Brake Help

[wizdawg]

1st off this is on my 2000 v6 mustang.

About a month ago I noticed my front driver side wheel would get dirty much faster than the rest. I didn't think much of it, nor really cared at the time. I took all the wheels off today to rotate them and that wheel it very hard to turn, and near impossible with the wheel off (turn by hand on the studs). What can cause this? Its almost like the brake isnt releasing 100%? Is it just in need of a brake job or is the problem more serious?

PS. This is a really dumb question, but how do you check the % of remaining brake pad? Do you have to remove the caliper?

Thanks!

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[Fast99Snake]

yeah ur caliper probably seized up
yes u also have to remove the calipers to check pad life

 

[frdtch05gt]

Check the caliper slide pins, they could be stuck. I've seen them so badly stuck that I needed to replace the caliper bracket, not even warming it up with a torch would free it.

 

[wizdawg]

I just did pads and rotors. I cleaned and greased the slide pins, they move perfect. I think its one of the pistons in the caliper bore. If i put a 2x4 in there and apply the brakes, one comes out all the way and the other doesnt start moving until the 1st "good" piston is dead against the wood.

I drove about 5 minutes with the new stuff on and when I got home the bad side was extreamly hot and the other side was cool. Its still rubbing. One of the 2 pistons is not retracting all the way. When jacked up, I can turn the wheel, but it will not free spin like the passenger side.

If i do new calipers, are they normally done in sets or can i just do the one side?

 

[Dana]

You can do just one.

 

[wizdawg]

well i did them both. just finished. bled the brakes, but now both wheels are stiff to spin. is this normal with brand new pads? does it take some time to loosen up?

on a side not... what causes the pistons to retrack back in?

 

[Ear Rak]

i have the same problem with my front calipers, which caused my spiffy drilled and slotted rotors to start to crack

good thing i got replacement rotors

 

[wizdawg]

i have the same problem with my front calipers, which caused my spiffy drilled and slotted rotors to start to crack

good thing i got replacement rotors

and the cause?

 

[Ear Rak]

and the cause?

the cause is the same problem you have, calipers not releasing all the way

 

[wizdawg]

the cause is the same problem you have, calipers not releasing all the way

But they are brand new on both sides and both are tight. I put the old pads back in on the passenger side with the new caliper and it spins freely. I put those same pads on the driver side (orignal pads on driver side are distroyed) and it spins better than originally, but not as freely as the passenger side. Do you think the pads they sold me are too thick?

 

[wizdawg]

Is this normal dual piston behavior...
If I take the caliper off the disc and put a piece of wood in there that leaves about .75" of piston travel before it hits the wood, one piston will come all the way out and hit the wood, at this point, the 2nd piston starts moving. is that normal or should they move at the same time?

 

[Ear Rak]

But they are brand new on both sides and both are tight. I put the old pads back in on the passenger side with the new caliper and it spins freely. I put those same pads on the driver side (orignal pads on driver side are distroyed) and it spins better than originally, but not as freely as the passenger side. Do you think the pads they sold me are too thick?

i was talking about my brakes, not yours. sorry for the confusion...

and as what i was suggested to do, get the caliper fully rebuilt

 

[wizdawg]

tried a 2nd new set of calipers. same deal. the passenger side spins a little better, but the driver is still locked up. im done with it. its at ford right now.

 

[mustangmike2003]

the cause is the same problem you have, calipers not releasing all the way

no its not, drilled rotors are known to crack, thats why a lot of people just go with slotted

 

[wizdawg]

Heres an update...

Ford is stumped, and still working on it. This makes me feel a little better knowing I didn't screw up a simple brake job. Even though I went through 2 new (remanufactured) calipers, I'm still better its the caliper sticking. I should have just bought new Ford calipers.

 

[wizdawg]

Well Im told its done and fixed. We'll see when I pick it up. They replaced the autozone pads with Ford pads (which are slightly thinner) and they replaced the brand new slide pins (new pins came with the remanufactured calipers from napa) with Ford pins. Between those 2 things, they says its fixed.