Brake Calipers: New or Re-furb?

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Mikey

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Brake Calipers: New or Re-furb?
« on: August 14, 2011, 05:02:43 PM »
Hi All.

I'm in a quandary with my brake calipers. I'm doing a big re-furb job on the Rangie, so I've got all four calipers off. Now, new brake calipers a really expensive, and I know much less expensive kits are available to replace the pistons & seals in old calipers.
I had the front calipers sand blasted whilst getting other bits done, just to see what state they're in under the rust scale, and they're good.

Has anybody refurbished their own brakes? Or is there a place I can get them looked at without costing the earth?

All thoughts appreciated.
Mikey.
1985 110 CSW, 300Tdi fitted.
1993 Classic LSE, V8 LPG.

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stage recovery

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Re: Brake Calipers: New or Re-furb?
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2011, 10:51:10 PM »
Not hard to do, I use Girling seal kits and obtain stainless steel pistons,I split the caliper for ease of working,(carefull not to loose the seal from the join,its not included in the kit) remove the old seal and wiper seal and retainer,spend a lot of time getting the grooves perfectly cleaned out,a small right angled screwdriver is handy,lubricate all seal parts with Lucas red brake grease,insert the main seal,insert the piston half way in,insert the wiper seal inside its retainer ring,fill the groove in the wiper seal itself with the red grease,place over the piston and slide down,now for the tricky part,very easy to distort the retainer,I use a steel disc,big enough to cover the retainer,carefully tap the piston down,the disc eventually taking the retainer in as the piston keeps it square on to its groove. Suffice to say,keep as many of the origional retainers reusable as spares,they do come in handy. Replace all the pistons and seals,reassemble the two halves and the jobs done. Just make sure before starting all this that the bleed nipple actually unscrews,it would be bad day to have a newly rebuilt caliper and no means of bleeding it!

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cooltshirt

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Re: Brake Calipers: New or Re-furb?
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2011, 11:55:21 AM »
Additionally a large G clamp can be useful to push the pistons in.
Also if you are saving $$ by rebuilding spend a little of that on new flexible hoses. As collapsed hoses is often the cause of binding brakes rather than sticky callipers.

Good luck
1983 110 V8. RIP

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Mikey

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Re: Brake Calipers: New or Re-furb?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2011, 01:39:31 PM »
Cheers for that guys.
Colin, who do you buy your kits from?
Mikey.
1985 110 CSW, 300Tdi fitted.
1993 Classic LSE, V8 LPG.

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stage recovery

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Re: Brake Calipers: New or Re-furb?
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2011, 12:23:33 AM »
Hi Mikey, seal kits available from most parts suppliers/online,just be certain to specify Lucas/Girling,Lockheed,etc,have had an experience of an unbranded/white box wheel cylinder which leaked from the seal  when it was bled,no apparent fault,just could not contain fluid.