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Brake Calipers - Replace or Recondition

While replacing a badly scored disc on the front of my TD5 Defender, it became apparent that the calipers were getting a bit stiff - I had to put it in a vice to get the calipers to move right in!

Is it practical to re-piston and fit new seals to the calipers or is this just hard work (my guess is that it would be a bugger to get the old pistons out) and fitting replacement new calipers is a better bet.

Any suggestions as to who is the best supplier (it will need to be shipped out to me in France where I am for a while).

Thanks

David

Reply to
David
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On or around Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:53:27 +0200, David enlightened us thusly:

Depends on the condition of the iron parts. If the pad slots are OK and the pipe unions and bleed nipples ditto, then it's possible to replace seals and pistons, and if doing that, buying stainless pistons makes sense. However, you can buy new britprat ones for about the same money and a good bit less hassle.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

"Austin Shackles" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Think you also should check the brakehoses. The rubber inside can swallow up after years,and block the hose. Then you also have difficulty trying to get the calipers in. To check.... open up a beeding screw,and if it's now easy to put the caliper in (brake fluid gets out !!), you've to replace the hoses.

Kees

Reply to
k.w

Paddocks at Matlock were selling stainless pistons at about the same price as standard genuine, you could also get the seals from them. Pump out the pistons most of the way by removing the pads first then pressing the brake pedal until they touch the disc (keeping the reservoir full), then gently clamp the flexible pipe with mole grips or a proper tool and remove caliper. If you've already removed the caliper, you can pump out the pistons with a grease gun with the end removed.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

You should *never* push the pistons back except by clamping the brake hose and opening the bleed nipple. Failure to do this on an ABS equipped vehicle pushes all the s**te that tends to collect at the low point of the braking system (ie the caliper) back through the ABS equipment and often buggers it.

Reply to
EMB

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