Brake Problem...Repair or Replace?
 

Hello everyone.

Got a problem on my '04 RX-8 MT. The right-front brake caliper seems to be "sticking". I just had them checked today while I had new Yokohama S-Drives mounted. The guys said that they would have to replace the caliper to solve the problem.

Is this true? Or is there a way to repair the caliper to solve the "sticking" issue? Needless to say, the OEM calipers on our cars isn't exactly cheap & moving onto a big brake kit from StopTech, etc. remains a possiblity, but after shelling out some coin on 4 new tires, my wallet could use a break from having to buy brakes! :rofl:

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions!

Arvin

No real definition of what "the problem" is. If the caliper slide bolts are frozen/rusted/locked, then yes, it will mean a new caliper. If it still moves, however difficultly, it should be fixable with with proper lubrication (grease). If it moves without restriction, then the problem is probably in the brake line to that caliper, possibly some moisture or air.


Great tire choice BTW. ~36k miles on mine (a record), and loved them every minute.

While replacing the caliper will likely fix the problem, if the caliper just isn't floating, you can remove the pins and clean/grease them.
Then make sure the boot is on securely... I've seen a few where the boot slide off and allowed debris to get on the pin and seize it.
I've even zip-tied the boot temporarily until I could replace it.

EDIT: DAMN.... RIWWP beat me to it :)

Mazmart sells used calipers FYI.

The pins the others are referring to is item ' C ' in the attached photo.

One of my '04 rear caliper froze a couple months ago. I heard it's a common problem with the Miata also. These Mazda brakes need servicing every 4 years or so if you drive it all year around. My mechanic took it apart, greased it up, changed the pads and turned the discs. The dragging brake also overheated my brake fluid, so I had to do a flush to get back my firm pedal feel.

Thanks...
 

Thanks for all the info, guys!

I'm letting my buddy look at it today. We'll try and get it cleaned up & greased and we'll see how it goes.

RIWWP - Glad to hear you like your S-Drives. Sharp tire from what I've read...hopefully I'll get to enjoy them once I get my brakes figured out! :crazy:

Thanks again, guys...I'll keep you posted!

Arvin

Update!
 

Okay, so me & my buddy had a look at my caliper this morning. It was definitely seized against the rotor, so it took quite a bit of effort to get it off. Both pins & their rubber boots looked good & had adequate grease on them. Surprisingly, there was a good ammount of pad left on both sides & rotor wear was good, although you could tell the inboard side had more wear on it.

The problem ended up being in the piston: the rubber sleeve had torn away from one side. We guessed this lead to contaminants getting into the mechanism which causes the piston to stick closed instead of releasing back into its housing. We used some 3-1 oil to free it, then used a clamp to push the piston back into the housing. We applied some grease to assembly & re-installed it, but after testing it out, there is definitely some rubbing going on, though not as much as before.

So, now that we know the caliper is bad, does this sound like a problem that can be solved by repairing/re-building my current caliper, or do I just f-it & buy a set of replacement caliper or even aftermarket ones? (StopTech, Brembo, or...?)

Thnaks again guys for all the knowledge & suggestions! :beer05:

Arvin

That sounds fixable, although it's your brakes. How much do you want to leave to chance there? :)


Personally, I'd replace the caliper, a rebuilt caliper from one of the vendors here shouldn't be all that much vs the time of trying to get it working smoothly, vs the risk of seizing again, open or closed.

One should never shimp on ones shoes, or brakes.

It's fun to go, but more important to be able to stop.

You'd be safe with Mazmart reman'd calipers tho'.

Be sure to lube your new-to-you caliper slide pins with copper grease to preclude this occurence in the future.

get some new oem caliper piston dust boots.

a rubber dust boot is much less expensive than a caliper replacement. and unless you've got a leaky caliper, (which you did not mention) then the piston seal is doing alright. check for scouring on the piston anyways upon removal.

there may be nothing else to do other than replace the seals and dust boots. provided everything is in goood order, and a leak has not yet occured.