Stuck caliper on 1996 Paseo

Rebuilt ones (at least for 22RE PU) are like $40 with core at FAPS - I'd just replace it (or even both sides). Check the rubber hose too - if it is colapsing then it too could be bad. I'd remove the brake fuid in reservoir, refill and then bleed entire system starting in back until clear new fluid comes out.

Loosen the lug nuts and jack it up, with the car in neutral. Chances are the slide is stuck. You can try and rework the slide. What I do is take some emery cloth and run it over the pin, and then take a Dremel tool and remove the rust from inside the caliper. This usually works, however, I did have to replace one of the calipers on my Supra.

It's pretty easy, all in all...

To answer your first question, both front wheels do not have to be off the ground to see if one turns freely. Before jacking, set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels. Use a jack stand to support the car while working on the brakes and never work under the car with it supported only by the jack.

If you pull the piston out of the caliper, the fluid will come out, although there should not be any need to pull the piston. Just push it back with a C-clamp or piston tool. As Hachiroku mentioned, a stuck caliper pin is the likely cause of the problem. Use a fine emery cloth to clean up the bolts that hold the caliper in place. The bolts pass through a sleeve that is held in place with rubber boots, and the sleeve should move in and out to the limit of the boots. If the sleeve is stuck, carefully peel back the boots and clean up the sleeve.

Thank you all for the help.. I found this picture of a Miata brake setup:

I see what you're talking about now. If I look at this pic correctly it appears the slider pins are on either end of the caliper assembly. Are they lubed with anything or just need to be smooth?

-Jim

Yeah... ;)

You can get Caliper grease anywhere. Grease the pins after cleang them up. I hit them with the emery cloth, and then sand with fine, fine grit (1000-1500) sandpaper so they're good and smooth. I use brake grease, but that's just me...

Or Anti-Seize...

============= FWIW I replaced the slide pins with new Toyota parts for $5.68 ea. and the rubber boots for $2.87 ea. then used synthetic high temperature disk brake caliper grease from NAPA. Seemed like a minor expense for those critical parts in the braking system.