I have a 1987 Subaru GL 4WD. The Front Passenger Caliper will not move and is grinding metal to metal. I have tried WD40 to loosen things up but it will not budge. I am able to remove the 1 lower bolt but then the caliper will not slide up lke the manual states it should. Any hints as to how I can fix this without taking it to a mechanic?

make sure it's not the parking brake that's seized?

 

on seized ones i've been able to get them to swing up by bashing them with a hammer. WD-40 isn't good at all for something like this, you want PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, Deep Creep, or another actual penetrant like them, they are worlds better than WD40. use lots of it and get it into that slide and rubber boots as much as possible. obviously avoid getting it in and around the axle/wheel bearing area below. that stuff will be bad mojo for wheel bearings.

 

i'd probably have another used one on hand before attempting this. chance of something breaking if it's that bad.

 

probably tons of folks on here have spare calipers lying around. post in the parts wanted forum.

When you want to move metal - you need a BIG hammer. Get a 4 lb sledge and a steel drift punch - drive the caliper up from the botom edge - it should swing up - rotating on the upper slide pin. As gary stated - you may break something doing this - it's just the nature of frozen rusted parts.

 

I recently had to resort to a sawzall to remove a rusted inner control arm bolt. Mostly because I wasn't interested in trying to save the control arm and I wanted it off NOW. The nut wouldn't turn.... the bolt wouldn't turn.... both rouned off.... I cut the head off the bolt with a die grinder and then BENT a brass drift trying to pound it through....finally threw up my hands and pulled out the sawzall and die grinder. It was easier to just find another control arm.

 

GD

Thank you very much. I am going to go get some Liquid Wrench and bash on it a little bit today. I also noticed that there is a required C-Clamp to push a piston in. Can you explain that a little more? I have been unable to find a diagram of the brake to see where I am to place this. It is still necessary if the brake is siezed?

the brake pistons thread in just like a bolt, you have to turn them in (left) to get them to collapse

Fair chance the calipers won't rotate is because the pads are hanging up on that ridge on the rotor.

Fair chance the calipers won't rotate is because the pads are hanging up on that ridge on the rotor.

 

good call; you may be able to relieve the caliper piston pressure a little by cracking the bleeder screw open.

Or grind the ridge off on the bottom of the rotor and rotate it to where the pads are located.

 

GD

Success! :banana:I was able to get the caliper up and take the rotor off. I was hoping to be out driving it around the sand dunes today but the new rotor I purchased was slightly off so in turn the pads were wrong. I should have everything by Wednesday. Let's hope the weather is still nice! Thanks for all the info. It was a great help through this.

Just my 2 cents worth. WD-40 is an aftershave. some guys spray their fishing lures with it and swear it attracts more fish.:-\

 

PB Blaster is by far the best stuff I have ever used for loosening up old rusty stuff. Just my opinion.

PB Blaster is by far the best stuff I have ever used for loosening up old rusty stuff. Just my opinion.

 

Perhaps you haven't used "Yeild" yet. I am contemplating a group buy at some point - it's availible through my shop to me at our cost but it's $160 a case (12 cans). Amazing stuff though - can't buy it on the consumer market because of the MSDS ratings.

 

GD

negative. haven't used it yet. Was discussing this with my cohort on a road trip yesterday. He said his Dad used some stuff called "Rust Bomb" out on the farm. Got me thinking. i did a search and appeared to come up with the ultimate "rust busting chemical list".

It also lists who makes the stuff. Better hurry on the Yield stuff. factory website says they are discontinuing.

 

http://www.arb.ca.gov/consprod/regact/cpwg2006/40.pdf

as you can see , it is from 2006