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Brake Help


jeffro

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Im leaning towards the caliper being shot but looking for additional input.

 

When i start the car the brakes are super soft. after about 15 minutes of driving my brake pedal gets hard and super sensitive so to speak. I barely press them and it practically locks them up. After the 15 minutes it grabs when coming to a rolling stop.

 

Thoughts? TIA.

 

Also, sometimes when im driving at higher speeds i get this terrible thumping/shaking out of the right front wheel. I notice this happens when the brake pedal gets stiff after driving for a few minutes. Could this be a result of the caliper locking onto a warped rotor? The pedal pulsates when braking after it starts acting up. 02 Focus SE

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I just replaced a caliper that had seized slide-pins that was doing the shaking/thumping sound on the freeway. It's pretty easy to tell if one side of your rotor is getting used and one side is rusting up though just by looking at it.
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yeah, sounds like your caliper is sticking. I rebuilt my caliper after I noticed some of the similar symptoms. Try washing both of your wheels, and then drive the car for a few days or a week, and then look to see if you have alot more brake dust buildup on the side you think is in question.

 

Also, do you have an IR gun? after your commute home, check the temps on each rotor. If the caliper is sticking you should get a higher temp reading on the rotor.

 

Do they sell a rebuild kit for your caliper? The one for mine is dirt cheap, it's just two new rubber seals that you have to put in. Hour or two hour job depending on experience.

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yeah, sounds like your caliper is sticking. I rebuilt my caliper after I noticed some of the similar symptoms. Try washing both of your wheels, and then drive the car for a few days or a week, and then look to see if you have alot more brake dust buildup on the side you think is in question.

 

Also, do you have an IR gun? after your commute home, check the temps on each rotor. If the caliper is sticking you should get a higher temp reading on the rotor.

 

Do they sell a rebuild kit for your caliper? The one for mine is dirt cheap, it's just two new rubber seals that you have to put in. Hour or two hour job depending on experience.

 

no i do not own a temp gun, and i have no idea about the rebuild kit. It would probably be easier to just buy a new/used one.

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no i do not own a temp gun, and i have no idea about the rebuild kit. It would probably be easier to just buy a new/used one.

 

Harbor freight sells them, or I'm sure one of your buddies has one

http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-laser-thermometer-96451.html

 

Rebuild is fairly simple. Just a little messy with the brake fluid, and you have to bleed brakes after. If you can replace caliper yourself, you can rebuild yourself too.

 

Just tryin to help you save $100 or so......depending on price of new/used caliper

 

At least, wash your wheels and see if you get more dust buildup on the one side...

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What kind of car is it? I've seen wheel bearings go bad that will cause the piston to be pushed back in. And until you pump up the pedal enough it will be soft.

 

Other option is to line lock each wheel and find out which caliper is causing the issue.

 

i'm just a shadetree.....so the ASE certified mechanic ^^ may know better than me :fa:

 

Either way, once you figure it out, please let us know what it was.....

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"Most of the time" a stuck caliper will cause a stiff pedal. And you can visually see or smell the brake issue.

 

When have you had your fluid flushed or bled?

 

never to the best of my knowledge. I picked the car up with 84k it has 96k now

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