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Sticky Caliper...what to do?

rjfguitar

rjfguitar

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Today I took the K5 for a spin and noticed it pulling to one side, I flipped around towards home because I figured a rear drum was hanging up. When I got home it was a brake but it was the passanger front disk and it was smoking a little. :eek: Is there anything I can do to get it to unstick itself and quit hanging up? My dad mentioned it is probably gotten rusty from all the mud and water that has been all over it all winter, and from the lack of driving it.

I have the tire and wheel off, is there anything I can do? :dunno:
 
As cheap as they are I'd just put in a new caliper, theres nothin to realy do if its stickin. I had both of mine do the same thing I figured if I pressed the pistin all the way back in it would free up, nope. lol. I ended up puttin 2 new loaded calipers in.
 
I'd get a new set of calipers and slap them on. Probably not what you wanted to hear. Otherwise rebuild them.
 
Hey dude, why don't you take the calipers off, and clean the two sliding pins the calipers float on, you might even want to put a little grease on there so the caliper will float and not stick like you are describing. Bet its just a bunch of mud and rust keeping the caliper from floating back and forth when you step on/ let off the brakes.
The same thing is going on with my sisters suburban and i'm about to go try and fix that...
 
I would guess a bad brake line (hose) from the frame to the caliper. When it sticks - loosen the bleeder screw, if fluid shoots out it is probably a bad hose. If no fluid shoots out and it is still stuck, probably a bad caliper. It makes more sense to troubleshoot the problem rather than just throwing parts at it.
 
I highly doubt it's a line since I have stainless steel braided lines but I'll check it.

Ryan,

I'll try your idea and see if it works or not. :D
 
Im willing to bet its exactly what Ryan said, as i had the same problem. Truck sat for 10 days after just being wheeled and driven home 120miles in the salt and when I got home 10 days later it had a froze caliper. I drove it home, parked it, and left for the airport in a taxi. Got home and it was pulling to the right and then pulling left when i hit the brakes hard. Hit the pins with PB blaster, and threw a little teflon trailerball grease on it and they have been fine since.
 
Well I loosened the the bleeder screw like Divorced said and no fluid came squirting out. I guess the stainless lines are out. I then took the caliper off and cleaned it the best I could like Ryan said but I tried to push the piston in but it wouldn't budge.(the bleeder screw was loose to let the piston compress) I took it for a drive again and it seems to not be as bad, wants to hang up, then release but I don't think the caliper is working very well since when I stomp on the brakes it pulls hard to the side that is working properly.

I think I should probably break down and go get some new calipers. I'm kind of trying to patch a bald tire it seems. :o
 
Cheap at the zone...

The brand new calipers on my 82 diesel were seized the first day I got it roadworthy!--the previous owner bought new ones,but the truck sat for nearly 2 years before it was on the road again,they seized up!--I tried cheating and lubing up the slides and pins as suggested,but I'm never that lucky-:frown1:

-so after I made sure it wasnt bad rubber hoses(judging by how hard I had to crank the "C" clamp to push the pistons back in,it was a no brainer they were seized!)--I took them with me to auto zone,so I could exchange the cores and match them up,I went home with 2 rebuilt calipers and a bottle of brake fluid for about 25 bucks!--11.99 each for the calipers-since it was so cheap I sprung for new disc brake pads ,they cost more than the calipers!.:crazy:
 
Once upon a time this happened to me.... thought it was a sticky caliper, replaced both of them just cause, didn't fix it :confused: . Turned out to be a TINY crack in my cheapo Albany brake pads, which put half the pad or so in just enough contact with the disk to smoke the brakes. Just look at the pads VERY closely before you head to the parts house.
 
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