What now!?

odd_ball

odd_ball

Right, cars been running fine since the dizzy swap... BUT... Last night as I got to work doing 70 I had a bit of wheel shake. Not too much but vibration was clearly there to be felt...

Last couple of days as I've got to work I've noticed a strange not burning, but hot smell, that I can't put my finger on... Strange thing is I haven't smelt it when I drive home so assumed it was maybe something in/near work & I was being paranoid!?

Driving home this morning though the car was struggling to 50... Anything above was very slow & very hard going, even with foot pinned to the floor. Didn't notice anymore shake but when I got home one wheel was hot, the other wasn't... One brake disc was hot (as you'd imagine) the other on the hot wheel was scalding & I could smell the wheel was hot (could smell the paint cooking).

Sooo... Could it be a binding brake? Would explain why the car seemed to be fighting? But I've tried breaking in a straight line & the car isn't pulling or anything?

Before I touched the wheels I thought perhaps the exhaust was goosed but dunno, seems fine except for some soot around the end so I'm burning oil but I did just do an oil change so prob a bit too much in there?

Any ideas guys?
 
Brilliant... She always does this, got a big trip home to Liverpool planned shortly, she did it a few months back...

I was looking good for having some mod money come payday... That'll have to wait again! :(
 
Or even better if you've got the dosh is a set of re-conned calipers but they ain't cheap :(.
 
As long as the caliper carrier pins are free to move then it won't happen again so long as the rubber boots are intact and pins straight, you might fix this for the price of some grease and maybe boots :)
 
Stani1029 said:
As long as the caliper carrier pins are free to move then it won't happen again so long as the rubber boots are intact and pins straight, you might fix this for the price of some grease and maybe boots :)
Click to expand...
Carrier pins,, I can never get the right words in my head

signature...please ignore anything I say...when using my phone it is either bad grammar or rubbish spelling.
 
It is... It's annoying to say the least... Even more annoying is the garage I took it to afterwards who said they'd looked at it cleaned everything & it was all ok... Broke one of my wheel studs in the process damn grease monkeys!... :(
 
lee k0011 said:
Isnt this what happend last time you wonted to bring the micra up to liverpool??
Click to expand...



It is... It's annoying to say the least... Even more annoying is the garage I took it to afterwards who said they'd looked at it cleaned everything & it was all ok... Broke one of my wheel studs in the process damn grease monkeys!... :(
 
SirChris & Stani... How hard to do & any good guides on here? Never worked on my own brakes before so a bit nervous, especially with such a big journey planned... As for grease, will normal grease do? Have heard different things about using copper grease?
 
I have a big tub of carlube grease, will that do or should I be using brake specific grease because of temp etc? Again, heard copper grease can cause problems?

Is it just a case of removing caliper, separating it, removing & cleaning pins then greasing it all up? Not going to need to bleed them afterwards am I?
 
Its a case of wheel off, loosen both carrier bolts. Then remove one bolt completely and pull up the carrier enough to pull a pin out. Inspect the boots and make sure there ok. Clean up the pins (rub down any rusty bits) re-grease and refit. Repeat for others, no need to bleed
 
my n/s/f brake was sticking a couple of weeks ago, and the guidepins were very free, it proved to be the piston stuck inside the caliper (not rusted, just dry/stuck)
 
Stani1029 said:
Its a case of wheel off, loosen both carrier bolts. Then remove one bolt completely and pull up the carrier enough to pull a pin out. Inspect the boots and make sure there ok. Clean up the pins (rub down any rusty bits) re-grease and refit. Repeat for others, no need to bleed
Click to expand...

Nice one, so don't it completely apart, do one pin at a time, yeah?...

May sound daft but is it 2 pins a caliper?
 
frank said:
my n/s/f brake was sticking a couple of weeks ago, and the guidepins were very free, it proved to be the piston stuck inside the caliper (not rusted, just dry/stuck)
Click to expand...

Cheers Frank, another route to go down if I need to... Is it just a case of getting some grease in there?
 
odd_ball said:
Cheers Frank, another route to go down if I need to... Is it just a case of getting some grease in there?
Click to expand...
aye, preferably red (brake) grease, but i,ve only ever used whatever was to hand tbh (dont believe everything you hear about copperslip etc)
and i only ever take the complete caliper off if removing the disc, for pins/pads/piston access i just remove the 12mm lower guidepin bolt then, i swing the caliper upwards.
this leaves caliper bracket and pads attached to the hub, making the job far less fiddly
 
Nice one Frank... Being the legend you are I'm gonna go out on a limb & ask if you happen to have a picture of said process showing pistons & guide pins?
 
odd_ball said:
Nice one Frank... Being the legend you are I'm gonna go out on a limb & ask if you happen to have a picture of said process showing pistons & guide pins?
Click to expand...
i,ve posted said pic on here a few times ;) http://www.micra.org.uk/threads/brake-caliper-seized.45819/#post-473331

cali.jpg
 
odd_ball said:
I knew you wouldn't let me down uncle Frank! :) Cheers!

Lets see how I do & how far I get before getting stuck...
Click to expand...
:) there is less chance of (dangerous) errors if you only remove the 1 guidepin bolt and swing the caliper, and if you change the pads 1 at a time, then the fiddly spring clips are held in place while you do it.
just make sure any work done on brakes is 100% eh :)
 
I'll try my best... Hopefully discs & pads are in good nick... Was told they had plenty of life in them a few months ago but then just what is plenty of life eh?

S'pose I best pay attention to torque wrench settings with the brakes?

