Sticking Brake Caliper

[CharBaby]

My Neice has a 2000 Nissan Altima with a sticking drivers side front brake caliper which has worn down the pads on that side and blackened the aluminum wheel. The passenger side is fine!

I thought that I had fixed the issue with a new set of pads and cleaned and lubed everything very well. When pushing back the caliper piston so that I could install the new pads, the piston moved back very freely. Only the pads seemed to be frozen in their slots in the caliper mounting bracket. I took apart everything and cleaned the anti-rattle clips(the area where the pads slide in when installing). Lubed the area where the pads slide in, along with the slider pins and their cavity.

The drivers side wheel is black again and I noticed this when we arrived for Thanksgiving. I mentioned it to her an said that I would look at it again this weekend.

Is there something that I should be looking for when I take apart those brakes again. I will bleed the brakes on that side only which I did not do the first time. Any advise will be good advise.....Thanks

 

[Quest]

When in doubt, always replace the whole caliper assembly with a new one, or a reman from a reputable supplier.

Unless you have the proper service history of that particular vehicle in-question, oftentimes, the accordian sliding pin seal maybe broken, the pin maybe pitted, etc. All these things may contribute to caliper binding/partial seizing up. If re-lubing it doesn't help, get something proper to service it.

Lastly, don't foeget to look at the proportioning valve and the rest of the brake systems to ensure that they are properly functioning as well.

 

[doitmyself]

To follow up on Quest's excellent advice, some say that the flexible brake hose leading to the caliper sometimes gets internal damage and doesn't allow the brake pressure to release off the caliper.

 

[mechtech2]

Brake dust on the wheel is common. That is because of the brake pad's material. Some pads are much worse than others.
You would feel a pull if they were sticking.
Try driving the car.

 

[The Critic]

Advanced Auto sells a loaded Raybestos caliper for this application for $65.99/side. $132 (and maybe an extra $20 for rotor resurfacing) later, the problem will be fixed.

 

[Donald]

I would replace the caliper as its not your vehicle and you do not want to deal with it multiple times. You say the caliper moved back very freely when you installed new pads. Did you use a c-clamp? Not sure how you would know if the piston moved back freely or not with a c-clamp, and not sure how you would move the piston back without a c-clamp. If you really want to tear things apart then pull then piston, hone the cylinder, steel wool the piston and install a new caliper rebuild kit. But better to replace.

 

[CharBaby]

Donald, good question.
Yes, I used a C-Clamp to push back the piston into the caliper. I'll look once more at the system before replacing the caliper. I'll look to see if the sliders are working freely and/or if the pads are once again stuck against the rotors. They shouldn't be though! I used enough brake lube! And no, not enough to get all over everything...LOL. I work very neatly and thouroughly. It's only been two weeks so, I know something is wrong.

mechtech2,
The brake dust on the drivers side wheel is like black tar, as it was before I tackeled the job the first time. There is a different set of pads on this time. When I tackeled the job the first time, the pads were frozen in their slots, up against the rotors. I think it's happening again. The other wheels only have light brake dust on them,(normal).

doitmyself,
I will look at the brake hose. Good idea!

Quest and Critic,
Thank you both as well.

Im going to check out everything on that corner. Going to bleed it also. I have the time and luxury of doing a hit and miss to find the problem. My main concern is saving my neice some money. My labor is free! If she needs to spend the money and replace the caliper then we will do so. I shop around for the best price. The rotor is clean and not yet warpped. My neice realized how much money she is saving by having me do the work. She doesn't mind laying up the car, there are other cars in the household that she can use.

 

[Dave H]

You said the brake dust on the driver's side is like black tar. Is this on the inside of the rim or the outside? If inside, I would check the CV shaft boot. My Maxima's developed a small hole, and it slung the grease all over the inside of my rim (which is how I found the problem). It definitely looked like black tar.

If the car has ABS, make sure you crack the bleeder before pushing the piston back in. You don't want to push the old fluid from the caliper back through an ABS system.

Like already mentioned, a rubber brake hose can fail on the inside, and you'll never tell by looking at the outside of it. For my wife's truck, they were less than $20/each. Cured her braking problem (pulling to one side, and brakes felt like they needed bled). Apparently on my wife's, one hose wasn't allowing pressure to that side, so the other was the only side with braking ability.

When I do anything to brakes, I do it to both sides. If one component is messed up, the other side probably isn't too far behind.

Dave

 

[CharBaby]

Thanks Dave

The black brake dust/tar, is on the outside of the driver side wheel. And it's not grease, it's brake dust as I had to use rubbing compound to remeve the black dust from the "painted aluminum wheel".Pasengerside wheel and brakes are like new as the brakes were just installed by the dealer where she purchaced the car. I checked all of the brakes and they look great. I will check the rubber boots for the CV shafts although, I don't recall them to be torn or deteriorated while I had the wheels off of the car.

I don't think that her car has ABS but, as you mentioned, I do usually crack the bleeder valve first prior to pushing back the caliper piston as you have suggested. I will also visually check the high pressure hose on that side and I am going to bleed that side and see what we come up with. Bleeding may tell me something! The car drives and brakes fine. My niece purchaced the Altima in April 07 and has only done an oil and filter change since,with another OCI due soon. The brake fluid resivior has been untouched thus far and was full when I looked at it.