Walk me through replacing a caliper.

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LF caliper is seizing. Going to buy a new (loaded w/pads) one asap. I'm guessing it's unbolt, remove hose, install, bleed brakes?

I've never bled brakes before so automatically nervous about air in the line and not being able to stop. I know to start at the wheel furthest from MC and keep the reservior full or close to it. Is there a way to do this one-person? Can't count on having a helper on this one.
 

chris91

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You sure its not the slide pins seized up? Mine did that and it seemed like the caliper was bad. Took a torch an some vice grips and worked it loose. Problem solved.
 

Slykin

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Well, if you are SURE it's the caliper, it's pretty easy. First, unbolt the line from the back of the caliper. Make sure not to lose this bolt, it's called a banjo bolt(has a hole through the center) and is expensive. You'll also notice a couple copper crush washers here, make sure to get a couple before you start this project. You CAN NOT reuse these. Also, try to plug the line somehow, or at least attach it to something high so it doesn't drip out fluid. Then there is a pin that prevents the caliper from rotating in the bracket. Remove the clip off the back of it(keep the clip), and pull the pin out. The caliper should slide off of the rotor. Remove pads and you're good to go. Install in the reverse order, making sure to put your new copper crush washers in.

Bleeding the brakes is pretty easy. If you do the LF caliper, you probably won't need to do all four corners, just the two fronts. If you do the two fronts and your pedal is still soft, then do all four, start at the RR, then LR, then RF, the LF. Basically starting at the farthest from the master cylinder and getting closer. You'll see on the back of the caliper that there is a little(pretty dang small) nipple/zirk thing with a rubber cap on it. Take the rubber cap off. This is where you'll need a buddy. Have someone pump the brakes and hold the pedal down, and then you will unscrew that zirk just enough that the brake fluid can shoot out. Only do it long enough for the flow to slow down, and then tighten back quickly(just do maybe a half turn opened and closed). Have your buddy pump and hold again... and again... until there are no air bubbles or in the stream of brake fluid. Also, make sure not to run your master cylinder out of fluid. That's bad. That's about all I can think of.
 

John Nich

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I'll explain it to you like you're a retard with no helper.

Buy Speedbleeders google them, they're a replacement for the bleeder screw with a one way valve so you don't need another idiot to push the pedal, you can be that idiot. They're really easy to use.. put em on tight, break em loose a quarter turn, put a clear tube on em leading into a bottle and then push the pedal to bleed the brakes... dass it.
go one at a time and remove the bleederscrews with i think a 10mm will do it all the way around. do this on the 3 calipers that you're not replacing. and install the fourth one on the one you will be replacing. now that' that's taken care of. replace the caliper. I notice you have a 99+ car..and i have a 98 so i can't tell you exactly how to do...it was just like 15mm caliper bracket bolts, and a t50 torx bolt holding the caliper to the bracket. but since the calipers are different this may not be the same. But it's a very simple. you don't even need to compress the piston if you're replacing the caliper. just make sure you get new crush washers, the old ones can leak if you reuse them. Just have a shit ton of fluid...and bleed all the corners. Don't take the lazy way out. Cause if you haven't done it yet... the shit you will be pumping out will be the color of pepsi. and that's no good. do all corners.

Now is also a very good time to just upgrade cobra brakes up front. =) the way i see it... If i'm gonna fix something, I may as well upgrade it
 
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Slider pins were replaced a couple of months ago. The old ones came out with no issue and were coated with anti-seize. Put the new ones in, again liberally coated with anti-seize. That's why I ruled them out (God I wish it was only that) At that time I noticed the pistons were not equally extended; perhaps at that time one was "hanging up."

Taking the caliper off is easy from what I remember, just 2x15mm bolts to take it out of the bracket. I'm buying a loaded caliper because I'm assuming the pads on that corner are dying a quick death.

I am the one-man band on this one and have watched some one-man bleeder tutorials on youtube. Some are clearly questionable, but some involve tools I could easily grab at Auto Zone or the like.

I don't intend to upgrade to Cobra brakes because I'm not hanging onto the car.
 

John Nich

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Man just throw some speed bleeders on that sucka.. they're like 7 bucks a pop. and save a whole lot of time effort and fluid. If I had to dick around with one man bleeders and shit Id of had my car up on jack stands for a week.
 

BigBore96

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I highly suggest the speed bleeders. though if you don't go that route. I suggest using some long tube so you can pump the breaks and have the tube with fluid close at hand. Along with a brick to keep the pedal down so you can tighten the bleeders and not suck air back in.
 
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So I did some reading on speed bleeders and it looks like there are many conflicting opinions about them. Some guys claim a soft pedal because air sneaks in around the threads on the bleeders. Others have said the bleeders broke off in the calipers (I think they were too rough on them). I think I'll go ahead with it seeing as this is the only time I plan to do this job; the car will be gone come Fall.
 

BigBore96

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So I did some reading on speed bleeders and it looks like there are many conflicting opinions about them. Some guys claim a soft pedal because air sneaks in around the threads on the bleeders. Others have said the bleeders broke off in the calipers (I think they were too rough on them). I think I'll go ahead with it seeing as this is the only time I plan to do this job; the car will be gone come Fall.

Good choice. The internet is filled with the tiny 5% of failures caused by products. It's never the successful installs you hear about.

Plus damn near 100% of what you do hear about negative is user inflicted.
 
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That's what I figured, people will always ***** but they usually won't talk about success. I'll get them, follow the directions, take my time, and be happy with the result.
 

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