on it in the last two years and all of them have done it which leads me to believe it’s another component entirely.

 

[07GtS197]

I guess it’s possible. I find it a little bit of a stretch though because even if the hub was bent, it wouldn’t affect the rotor. It just wouldn’t sit completely flush. Put a straight edge on the caliper and hub to check both.

 

[cobrajeff96]

Could just be that damn slide pin acting up. I always had a bitch of a time with the OEM PBR Cobra calipers, so glad I sold them. Anyways, keep that slide pin lubed constantly. Same for the rear calipers too. You do not want any of them seizing up on you ever. Its money down the drain and/or a potential safety hazard. And it often just sounds like ass when they seize up like that. It's likely what you're experiencing now. But also know that all the OEM calipers in the SN95 years are not precision instruments; they load asymmetrically and tapered pad wear is a given.

 

[97ponygt]

Yeah I ended up thinking that might be the case and replaced the pin and lubed it up good. But, even after replacing the pin, the pads and rotor, after putting it back together, I can still hear that same chirping noise when rotating the tire. After putting it back together, shouldn't I be able to spin the wheel freely and not hear and pad on rotor contact?

 

[cobrajeff96]

With a floating caliper, I tend to think not. And that's why you'll always have uneven pad wear. That caliper sort of slides in and out a slight amount at all times. Just the archaic design of it. But while you're there, make sure the wheel bearing doesn't have any play. That'll surely affect things too.