Sticking caliper driving me mad

Hello fellow forum members,

 

I'll start with a story that led to the current situation. Last year in August I had all my calipers remanufactured, since I observed that both right ones were sticking. After the remanufacturing I've forgotten about the problem until I heard metal on metal screeching during this winter, I visited a mechanic shop ASAP but the damage was done: rear-right pad was eaten to the metal and disc has been scuffed a little.

 

Next things I did: changed the brake hoses and resurfaced the disc.

 

I was thinking that the problem was gone - I did a 2 hour back country ride and everything was alright. However, on the way back, 30 mins into the drive I heard this annoying high-pitched screeching, which subsides when I press the brake pedal. I stop for 5 minutes, observe that the rear-right braking disc is hotter than other, pump the brakes a few times and everything is alright for 1 hour, then again same steps.

 

This stickiness of the caliper happens at random and its driving me mad. I think I've done all steps to sorting a sticking caliper:

-fresh braking fluid

-new braking hoses

-remanufactured caliper

 

Braking pad is same since winter, it's OEM and I think it's alright.

 

What am I missing? Please help

When replacing pads, there's actually places on the sides of the pad (not the face) that you can safely apply copper grease.

 

 

An example:

Edited May 23, 2019 by moral hazard

Will ask my mechanic if he did this. If not - I'll do it myself. But anyhow - all other calipers are in perfect shape, no screeching, no sticking.

I ALWAYS take a 3M pad and buff off the stamping lines on the ends of all brake pads until they're smooth and slide easily in the caliper ways. Then I put 100% silicone grease on the sliding portions and anywhere the pad can touch any cast iron or the caliper piston.

Good idea, while I'm there I'll buff them out.

3M pad on a die grinder. If you are trying to do it by hand, you'll be there for a few years...LOL

I wonder if everything is okay with the caliper guide pins and the rubber pieces that are on them. I used green permatex brake lube on my old pins, which caused the rubber to expand and seized the pin in the caliper. So I'd make sure they move in and out of the caliper freely.

 

In the picture is the replacement rubber boot installed on one of the guide pins.

https://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=264845&d=1525650793

The caliper guide pins allow movement and visually are in good condition.

I ALWAYS take a 3M pad and buff off the stamping lines on the ends of all brake pads until they're smooth and slide easily in the caliper ways. Then I put 100% silicone grease on the sliding portions and anywhere the pad can touch any cast iron or the caliper piston.

 

I just hit those tabs with a cut off wheel on the air tool. Just remove the top and bottom surface so like you say they slide nicely. I put a little green brake grease on them and slide them in the spring clips.

 

OP did you buy reman calipers or remanufacture yours ?

Had mine remanufactured.

After years of greasing mine Yearly I finally bought remans from my local NAPA. Best thing I’ve done for the brakes in years

Don't forget to remove, clean, then grease the sliders.

@JmP6889928, Max Capacity,

 

Did that thing with buffing out the pins on the brake pads, put some considerable amount of copper grease, and now we wait. Did a few short extra-urban trips, no screeching so far.

Yes, grinding down the tabs on the pads helps them slide. They should go in the spring clips with ease, you shouldn't have to force them.

When I bought my car it came with a stack of service records, the original owner was a stickler. I saw that he had a shop rebuild the front left caliper a year or so before I bought it. Within a couple months of owning the car it started to hang up again. I took it apart, cleaned/sanded/buffed/greased everything. Was fine for another few months till it straight up locked up one day. I replaced it with some cheap pos reman from the parts store and it's been fine ever since. Nothing wrong with replacing a bad caliper, they're not that expensive and it completely eliminates the problem rather than just trying to "fix it" by cleaning and greasing it

For the forum's knowledge base sake: 2500 miles and counting - no screeching, no holding up of the caliper, all is good.