My front drivers side brake caliper is seizing up, made it to work...but I doubt it will make it back.  I have limmitted tools in the car.  I'm thinking the bushings are crapped up.  Can I just remove them and bolt the caliper back on just to get home.  Any other Macgyver ideas out there.  

  

Here is the part I'm talking about.

If you have a pair of vise grips, you can get the caliper lose from the disc and then clamp off the brake line before the caliper.

 

I've done that a number of times when a brake line blows out. You'll only be running on 3 brakes and you'll have to replace a brake line, but if you have a long drive home, it's a pretty good fix.

 

There might be an easier solution, but this one will definitely work.

Going to assess the situation on my lunch break. Hopefuly the top bushing isn't seized. The bottom ones usually rust up first.

Good news bushings are fine, Bad news caliper piston is stuck.  Hopefuly the pad will hold until I get home. 

Hopefully you don't torch your rotor with the pads dragging.

Made it back without ruining the disc, swapped out the caliper, problem solved.

 

So what purpose do these pad clips serve, seems like they are supposed to hold the pads in place.  Theses clips along w/ the sensor tabs on the pads just seem to bind up the pads over time.   

 

 

not sure on function, my guess is the rough cast of the caliper bracket isn't a finished product worthy of the task, these are probably a simple way of providing a robust sliding/working surface.

 

i've seen cars without the clips before...i presume a prior brake job and the pads were hosed or forgotten or not in stock or expensive...so they just pad slapped it without them.  so they'll "work" if the vehicles i've seen without those clips are any indication.  not that i'm saying it's a good idea, just sharing an experience, i wouldn't do it.

 

i generally buy them from rockauto.com because they're super cheap and just try to replace them frequently.  otherwise they rust up and cake up with brake debris and the pads can hang on them.

 

it is often the case that brake pads are too tight and need filed down, if that's the case read the TSB's or threads about it - they can be too tight and hard to fit, grab/catch/possible deform the clips as well.

Made it back without ruining the disc, swapped out the caliper, problem solved.

 

So what purpose do these pad clips serve, seems like they are supposed to hold the pads in place.  Theses clips along w/ the sensor tabs on the pads just seem to bind up the pads over time.   

You do know that you are supposed to grease those right?  Brake and Caliper grease is your friend.

Those clips!!!! ugh. I hate those clips. My GL doesn't have any of those clips in the front anymore and the Loyale has cracked ones. I don't see the purpose to them.

You do know that you are supposed to grease those right?  Brake and Caliper grease is your friend. (very true statement)

 

I recycle a lot of parts, I usually clean up the but ends of the pads on the grinding wheel and smear ant-seize compound on them and the rails.

 

I can't tell you how many front brake calipers I have taken apart and %75 of them the pads are frozen in the rails.    And it is because of the clips, and the sensor tabs on the pads. 

 

I think if the designers had put the sensor tabs on the top or bottom of the pads the would not bind up in the rails, and when they do make contact w/ the disc the would not gouge up the pad contact area.