So.... what could cause the front calipers to stick? (89 GL wagon). After driving today, both front rotors are quite hot -- not glowing, but way too hot to touch. And I haven't been using the brakes, except obviously to stop the car when I get out to feel them. And the gas mileage dropped from 30 to around 23 for this tank. And today on the freeway, it suddenly started jerking -- as if I had a fluid soaked drum brake grabbing on the right front. I disconnected the hillholder, so it's not that. Will rebuilding my calipers help with this? Or is there some trick with the pads or mounting the calipers? I'ver ordered new pads and caliper rebuilt kits, already, but wondering if I should get anything else.

 

Thanks

 

Z

Hey, once you enter a new thread, all of a sudden you get a bunch of relevant old threads, that didn't seem to come up from a search... Anway, it seems like the consensus is rebuild the calipers, and make sure all the rust is off of the slide pins for the calipers and the mounting points for the pads... But if anyone still wants to chip in, feel welcome.

 

Z

Ive had that problem on my brat , i simply replaced pads took away the rust from the sliding points. Then bleeded the brakes and got myself a pair of working frontbrakes.

So.... what could cause the front calipers to stick?

 

Thanks

 

Z

 

If you find the calipers and all to be working as designed, high on the list is old/swollen internally, rubber brake lines.

 

HTH

 

Doug

i think the emergency brake is on the front just like in an XT6. if this is the case i'd suspect the e-brake to be sticky since both are hot. i find it unlikely or very uncanny that both front calipers would start sticking at the same time with nothing in common other than age.

 

grabbing the e-brake lever on the caliper and moving it back and forth a few times will free a sticking e-brake, a very nice thing to know since it's an easy fix in a parking lot somewhere. on an XT6 i'm almost positive this can even be done without removing the wheel.

 

they are super easy to rebuild. new oring around the piston and a new boot with circlip and you're done. if you haven't done one before i recommend doing them one at a time, that way you can see how the boot and circlip is installed on the second one while you reassembled the first. it's very straight forward, but nice to see exactly how it goes together if you haven't done it before. and of course grease the e-brake mechanism and the slides.

Did this problem just come out of the blue, or was it after replacing the pads? If after replacing the pads, then I would suspect issues with the pistons not being aligned so its grooves match the pads pins. Otherwise, follow GG's suggestions.

don't forget to check the parking brake cable too. i suspected my calipers after changing them after one set of pads fried up, when i went to replaced them i found that its my cables or the mechanism in the car thats at fault and not the calipers.

 

btw mines an 86' GL wagon, incase you wanted to know.