Brake help, 2010 Taurus, Rear Spin in

[GenesisGuy70]

Hi all,

Need to pick some brains.

Issue:

2010 Taurus, replacing rear brake pads & rotors.

I can get the caliper piston to screw in and out just fine. But when I put everything together and apply the brakes the piston won't retract and you can barely turn the rotors by hand, which clearly is not ideal for brake pad life and MPG.

Any ideas why it wouldn't retract? I'm thinking maybe something with the emergency brake?

 

[bdcardinal]

Dumb question, what direction did you spin the piston? Shop manual says it should be clockwise.

 

[itguy08]

Did you clean the groove the metal clips for the pads ride in really well? On those they are known to rust up and create a tight fit and dragging brakes (I toasted my rears @ 55k due to that).

You can also check the inboard pad alignment - the metal prong has to go in the slot in the piston or you get binding brakes.

I don't think the e-brake is adjustable on these - does it move freely?

Those are the stuff off the top of my head.

 

[tomcat27]

are all of the caliper sliding surfaces clean, rust-free - and does the caliper easily slide on the mount? did you have to force the pads into place or do they also move freely? are the caliper pins clean, rust-free and lubricated? if all of the above is true, I would suspect the caliper needs replacing.

on a Honda I just worked on this weekend, the pads were rusted in the grooves and I had to pound them out - certainly those pads were not releasing properly and were dragging. I removed the tin mounts and wire-wheeled off the rust from the caliper mounts.

 

[KingCake]

They won't return. There should be light drag. Put the tire on and spin it. If it makes one rotation before stopping it's fine.

 

[GenesisGuy70]

I did spin the piston clockwise and got it in, that wasn't a problem. The issue is after it's turned in and the caliper put back on, once I push on the brake pedal and the caliper piston meets the pad again and snugs up it won't let go. It holds it so tight you can barley turn the rotor by hand.

New abutment things, glide pins move freely. Everything is in perfect working order. EXCEPT the piston won't let up after the brakes applied.

The pads are not tight in the bracket. they move with ease.

 

[mk378]

Take a short test drive applying the brakes medium-hard a few times to "bed" the pads to the contour of the rotor. Then jack up the wheel again and see if it turns more freely.

 

[eljefino]

What happens if you crack a bleeder?

 

[Trav]

If this has the park Brake on the caliper loosen the cable adjuster so there is plenty of slack in the cables and try it.
If its okay adjust the cable till you get 4-5 clicks when on and the cable has a little play when its off.

Edit i just looked at a diagram, it seems to have a self adjusting park brake, release the brake and pull up on the pedal, apply the normal foot brakes a few times before using the e brake.

 

[KingCake]

PUT A TIRE ON AND SPIN IT. Trying to move the rotor by hand should take effort.

 

[GenesisGuy70]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
PUT A TIRE ON AND SPIN IT. Trying to move the rotor by hand should take effort.


It's more than just "effort". It takes nearly all my might to spin it. I mean it is on there TIGHT.

 

[KingCake]

Originally Posted By: Throt
Originally Posted By: KingCake
PUT A TIRE ON AND SPIN IT. Trying to move the rotor by hand should take effort.


It's more than just "effort". It takes nearly all my might to spin it. I mean it is on there TIGHT.


PUT A TIRE ON IT AND SPIN IT.

 

[itguy08]

It may take some time to bed in. I did mine back in November (rotors were close to the limit) and I remember it being tough to spin naked. Is it AWD or FWD?

Drive it around a little and get the brakes bedded in and see if it improves. For the first, say 100 miles and rough stops I could smell them but a few checks with the laser thermometer and the rear are within 5-150 or so degrees of the fronts so all is good.

 

[vssjim]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
What happens if you crack a bleeder?


If they won't turn for sure as listed above crack the bleeder screw to make sure rubber hoses aren't bad and if no change and park brake lever is fully back maybe caliper pistons are bad and seizing up not that uncommon on Ford/Varga Brazilian brake calipers not much long life quality on them. I have seen them not release not adjust not work as far as park brake lever is activated and leak other than that they are fine besides the problems with the hangers and pins and boots rusting up.

 

[Vikas]

Can the caliper still be frozen even if he was able to screw it back in successfully? I recall Maxima 2000 rear brakes are similar aka cable operated parking brake on the rear disc and almost every Maxima of that vintage had to get both the rear caliper replaced at some time.

 

[fcjeep]

Throt,

I had the exact same problem last summer on my DIL's Fusion. The rear driver's side rotor was jammed TIGHT. No way the car could be driven like that even just down the street. Passenger side had already gone back together with no problem.

As it turned out, in spite of my best efforts to make sure I put the caliper slide bolts back in the same holes they came out of, I must've put them in wrong. I switched the bolts to the opposite holes and everything was good again just like all the other brake jobs I've done over the past 44years. Hope this helps.

Please let us know when you get this resolved. Thanks.

 

[fcjeep]

2006 Grand Cherokee, 4.7L, 136,000+ miles
2008 Xterra, 4.0L, 78,000+mi
2014 Cherokee, 3.2L, 25,000+ mi

 

[fcjeep]

Could someone please delete that second post for me. It's an error. Thanks.