Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

Calicoman

Recruit
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
2
Are there kits available to rebuild a brake caliper? How involved is the process? Are special tools needed? Also, I found out that the caliper slider pins have never been lubricated by me. Could this be causing the disc brake assembly to overheat?
 

soldier side

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
25
Re: Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

Welcome,
If the pins are so tight that they aren't allowing the caliper to slide then the pad is rubbing and it will cause over heating, If the caliiper moves freely, the chances are, they are adjusted too tightly, or the pads that were put on it are the wrong thickness or not seated corectly.

good luck
 

nlain

Commander
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
2,445
Re: Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

The pins are probably ok, it is the caliper parts that slide that will need cleaning and rust removal and then a lubricant that will not wash off put on the slide parts. If there is any binding or drag on the slides then the brakes will not fully release and will run hot. The part of the caliper that the piston is in has to slide in the part that is solid mounted to the axle, this is what needs to be cleaned and lubed. I had to work on my brakes last year, I dip in Saltwater most of the time, the caliper parts had rusted and were binding, I found this when I replaced the brake lines from the master cylinder to both calipers, I also needed new pads, when I seperated the caliper to put in the pads I found the rust, the pins were fine, I cleaned and lube everything, put back together and did a stop and go roadtest, hubs got slightly warm, they were getting hot before.
You also need to check the wheel bearings, on disc brakes you do not want any wheel wobble, the bearings need to be snug to the point there is no shake in the wheel. Disc brakes are designed to run almost touching the rotor, there is .0003 run out built into a rotor so the first revolution of the wheel on take off will shove the pads back so they are not touching, a loose bearing can let the wheel lean and rub the pads all of the time causing overheat and of course excessive wear.
One other thing that can cause this is if the brake fluid cannot return to the master cylinder, rubber lines can sometimes come apart inside and close of the return of fluid, the master cylinder can push the fluid out but the hose will not let it return.
 

soldier side

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
25
Re: Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

Thanks for catching that one nlain, that didn't even cross my mind at the time.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

Are there kits available to rebuild a brake caliper? How involved is the process? Are special tools needed? Also, I found out that the caliper slider pins have never been lubricated by me. Could this be causing the disc brake assembly to overheat?
Is this something that just started happening or has it been happening for awhile? You do have a master cylinder for disc brakes right?
 

Boatist

Rear Admiral
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
4,552
Re: Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

I had the tie down brakes for many years and always had trouble withe the caliper cylinder rusting where you could not push the caliper back in.
I think they work pretty good in fresh water but in salt water at most good for 2 years. Once they start to over heat they melt all the orings to keep water out of the cylinders so salt water gets in and the calipers frees up.

Also all the old disk were not vented and with the brake drag would run very hot.

For Salt water I recommend Kodac brakes. They are vented and made much better. They do cost more but well worth it.
 

dockwrecker

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
1,392
Re: Rebuilding Tiedown brake caliper

If the piston or caliper internals are pitted at all, it's done. Honing the caliper never works for long in cast steel, the pits rapidly destroy the seal. This is a common complaint about Tie Down calipers, they're thinly plated and fail rapidly when exposed to salt water. You can keep throwing seals in it to no avail, the pits will destroy them in a matter of days if not seconds. You're chasing your tail trying to fix them now.
You're going through a learning curve here. You're now the proud owner of brakes that weren't flushed of salt water after each use, and weren't properly mantained lubrication-wise. Once corrosion sets in, they quit. They really aren't reparible once this happens, hopefully you'll take a few moments to rinse the new ones and anually inspect and lube them.
 
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