Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins?

Topic: Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins? (Read 1489 times) previous topic - next topic

Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins?

April 29, 2013, 01:08:19 PM

I pulled my wheels off to try to figure out a squeak that I have in the rear brakes. It usually doesn't do it until after I have been driving for a little bit (after the brakes get warm I guess) and is proportional to how fast I drive. It goes away with the slightest application of the brakes. I found the driver side caliper is rather wobbly feeling compared to the passenger side. The pinch bolt holding the caliper to the bracket is tight, it just looks like the caliper pin is too small causing some side to side play.

Could this be from the pin's boot being torn and dirt getting in there? Another thought I had is maybe the pads aren't adjusted properly since I never put the TC Ebrake components on this car. Thoughts?

The car is an 86 Cougar with an 87 TC rear end and brakes. When I swapped the rear, I didn't take any of the brakes apart so I am not sure if it has always been like this or not but the TC did have a quarter of a million miles...

Here is a short video showing the caliper movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_qTL0NnR7k

Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins?

Reply #1 – April 30, 2013, 01:12:10 AM

I fought a squeak in mine after I put the '00 Axle in. Changed out the entire caliper slide assembly after checking and lubing everything thoroughly. No dice, still had a very slight squeak that was monstrously annoying in stop and go traffic. Ended up buying Adaptive pads from Napa. expensive, but no more squeak!

Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins?

Reply #2 – April 30, 2013, 05:12:20 AM

That play is NORMAL. If it was not there you would have a real issue. You did not read my modification of the caliper brackets i posted. Normally the NOISE is from the PADS!! Use some silicone on the backs of the pads and that will fix the ISSUE

Drill the caliper bracket for a grease fitting and pump a load of grease in them once a year.

This drilling re-sizes the brackets bore.

Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins?

Reply #3 – April 30, 2013, 06:40:26 AM

Thanks guys. I must have missed that post Tom, thanks for reposting it. I really don't spend as much time in this section as I probably should but I am trying to get my suspension and brakes in better shape so I will be reading up.

So maybe my problem is on the other side, lol. The other side has no play in the caliper at all. It is just a stupid squeak and I don't intend on replacing everything to fix it. This car only drives a few hundred miles a year anyway so I can live with it if I have to.

Rear caliper play...worn caliper pins?

Reply #4 – April 30, 2013, 01:42:25 PM

I got it. It was the other side that was messed up. The bottom caliper pin was seized in the bracket. I couldn't break it loose but a new caliper bracket was $14 and a pair of caliper pins was $8.