How hard should it be to push a caliper piston back in?

Hi, '85 Golf. I replaced the front brake pads and the front brakes seem to be running hot. Hot enough the wife is noticing a smell like a warm rubber (tire) smell) once she gets home. Wheel is warm to the touch, but I don't have anything to compare.

It's always been hard to push the caliper back in to get enough clearance to wrap around the new brake pads. This time was particularly tough, I couldn't do it with my fingers nor by prying the piston in with a large screwdriver against the caliper body. I ended up using a wood working Quick Clamp to squeeze the piston back in. It was all I could do to squeeze with one hand to slowly get the piston back in. The piston was quite a ways out as the old pads were quite worn.

I don't know if it's a factor, but on the old pads, the outside pads were more worn than the inside (sticking slider bolt and sleeve?). The left caliper about 12 years old, 112,000 km. The right caliper is older. Brake fluid changed about every 2 years.

So, sticking calipers? Or will cleaning up the brake pad carrier and mounting bolt/sleeves do the trick? Guess I'm hoping for the least cost solution.

Thanks. -Tony

Reply to
tonyw
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Shouldn't be that hard. Did you loosen the cap on the reservoir when you pushed in? That might help (that fluid you are displacing in turn needs to displace a little bit of air). Don't leave the cap loose longer than you need to though (brake fluid likes to suck moisture out of the air which in turn will rot your M/C).

Reply to
Matt B.

Maybe it's time for new/rebuilt calipers. Also have you been changing brake fluid as VW recommends?

JoBo

Reply to
Jo Bo

Hi, Thanks for the responses. On the questions:

- yes, fluid changed every 2 years

- yes, loosened the cap to let air out as I pushed the piston in.

Checking more today on head buildup. Wife's morning commute is uphill while it's downhill in the afternoon. She'll hand check the temp of the wheels morning and afternoon.

Reply to
tonyw

Cracking the bleed screw open a bit makes it easier to push the piston back in (have a container to catch what fluid comes out). I've always had to use a clamp to get the piston back in even with the bleed screw open.

Todd Seattle,WA '86 GTI, Red of course. (exciting racey car) 261,000 miles '87 Golf, Polar Silver. (boring work car) 545,000 miles

Reply to
racertod

Reply to
none2u

Great, thanks for confirming that the piston needs some pushing or squeezing to get back in. I'll try cleaning up the brake pad carrier area plus clean up the 2 bolts and sleeves this weekend to make sure friction isn' t preventing the pads from retracting from the rotor.

I noticed the last few sets of front brake pads I've installed, I've had to file out the 2 slots on the pads in order to get them to fit onto the caliper. The slots weren't deep enough and the pads were "too long" to fit on the carrier. This is on driver and passenger side. Anyone else have to file out their pads before they go in?

Pads are Lomandi Premiums with kevlar. Don't know where they're made.

Reply to
tonyw

Update: cleaning up the brake pad carier, bolts, and sleeves didn't help. the left front wheel still heated up more than the right side from the sticky caliper. I ended up replacing the caliper. The brakes run normally now.

PS. Anyone else having to file the slots in their brake pads before they'll fit on the carrier?

Reply to
tonyw

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