Front brake woes...

[4String.]

Folks.

Have just discovered that the cause of the tortured screeching and scraping noises emanating from the f/o/s of the van is the brake components are fairly dead .

I've got new discs and pads ready to fit to both sides but while I'm at it I reckon it wouldn't hurt to fit new calipers at the same time, and also get round everything else under the arches with a wire brush and a tin of paint. As ever, I don't have the time or inclination to get a pair of calipers from the scrappie to refurbish so can anyone recommend or not a supplier of new units?

Many thanks as always.

Man-try

 

[Melvyn Best]

Try your local motor factors?

 

[Hopefuldave]

Try your local motor factors?

Yep, I got ones for my Honda (not exactly a new car...) off the shelf at my local Euro Car Parts, not spendy either.

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Blobber]

What van are the calipers for? if its Renault/Vauxhall I might have some

 

[bricol]

Brakes international in Rochdale

 

[johnik]

Brakes International | Quality Brake Parts for All Makes

All brakes for all makes - UK's leading distributor of quality brake parts including pads, discs, calipers, shoes, and drums.

www.brakesint.co.uk

not really necessary to change the calipers unless they are damaged / really manky

Brake Pads | Cheap Car Brake Pads - Front & Rear | Car Parts 4 Less

Click here to browse our range of cheap car brake parts including new brake pads from some of the biggest brands, all at the lowest prices | CarParts4Less

www.carparts4less.co.uk

^^^ seem to be a sister company of Euro car parts, only the prices are cheaper

 

[Joe 90]

As above. No point changing calipers unless they are seized or something.
If they are sliding properly when cleaned and piston moving they will be fine.

 

[finyuk2005]

i used to try and free up and sometimes even refurbish calipers with new seal kits etc, but new calipers are usually so cheap now that its better and way faster to just replace them!
I have now done all 4 on my girlfriends caddy van at only 35 quid or so a corner, should have done them all at the same time to save on bleeding but i have brake flexi clamps that work quite well with only needing a small amount of bleeding at the new caliper

 

[colnerov]

That's alright he's a lorry driver, he's got loads of money.

 

[James1979]

That's alright he's a lorry driver, he's got loads of money.

£70k they reckoned on the news

 

[4String.]

Thanks for all the replies .

It never occurred to me to get them from such as Euro Parts so I'll have word with work tomorrow and see if they can get me a pair delivered. I think my plan will be to unbolt the old calipers and fettle and paint everything then let the garage where the van is MOT'd do the work. I can do it but having limited time at home it works out better to let them do it because if the inevitable problem crops up they have all week to sort it out. It also helps the local economy as well which is never a bad thing .

£70k they reckoned on the news

Not quite but on current form it will be around £45K, plus the tax free overnight allowance which will be the thick end of another £5K.

 

[keithski122]

Maybe let the garage source the parts.Any problems then its all down to them, if you source them then any guarantee is partly down to you.

 

[GafferTapeKing]

My own anecdotal experience is based around the methodology of the Italian tune-up (May be not a popular word today see Football thread)
I have a 20 year old Ford Galaxy (mostly VW parts), the drive it like you stole it operating policy seems to keep things tidy, all calipers are original after 180,000 miles.

Dont use copper-slip anywhere that gets hot, toolstation sell high temperature ceramic grease rated to 1500'C
Copper-slip has evaporated or baked on solid by this point and will jam caliper slider pins.

Silverhook Ceramic Grease Tube 80ml

Operating temperature: -20°C to +1500°C. Protects metal parts against seizure, heat, corrosion, acid water and also helps prevent disc brake squeal.

sitemaps.toolstation.com

If the slider pins jam, the caliper can overheat and bake the piston seals.

For £6 and an afternoons work cleaning up the sliders you may find the pistons are fine.
A tiny bit of TLC and the right lube could be all you need.



However, I am an IT geek not a mechanic.
My opinions are based on fixing stuff from a haynes manual and reading the rantings of random people off the internet.

