Unsticking a caliper?

[NotDadsW41]

All,

wife.com said the van was doing some scary things today... Shaking at 45-70mph and touch of the brakes sent it veering to the left.... I drove it around the block. It turned hard right as soon as I let go of the wheel... Hmmm...

So I take a look at the right front. Sure enough the caliper is stuck. And I mean stuck! I opened the bleeder screw and tried a c-clamp to push it back. No luck. This is where the question comes....

Is there some way to un-stick this thing? Or, and I think this is the route I'm headed anyway, is it just better to buy a new one and replace it? Actually I'll do it in pairs, new pads and calipers...

[LiftedAWDAstro]

For the price of remans, I would replace both calipers and pads.

[crash]

yep.. replace it. they are very inexpensive on our vans. I'd just check to make the that the rotor on that side isn't totally deeply scored on the inside.

also, it's not 100% mandatory to do both sides... usually the passenger sides go bad long before the drivers side due to the slopes of streets & roads from the center out. the side of the road (passenger side) is where all the puddles and crap (salt, dirt etc) populate.

[NotDadsW41]

I just replaced everything up front, including the rotors last summer. I sure hope the right one is OK. I'll start with new calipers and pads tomorrow.

Thanks All!!

[rlsllc]

Sometimes it is the flexible hose that is at fault. I'd replace them also. They can break down and clog, causing weird problems like pulling and sticking caliper symptoms.

[Jim in Indy]

Sometimes it is the flexible hose that is at fault. I'd replace them also. They can break down and clog, causing weird problems like pulling and sticking caliper symptoms.

Ditto the brake hose thing !! Heck, ya gotta disconnect it anyway.....

[GEJ]

Sometimes it is the flexible hose that is at fault. I'd replace them also. They can break down and clog, causing weird problems like pulling and sticking caliper symptoms.

Ditto the brake hose thing !! Heck, ya gotta disconnect it anyway.....

Yeppers,
It might be worth flushing out the whole system.

[NotDadsW41]

The hoses are less than a year old. Do you guys really think they could go bad in that short of time???

I will be bleeding the whole system when I replace the calipers.

[Jim in Indy]

Only a year old? Oh well, so much for that idea.

[zook94]

Reman calipers can sometimes be bored out with larger than stock pistons installed in them. With the extra diameter, and wear on the rotors/pads, the piston/cup can become tipped in the hole, making a sticking caliper. Even worse, those that are returned, are remanufactured AGAIN, only to be bored out further, as there is no spec on oversized caliper pistons.

Its not expensive, buy NEW replacements, or stay away from the drug store auto parts houses ( auto zone, pep boys, murrays, etc.)

[NotDadsW41]

Well the new parts are in place. New calipers, pads and hoses. Several hard stops from 60mph later and I don't feel any shudder or wobbles. So I think I am lucky and the rotors are OK.

However, I do have a slight tug to the left.... Where should I be looking to correct this??? I'm thinking I'll bleed the front system again. But is it possible I need to bleed the rears out too???

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Definitely check and adjust the rears since the fronts are all new. It will pull one way or the other if one drum is a little too tight or has a leaking wheel cylinder or axle seal.

[NotDadsW41]

I think I found the problem. Looks like I need to tighten the bleeder screw on the right side. Looks like I have a slight leak there.

I'll get that tightened up tonight and report back!