Renault Vivaro calipers

I would check/replace the cable first

Yes, I must do that but I'm pretty sure they're free. Certainly when I stripped them off the calipers the other month the levers were deffo stuck. Not that it doesn't mean the cables aren't getting gummy anyway!

There are suggestions online that sticking is caused by failure of the 'dust' seal around the lever pivot. If that's the case, whatever you do will be doomed to ultimate failure.

With that in mind, and your mention of time, might it be better to replace the calliper? Non-OEM ones are sub-50UKP.

Chris

Sorry - it's late!

...sub-*60*UKP.

Chris

The coned seal is rather crap and I can't imagine it keeps much out for long but it does seem to be available in a service kit for a tenner along with an O-ring and some other seal. The stickiness is, I imagine, like many shaft in sleeve arrangements, a mixture of crap getting down the shaft and grease that's gone nasty forming in the few-thou clearance tightening it all up.

You were right first time; there are some for £50! I think I might just do that - it's not my van but the running budget is 2d6s. It then gives me one to play with at leisure as the other side is bound to give out at some point!

Calipers are invariably handed. Esp handbrake calipers as the lever faces the other way. Otherwise it's to place the bleed nipple at the top on a caliper that mounted at an angle.

Sorry, lack of clarity on my part - I was just thinking that once the OS one is replaced, I can see if I can usefully strip it down as a learning exercise to repairing the NS one in due course.