rear brake woes Options

[jeffdon]

Well, discovered one of my rear calipers was missing both the adjuster hole plug and also the adjuster. Now i am having a hard time getting the new adjuster to seat in all the way. I can only get it in far enough to expose a few of the threads that the plug uses.

Also, when i turn the adjuster, I can get the piston to extend, but not retract. Shouldn't it move it both ways?

I am getting to the point where i am seriously considering putting a pair of front calipers on the rear (allready have them, have gone to BMW front calipers) and carrying a humk of 4x4 for a parking brake.

HELP!

[davep]

Sounds like you might have to clean out that adjuster hole and see if there is a piece of a broken adjuster in there. It should go in and expose about 3/8" of hole. If the pistons don't retract, it really is rebuild time. Usually they are gummed up inside. Quite often you have to use pressure to force the pistons back in while turning the adjuster. That is not really a good thing. To work effectively the piston adjuster operation should be smooth and easy. I'd suggest contacting Eric and get a couple of rebuilds. It is not legal to run without emergency brakes on the street, and 4x4's don't count there. Insurance companies frown on it as well. If you do searches, you will find that putting fronts on the rear is not a good thing, and BMW on the front is not much benefit. Better to have stock brakes in good working condition.

[Cap'n Krusty]

Not "quite often", ALWAYS. You don't press them back as you turn the screw, you "usually" lose the connection and then you have to have the caliper rebuilt. The Cap'n

[jeffdon]

Not "quite often", ALWAYS. You don't press them back as you turn the screw, you "usually" lose the connection and then you have to have the caliper rebuilt. The Cap'n

Crap. And it looks like to have it done, is aver $200 bucks. The procedures on this do not look too bad, I have done more complicated things. I was on the Pelican site, and in thier rebuild kit section, they say they do not recomend splitting the calipers, and thus, will not sell the seals. Where can I get the full seal set?

[jeffdon]

Not "quite often", ALWAYS. You don't press them back as you turn the screw, you "usually" lose the connection and then you have to have the caliper rebuilt. The Cap'n

Crap. And it looks like to have it done, is aver $200 bucks. The procedures on this do not look too bad, I have done more complicated things. I was on the Pelican site, and in thier rebuild kit section, they say they do not recomend splitting the calipers, and thus, will not sell the internal caliper half seals. Where can I get the full seal set?

[toon1]

Go to EASY in Emeryville. They are close to you, helpfull, good prices and lots of parts. They can also get the same stuff as Pelican, either at or below(below is usually the case) their price and most the time, same day.

Talk to John

Good luck, Keith

[jeffdon]

Go to EASY in Emeryville. They are close to you, helpfull, good prices and lots of parts. They can also get the same stuff as Pelican, either at or below(below is usually the case) their price and most the time, same day.

Talk to John

Good luck, Keith

Know them well, great source actually.

[Eric_Shea]

Well, discovered one of my rear calipers was missing both the adjuster hole plug and also the adjuster. Now i am having a hard time getting the new adjuster to seat in all the way. I can only get it in far enough to expose a few of the threads that the plug uses.

Also, when i turn the adjuster, I can get the piston to extend, but not retract. Shouldn't it move it both ways?

I have complete kits.

If the cap was off and the adjuster was missing, I'd say there's probably a good deal of dirt built up in there. The first thing I would do is take a high pressure air hose to it and blow it out. You may want to try brake cleaner and then air. Solvent based cleaners (even brake cleaner) can swell seals and damage rubber. It's highly advisable to air it out quickly if you use this method. Do not use carb cleaner as it will quickly destroy your seals. Quick shots of brake cleaner followed up with air to evaporate it. Best is just air if you can get it in there.

Do what the Cap'n suggests and apply a slight amount of pressure as you attempt to turn the piston in. Remember, that inside adjuster is gear driven and it turns "counter-clockwise" to pull it in.

If you decide to rebuild, follow the link below for the calipers. In the first post you'll see a "Do-It-Yourself" link. Read along and PM me with any questions.

[jeffdon]

Thanks. I think I shall put the fronts on for the time being, and rebuild the rears. Heck, before i parked it some 8 years ago, I drove around with no E-brake due to a handle that would not go back down for months.