Originally Posted by Oldtom
2003 Dodge Caravan, 145K miles, 3.3 V6, bought used so no real maintenance history. Brake pedal is getting lower and braking performance is poor. Checked front discs and inner brake pad on drivers side caliper is barely touching rotor, as shown by the wear and rust on rotor. All pads are very thin and need replacement yesterday .
It looks like I need new calipers. Is any brand sold at Advance Auto OK, or, is there a brand to avoid?
Any tips for swapping out calipers?
how do I know if the rotors are OK?
Thanks in advance for any advice
If money is tight i would do a full inspection first, looking at seized slide pins then inspect the caliper.
How do you know if rotors are ok? If you dont feel pulsating they are probably not warped, but if the faces are marred badly then you should look into replacing.
IF you buy from RockAuto/Amazon/Ebay you will likely save enough money to pay for a caliper if you need one.
If you buy from Advance its worth the time and effort to use the coupon codes to save money.
If you plan on keeping the vehicle i wouldnt get a caliper with phenolic pistons, and would go with New not reman. If its just a beater that you will not likely keep then just go with whatever is cheapest..
PS. Dont overlook brake fluid..its possible that you have 16 year old fluid which could have already caused brake hose issues.. inspect and flush out if necessary.
So in summary if you plan on keeping the vehicle I would look into pads/rotors calipers and hoses from RockAuto. Raybestos Service Grade or Professional Grade will do you well. If you do the work yourself its basically free.