Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: jrrhdmust Aug 20 2014, 10:14 AM

I started restoring the car about 2 years ago, the normal rust issues. Now I am starting to build it back up. I got new brake calipers from Advance or Autozone for the front and had Eric Shea rebuild the rear calipers.

I have the passenger side front caliper installed, but I can't for the life of me get the front drivers side caliper to bolt up. It is a new rotor, and I am trying to bolt it up with out the pads installed.

Any thoughts??

I tried a quick search, but I didn't see anything.

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Aug 20 2014, 10:32 AM

Wrong caliper, or you have mismatched strut assemblies. The former is one of the "features" of shopping at large auto parts chains, the latter is a downside of buying a car from a long string of DAPOs.

The Cap'n

Posted by: ThePaintedMan Aug 20 2014, 10:55 AM

Did you already trade in the old calipers for cores so you could compare? It is possible the PO had mismatched struts on there.... but having worked at Autozone, I would bet that some numbskull gave you the wrong caliper.

Posted by: stugray Aug 20 2014, 11:19 AM

Are the bolt holes not aligning, or is the caliper hitting the rotor?

Posted by: Bob L. Aug 20 2014, 11:45 AM

Could also be the wrong rotor. Early Vs. late, The offset is different.

Posted by: stugray Aug 20 2014, 11:51 AM

BTDT - I just replaced the rotors on my EARLY car, just to find the PO had replaced the struts with LATE.

So the rotors didnt fit. You can visually tell the difference from the hub.
One is raised and the other is not. Cant remember which is which, but i can look when I get home.

Posted by: Bob L. Aug 20 2014, 12:22 PM

I ordered the wrong ones. I think it was my first 914 mistake. There have been others!

Posted by: jrrhdmust Aug 20 2014, 12:47 PM

The bolt holes are really close. I did already trade in the old ones, hmmmm

I replaced both struts and both rotors...which is why I cma confused especially since one side bolted up....

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Aug 20 2014, 01:14 PM

My next step would be to try the caliper that doesn't fit on the side you've already bolted up. Then try the caliper you know fits on the other side.

The Cap'n

Posted by: jrrhdmust Aug 20 2014, 04:14 PM

Thanks Cap'n that is exactly what I was thinking.....

Posted by: jrrhdmust Aug 21 2014, 07:24 AM

So I looked at everying last night. It seems when the caliper itself was put together, the over tighned the inside bolts or didn't tighten the outside bolts, so that the caliper squeezes in. I haven't put a caliper on it to see how bad, but I think that is the issue.

Posted by: mepstein Aug 21 2014, 08:34 AM

I would return it and get calipers from PMB. What could be more important than your front brakes?

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Aug 21 2014, 09:56 AM

My thinking, exactly!

The Cap'n