I remember reading you sort of lightly roughed up your new brakes to speed up bedding in? What's the process should I need to replace mine?
 
a sticking brake will usually wear 1 pad more than the others, and i linished the scoremarks out of my discs (but that has to be done very uniformly/accurately tho)
the new guidepin bolts in a new pad set usually have threadlock already on them, but if you re-use yours, you should apply some on really
 
Well when I get to doing it, I'll get it all loosened up & pivot the caliper round then come looking for you for advice... Maybe get some pads in ready... Cheap enough & gonna need them eventually anyhow...
 
frank said:
a sticking brake will usually wear 1 pad more than the others, and i linished the scoremarks out of my discs (but that has to be done very uniformly/accurately tho)
the new guidepin bolts in a new pad set usually have threadlock already on them, but if you re-use yours, you should apply some on really
Click to expand...

Right, I'll be doing this today. Bought some new pads so they can be replaced at the same time if they need to be...

So, I should only be removing one bolt at a time & pivoting the caliper to work on it? Can the pads be replaced in this manner or does the caliper now have to come apart?

Also, if new pads are required what am I greasing (Haynes is on about back of pads, clips etc)? and will I need,to bleed or drain the brakes or are they self adjusting?

I'm confident in doing the work, just unsure of the process. Have also bought a torque wrench, so if anyone knows correct settings for the calipers etc let me know...
 
you only need to remove the whole caliper if you are changing the disc oddball, and the clips are held in place if you change 1 pad at a time.
the new pads may have the anti squeal shims bonded onto the back, if not refit the old ones
you have to push the piston back, and no bleeding needed :)
 
frank said:
you only need to remove the whole caliper if you are changing the disc oddball, and the clips are held in place if you change 1 pad at a time.
the new pads may have the anti squeal shims bonded onto the back, if not refit the old ones
you have to push the piston back, and no bleeding needed :)
Click to expand...
take the brake fluid cap off to push the piston back odd_ball
 
Cheers guys, gonna start now, hopefully rain will hold off!?

Just thinking, one of my wheel studs was cut short by the garage a while back as they managed to cross thread it. What would be involved in replacing? I have the new stud, just never got round to sorting it because of the work involved... Can I remove disc & caliper together & just knock it out or does the whole hub need to come off?
 
frank said:
you only need to remove the whole caliper if you are changing the disc oddball, and the clips are held in place if you change 1 pad at a time.
the new pads may have the anti squeal shims bonded onto the back, if not refit the old ones
you have to push the piston back, and no bleeding needed :)
Click to expand...

Im completely stuck & at the end of my tether... I'm still only on the first one, the troublesome one, & Im giving in... Got the top bolt loosened off & that will come freely all the way out, but the bottom one won't budge...

I snapped my socket reduction bit trying to do it... Went out & bought another & thats snapped too!... Had a go with the spanner & it's just rounding the bolt off... If I carry on it'll never come off! :(

I'm ready to kick f**k out of the car now... Any ideas?
 
now that the topbolt is out of the caliper ? you can lever the whole caliper in the same direction as the spanner on the bottom bolt (swing the caliper downwards while pushing the spanner too, so that the bolt and caliper undo together)
 
Have tried that too but this thing is tight! Also restricted in how far I can pivot caliper by brake line & this bolt is really starting to round now... Have pulled boot back a little both seem fairly greased, the bottom one perhaps less than the top but it is clean & lubed in there...
 
Nah, ain't budging... If I go any further the bolt is gonna round off completely... Knew I should've just left it, hasn't actually been causing problems lately... Im so disheartened... Feel like a d**k now
 
like that pic i posted, but remove both bolts instead of swinging it on 1 bolt, and thinking about it......the thread you cant undo is in the caliper itself eh (so you will need to hit the caliper in the opposite direction to the spanner, to break it free
 
frank said:
like that pic i posted, but remove both bolts instead of swinging it on 1 bolt, and thinking about it......the thread you cant undo is in the caliper itself eh (so you will need to hit the caliper in the opposite direction to the spanner, to break it free
Click to expand...

I really don't understand? Those are the bolts I'm struggling with, the guide bolts, not the actual big bolts holding the whole caliper assembly on?...

I can't turn the caliper in opposite direction as disc is in the way... Really shouldn't have bothered...
 
frank said:
i have to agree
Click to expand...

It sucks Frank... Know I've made myself look a right idiot now but this really isn't beyond my capabilities... Even just recently took opportunity to help my brother in law do his brakes just to see if I should bother on my own...

I understand what I'm meant to be doing, but this bolt just won't give so I don't see what I can do?...
 
if the 12mm head is butchered, you,re stuffed really mate, i would weld a nut onto the end of it personally (not an option i guess) or else i would remove the whole caliper and slide the cyl off the guidepin, the hold the guidepin in a vice.
you might be best to remove the 17mm bolts and fit the pads that way eh :)
 
frank said:
if the 12mm head is butchered, you,re stuffed really mate, i would weld a nut onto the end of it personally (not an option i guess) or else i would remove the whole caliper and slide the cyl off the guidepin, the hold the guidepin in a vice.
you might be best to remove the 17mm bolts and fit the pads that way eh :)
Click to expand...

This is what I was thinking, but then aren't I disconnecting brake lines etc or will the whole lot just slide apart?

To be fair, pads look fine & even on this side, and as said, guide pins seem fairly lubed so dunno what caused the original problem?

Might just clean up what I can & stick it all back together for time being?

Is the bolt something I can replace at a hardware store or am I gonna need to find an exact replacement?
 

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