ok, for the past few days my rear driver side brake has been rubbing while i'm driving, and it's only noticable at lower speeds. i've taken the caliper apart, and i need new brakes either way, but what would be causing the brakes to rub on the rotor? it's only about 1/2" of the outer ring of the rotor but i'm not puting the new brakes on until i figure out whats wrong with this. and i do plan on getting new rotors (or these ones turned) but i have no money right now to buy everything and no money to take it somewhere to get it fixed.


oh, and when i took it apart, it does look like the brake doesnt sit in there properly, but how would i make sure?

 

hmm. i know my same exact corner rubs when its freezing out and water gets in the parking brake line and freezes. my suggestion to you is to make sure the caliper is put back together correctly and mounted to the spindle flush.

also buy some caliper grease. comes in little packets at auto parts stores. take out the slider bolts that hold the caliper to caliper bracket and lube em up.


stupid question, but whats the wear on your brake pad like? when did you last get them changed?

 

i'm going to take it to a friend this weekend when i get some time, but anyway the wear on the pads is strange. the back pad looks fine, there's still alot of meat left on it. but the front one, is worn so the outer part of the pad is just metal (worn down so much you can read the numbers engraved under the "pad") and the inner part isnt good, but there is some left on it.

i do think it's a releasing issue, but would it be it not slidding properly, or should i try and push the piston thing back in with a c-clamp as if i was putting new pads on? because when i took the caliper off, it felt like it was still attached to the rotor, it didnt just slide off i had to do a little encouraging.

i may go back out there one more time tonight before it gets too dark, and ill take some pics.

 

i would just lube up those slider bolts and see if that fixes your problem. if not, then its probably a problem with the actual caliper. the piston might be stuck becuase of some grime inbetween it and the walls of the caliper cylinder. i do believe they sell rebuild kits for calipers, but you can probably find a cheap used caliper on here or ebay.

 

i didnt get a chance to take it apart again tonight, and i have to work tommarrow so i dont know if ill get a chance then, but what are the slider bolts that i'd grease? would i have had to take them out when i checked the pads? i just took 4 bolts out, 2 holding it on and 2 holding the caliper together...ill look at it later.

but i dont remember if i ended up sayin that this is the same wheel that i was getting those whistling noises from that i made a seperate thread about, that went away when i pulled the e-brake up 3 clicks (i only had to do that maybe twice, maybe a total of 2 min)

 

when changing the brake pads, all you have to do is take one of the slider bolts off, and loosen the other one. the caliper will pivot on the caliper bracket, and you can replace the pads without taking the bigger bolts from behind off.

the slider bolts hold the caliper to the caliper bracket, and have a small rubber boot around them. the caliper bracket is bolted to the spindle, and you dont have to touch that when removing the brake pads.

 

rear driver's side? do you have an rd1?

on both of the rd1's i've owned, i've had this happen.

the caliper is seized up. you'll have to get a new one from a junkyard or something. or you could try replacing the guide bolts and lubing everything up good...but if it's seized up then you're better off just getting a new one and saving yourself more troubles with it down the road (literally....hahah im funny)

 

lol

its an rd2, but that kinda brings me to my next question...

are any other calipers compatible with the rd2 tib? i just went to the junkyard yesterday to find another instrument cluster, but they didnt have any tib's...i guess i'm makin some calls tommarrow before work, and hopefully i can find one for cheap/free or win the lottery...


also, i have no other car to fall back on, and i know i'm going to have to get a set of rotors now anyway, and since i'm going to have to replace the calipers anyway- will i do any other damage to my car continuing to drive it? school starts in a week...so i need the car...

 

sounds like me exact problem not too long ago lol..
Well first- I was in need of pads and rotors but no money so i just kept drivin lol. eventually the pads wer gone and it was metal against my rotor. WORST SOUND IN THE WORLD. had rotors and pads and goin to instal but my caliper siezed up on me. thats why it was in constant contact with the rotor. mechanice said id need new one but he was able to get it fixed. thank god saved me money.

go to a junkyard and find some if you can. thats your best bet.

 

I believe the noise is actially coming from the rotor. Next time you have the wheel off take a small hammer and tap the rust buildup off of the outer edge of the rotor. Look near the inner part too. There may be some rust buildup there too. Tapping it with the hammer will cause all of the rust chunks to come off easilly. Just make sure you have some eye protection when doing this. You don't want any bits getting in your eye. Been there... Done that...