why is there a difference between the slider pins on the front calipers of my '01 OB..the top pins are just a solid metal shaft you would find on any caliper,..while the bottom pin has a "rubber or plastic" tip on the end of the shaft..the purpose of this would be..??

I have wondered this also, The best I could come up with for myself was this little rubber tip was to build up pressure to help push the pads back away from the rotors when the brake is released. Kind of like the rubber thing in a hand air pump.

 

Until someone comes up with something better this is what I will continue to believe.

I've wondered too; my guess is it is to help prevent chatter in the pins when stopping. i.e. the prescribed order is the best for smooth braking.

I have wondered this also, The best I could come up with for myself was this little rubber tip was to build up pressure to help push the pads back away from the rotors when the brake is released. Kind of like the rubber thing in a hand air pump.

 

Until someone comes up with something better this is what I will continue to believe.

I would also think that the purpose of the bottom slider is to help the pads back away from the rotor...when tuning up the brakes on my car that bottom slider had very little movement..but after re-greasing the slider it wanted to push it self under pressure out of the caliper

Read through the following post, it should answer your questions (hint:the pin with the rubber bung goes in the bottom hole):

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82176

Ah, so it keeps the caliper from sliding back and forth too easily.

 

They probably engineered that in after they found vibration would let the caliper slide into the pads and force the piston back a tiny bit, necessitating pumping the brakes to get the piston back where it should be.

 

 

Dave

it seems from this design to me, to be another high maintenance item..every year after winter the lower pin has to be re-lubed to slide freely (no rust on the pins )..the other day the pins had virtually no movement, difficult to remove, plyers were needed with great force...I am useing the permatex synthetic lub (green label) and maybe over time this product "stiffens or gels" up....most likely next time, I will go back to useing on the sliders a good quality "black cv axle grease"

it seems from this design to me, to be another high maintenance item..every year after winter the lower pin has to be re-lubed to slide freely (no rust on the pins )..the other day the pins had virtually no movement, difficult to remove, plyers were needed with great force...I am useing the permatex synthetic lub (green label) and maybe over time this product "stiffens or gels" up....most likely next time, I will go back to useing on the sliders a good quality "black cv axle grease"

 

My '03, northern NY, 102000 miles, all 8 sliders slide just fine, I don't think the rubber has ever been pushed back on any of 'em.

 

Dave

My '03, northern NY, 102000 miles, all 8 sliders slide just fine, I don't think the rubber has ever been pushed back on any of 'em.

 

Dave

would you know what kind of grease are on those sliders..maybe still from the factory??

Peter: I also found that the green grease wasn't working.

Hm..the green eh I think I might have used some of that on some of mine so I better recheck them. From the factory I think they come with the red niglube, which also comes in the caliper reseal kits.

 

would you know what kind of grease are on those sliders..maybe still from the factory??

 

I would believe the factory grease.

 

I bought the car with 55,000 miles on it and it needed front brakes, it probably had the factory pads or one set done before I bought it.

 

Making sure the rubber seals are watertight is probably a big key.

 

 

Dave

I got caught out with this. Hadnt looked at the brakes for a while (10k miles and over winter) and when I did some of these pins had seized and I had differential wearing on the pads. One of the rubber bellows covers was torn and this pin was a was stuck fast. Replaced the pads and all 4 pins and rubber belows (originals with 100k miles on them the pins). I now take them out every 6k miles when I rotate wheels and re grease them.

 

I think its probably a combination of lack of grease and water (especially salty when they salt the roads) ingress that causes the problems.

Edited May 22, 200916 yr by welly

when tuning up the brakes on my car that bottom slider had very little movement..but after re-greasing the slider it wanted to push it self under pressure out of the caliper thread insert helicoil

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