Normal for a caliper to only stick sometimes?

[Browning]

Not sure if it's the caliper itself or the slider pins but every few days I've had an issue where after coming to a stop the front right break feels slightly held up. Twice in the last 2 weeks It's gotten hot enough to smell it and one of the two times it smoked a tad. The day it smoked I pulled the caliper off, pushed the piston in and it seemed like it may have been a littler tougher tougher going in than it should be. When I put it back on I checked to see how well it was sliding. Had some resistance but not sure if is enough to say those are the cause or not.

 

My question is. When a caliper starts sticking, is it periodically or every time? It's not sticking hard that's for sure, just enough to annoy you.

[POS VETT]

Do the pins slide on rubber bushings ?

[Browning]

It's a 1st gen neon. I do believe they slide on a metal sleeve and then they're covered in rubber.

[Steve R.]

I would be looking real hard at the brake lines and such. If you get a kink or even just a twist in the line (even the rubber ones to the going to caliper) or any kind of restriction at all you can end up with your concerns.

 

It would not hurt one bit to pull the calipers off to clean and lube them. You may have resistance in the slides, but it could be more involved.

[Crossle]

Yes, it can stick WORSE once it gets heat in it.

[Browning]

I just assumed if it was the piston it would do it all the time? After removing it, and putting it back on I got a few days before I noticed it happening again. I only know a couple people who have had stuck calipers and from what I remember it was constant grinding as if they didn't release at all.

[Rocky31186]

Did you lube the slide pins?

[Farkas]

Lube the slider pins or replace if they're pitted or showing any strange marring from lack of lubrication. Also, it could very well be the piston getting stuck, but hard to pinpoint that without ruling the pins out, first. If it comes down to it you COULD remove the piston and inspect it for pitting or rusting, but then you're going to have to bleed the system all over again after you reassemble the caliper with a rebuild kit.

[ODoyle]

Rebuild kit. Lol. Buy a caliper.

 

These aren't 30 yr old Toyotas Farkas.

[Cordell]

Could be sticking slides or a brake hose. If the piston is hard to push back try opening the bleeder (if it isn't rusted shut obviously) and see if it pushes in easier. If it does the rubber brake hose has likely started to break down and cause a restriction. This is not uncommon on older cars and is why I usually recommend hoses with calipers. In other words if the hose has started to break down the brake pressure makes the fluid flow fine to apply the breaks but when the pedal is released fluid doesn't flow as well backwards to releive the pressure.

 

So inspect the calipers, but possibly a hose going bad.