My IT career makes me curious when it comes to faultfinding "Why did this fail ?" "What is the path to resolution ? "What bug fix would prevent this ?"

Allparts have a good lead time on stock and can be surprisingly well priced but they want the exchange unit.
Autodoc are cheap but slow, you can sometimes sell the used unit on ebay despite it being fsck'd

 

[Red'n'Black]

Maybe let the garage source the parts.Any problems then its all down to them, if you source them then any guarantee is partly down to you.

Yep. Most garages are reluctant to fit parts supplied by the customer, and usually won't offer any guarantee. Which is fair enough. I've only done it once, bought a clutch kit for my old 323F from a motor factor and then realised what a PITA it was going to be to fit.

 

[GRW]

The 20-yo Lockheed's on my LDV Convoy were pretty rusty and sorry (idle more due to CV-19 seemed to see them off). I found I could get direct replacements for £54 a side delivered, so it wasn't worth mucking about with, and made the job of getting the van up and running a lot quicker/easier.

 

[james butler]

My own anecdotal experience is based around the methodology of the Italian tune-up (May be not a popular word today see Football thread)
I have a 20 year old Ford Galaxy (mostly VW parts), the drive it like you stole it operating policy seems to keep things tidy, all calipers are original after 180,000 miles.

Dont use copper-slip anywhere that gets hot, toolstation sell high temperature ceramic grease rated to 1500'C
Copper-slip has evaporated or baked on solid by this point and will jam caliper slider pins.

Silverhook Ceramic Grease Tube 80ml

Operating temperature: -20°C to +1500°C. Protects metal parts against seizure, heat, corrosion, acid water and also helps prevent disc brake squeal.

sitemaps.toolstation.com

If the slider pins jam, the caliper can overheat and bake the piston seals.

For £6 and an afternoons work cleaning up the sliders you may find the pistons are fine.
A tiny bit of TLC and the right lube could be all you need.



However, I am an IT geek not a mechanic.
My opinions are based on fixing stuff from a haynes manual and reading the rantings of random people off the internet.

My IT career makes me curious when it comes to faultfinding "Why did this fail ?" "What is the path to resolution ? "What bug fix would prevent this ?"

Allparts have a good lead time on stock and can be surprisingly well priced but they want the exchange unit.
Autodoc are cheap but slow, you can sometimes sell the used unit on ebay despite it being fsck'd

seeing as the boiling point of dot 4 brake fluid is 230 degrees and the operating temp of copper grease is in much excess of that i doubt copper grease is going to give you problems.
more likely the rubber bellows on sliders have perished and the grease becomes contaminated is more likey to jam them up and become a problem.

 

[bricol]

seeing as the boiling point of dot 4 brake fluid is 230 degrees and the operating temp of copper grease is in much excess of that i doubt copper grease is going to give you problems.
more likely the rubber bellows on sliders have perished and the grease becomes contaminated is more likey to jam them up and become a problem.

Copper grease tends to swell and rot the thin rubber used on piston dust seals and probably sliders too . . . . I had been happily sloshing it around for years until this was pointed out to me, so I checked my Lancia . . . swollen and fragile seals . . .

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Had the front brakes on the e60 done this morning, I supplied the discs and backplates/stone guards and got him to get the pads and sensor cable.

Well worth the labour charge as doing them myself at the kerbside myself would have entailed much peching & grunting + swearing . He had to resort to his air needle gun and ugga-dugga gun on some nuts.

 

[merryman]

Copper grease tends to swell and rot the thin rubber used on piston dust seals and probably sliders too . . . . I had been happily sloshing it around for years until this was pointed out to me, so I checked my Lancia . . . swollen and fragile seals . . .

Red rubber grease where there is contact with rubber parts, copper for use on steel, normal grease if the steel is sliding in aluminium, and avoid greasing anywhere if it can get onto the discs or pad faces. Can't win though, as rubber grease doesn't prevent steel rusting and does dry out.