I recently purchased a 95 Impreza awd wagon 148k. I just noticed today when I got home (drove 63 miles) that the right front wheel was burning hot. I used a flash light to look at the brake rotor and caliper and it was not hot red. But I put my hand near the wheel and I could feel the heat radiating from it. I am going to take it in to get looked at saturday. But, I would like to know if this problem is caused by a sticking brake caliper and/or the wheel being torqued to tight. I have put about 1,500 miles on the car, with an avg 32 mpg. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

It could also be a spring clip sliding out of position - this would cause the brake pad to sit lopsided. Then one side of the pad will almost always be pressed against the rotor.

It could also be a spring clip sliding out of position - this would cause the brake pad to sit lopsided. Then one side of the pad will almost always be pressed against the rotor.

 

I removed the wheel and took the trans out of gear (5 sp) and tried to turn the rotor. The rotor would not turn by hand. I had to take both hands and "force" it to turn, only then would it turn. Does this mean that the caliper needs to be replaced/rebuilt? Or could it still just be a bad spring? Thanks for any help.

It could be that the two sliding pins that the caliper bolts to are seized. It will hold the outer pad clamped to the rotor pretty hard if they do seize. Try taking the caliper off and moving everything around.

It could be that the two sliding pins that the caliper bolts to are seized. It will hold the outer pad clamped to the rotor pretty hard if they do seize. Try taking the caliper off and moving everything around.

If I spray brake cleaner all over the caliper, could that help free the two sliding pins? If this does not help and I remove the caliper. What are the procedures in reinstalling the caliper and also checking the sliding pins?

Thanks for all your help.

Brakeclean will not help. The caliper is held on with 2 12 or 14mm bolts, coming in from the backside. Remove them, stick a prybar in the hole in the middle of the caliper above the rotor, and shift the caliper forwards and backward untill it comes off. The two pieces that the caliper bolted to are the slider pins. They have rubber bellows boots on them. The boots pull off the bracket, and the pins should slide out of the bracket easily, If they don't, there's your problem. With the caliper off, and it tucked under the halfshaft so it's not hanging from it's hose, you can acces the two pads. They should be snug in their bracket, but you should be able to remove and replace them without too much dificulty. If you still havent' found the problem, grab a bit of wood, and a c-clamp. Use the wood and the clamp to compress the piston back into the caliper. If it won't move in at all, you have a seized caliper.

is cleaner helps immediately, it'll completely cause problems down the road. the pins need grease, cleaner will wipe it away.

 

you need to remove the caliper and see what's happening. either the pins need greased or the caliper is sticking. caliper rebuild kits can be bought for a couple dollars and rebuilding the calipers is REALLY easy. blow the piston out, clean it all out, replace the only seal in the entire thing...one seal around the piston bore, then the new boot and clip and you're done. calipers are really simple. the most annoying part of the entire job is bleeding the brakes when you're done. or buy a new/used caliper and be on your way. if rebuilding it for your first time, buy a used one and install it and rebuild your old one for practice.

just replaced a set of pads yesterday

 

what I found was the pads themselves were

rusted into place in the caliper bracket.

 

The "ears" of the pads fit into SS spring clips

which position the pads in the caliper bracket.

 

Rust had formed behind the clips and had the pads held fast.

 

Calipers were fine, pads were not.

 

Since it got as hot as you say...

 

bets on a warped rotor -> pulsating pedal

after the repair will be the clue.

 

Hope this helps and remember to put a very

light coating of anti sieze on the ears, SS clips

and place where you find rust on the bracket.

 

DO NOT get it on the rotor or pad suface.

just replaced a set of pads yesterday

 

what I found was the pads themselves were

rusted into place in the caliper bracket.

 

The "ears" of the pads fit into SS spring clips

which position the pads in the caliper bracket.

 

Rust had formed behind the clips and had the pads held fast.

 

Calipers were fine, pads were not.

Skip, don't know what MY you were working on, but some later models have a similar problem: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/PadsInsideEW05.pdf

Thanks for the link OB99 it was the rear of a 2003 VDC.

 

The old ones were rusted tight, new ones fit snug.

I will keep that in mind in the future.

 

We got 65 kmi out of the first set.

Factory defects no doubt (j/k).

If you need parts, let me know. I parted a 94 Impreza and have most of the front brake parts. Colorado Springs.

i had a 92 legacy that i thought it had a frozen caliper.mine got to the point when i'd stop and the rotor was smoking ..turned out it was the hill holder device(sticking and holding)i disconnected it and it was fine.might wanna try disconnecting that before doing what i did and buy (an install) a new caliper..

 

 

just a thought..

i had a 92 legacy that i thought it had a frozen caliper.mine got to the point when i'd stop and the rotor was smoking ..turned out it was the hill holder device(sticking and holding)i disconnected it and it was fine.might wanna try disconnecting that before doing what i did and buy (an install) a new caliper..

 

 

 

just a thought..

 

How do I disconnect the hill holder device? Could this only affect one caliper? Any help would be great.

Thank you

You may or may not have a hill holder. If your car has it, its right below the master cylinder and there is a cable that goes to the clutch fork. You can disconnect the cable at either end and make sure the valve is full open. Its spring loaded open but I have seen them stick.