brake caliper rebuild
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: virginia
brake caliper rebuild
the front calipers on my 74 vette are both leaking and need replaced/ rebuilt. is there a kit or something that i can get to rebuild them or is it easier to replace? if so what kind or brand calipers are recommneded?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,262
Likes: 283
From: I'd like to propose a toast... to internal combustion and wind in the face.
Though I'm not afraid of disassembling anything I don't think I would even bother trying to rebuild a caliper. They're about $65 dollars each at Autozone and they have a lifetime warranty. As a matter of fact, earlier this week I discovered the right front caliper on my '72 that came from Autzone I don't know how many years ago had gone bad. No receipt? No problem. I called them and within seconds they found where I had purchased the caliper and executed the warranty without any hassle. All it cost me was some brake fluid, a set of pads (I already had those) some time and half the skin on my right old man finger (wrench slipped off).
I'm sure there are companies that remanufacture better calipers but they won't cost less and you'll likely have plenty of shipping costs as well.
Tonight I will replace the bad right rear caliper I discovered while bleeding the right front caliper. This caliper pre-dates my purchase of the vehicle so no warranty replacement for me!
I'm sure there are companies that remanufacture better calipers but they won't cost less and you'll likely have plenty of shipping costs as well.
Tonight I will replace the bad right rear caliper I discovered while bleeding the right front caliper. This caliper pre-dates my purchase of the vehicle so no warranty replacement for me!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: virginia
Though I'm not afraid of disassembling anything I don't think I would even bother trying to rebuild a caliper. They're about $65 dollars each at Autozone and they have a lifetime warranty. As a matter of fact, earlier this week I discovered the right front caliper on my '72 that came from Autzone I don't know how many years ago had gone bad. No receipt? No problem. I called them and within seconds they found where I had purchased the caliper and executed the warranty without any hassle. All it cost me was some brake fluid, a set of pads (I already had those) some time and half the skin on my right old man finger (wrench slipped off).
I'm sure there are companies that remanufacture better calipers but they won't cost less and you'll likely have plenty of shipping costs as well.
Tonight I will replace the bad right rear caliper I discovered while bleeding the right front caliper. This caliper pre-dates my purchase of the vehicle so no warranty replacement for me!
I'm sure there are companies that remanufacture better calipers but they won't cost less and you'll likely have plenty of shipping costs as well.
Tonight I will replace the bad right rear caliper I discovered while bleeding the right front caliper. This caliper pre-dates my purchase of the vehicle so no warranty replacement for me!
yeah figured the parts store ones were cheaper but wondering on thier quality.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 19
Here's the problem. The majority of lip seal calipers leak on C3s because of rotor runout or just plain non-use. Replacing them in this case will just result in more leaks down the road. I found out the hard way.
Consider an O ring rebuild kit from one of the vendors here and you wont worry again. Just check your existing calipers to make sure the bores are stainless sleeved.
Consider an O ring rebuild kit from one of the vendors here and you wont worry again. Just check your existing calipers to make sure the bores are stainless sleeved.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: virginia
Here's the problem. The majority of lip seal calipers leak on C3s because of rotor runout or just plain non-use. Replacing them in this case will just result in more leaks down the road. I found out the hard way.
Consider an O ring rebuild kit from one of the vendors here and you wont worry again. Just check your existing calipers to make sure the bores are stainless sleeved.
Consider an O ring rebuild kit from one of the vendors here and you wont worry again. Just check your existing calipers to make sure the bores are stainless sleeved.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Here in New England the cars sit from some time in Nov-Dec until March or April. I rebuilt my calipers with lip seals after we bought the car and then the calipers were taken off for ~3 years while the chassis was rebuilt. They all leaked when they were put back on. I rebuilt them again with a VB&P O-ring kit and there have been no leaks for 4 years.
Unless your calipers are original to the car chances are they have been replaced at some point with a stainless sleeved caliper. It's easy enough to take them apart to check and even if you need to trade them in for rebuilts at Autozone they wouldn't care about the seals being missing.
Once you know that you have 4 stainless sleeved calipers you can rebuild them with an O-ring kit the next time they start leaking.
Rick B.
Unless your calipers are original to the car chances are they have been replaced at some point with a stainless sleeved caliper. It's easy enough to take them apart to check and even if you need to trade them in for rebuilts at Autozone they wouldn't care about the seals being missing.
Once you know that you have 4 stainless sleeved calipers you can rebuild them with an O-ring kit the next time they start leaking.
Rick B.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 818
Likes: 0
From: coon rapids mn
some one sells a rebuild kit ? it helps if you have a third hand for reinstalling the piston.clean it out really good .coat everything with brake fluid when assembling it .will you be using dot 5 fluid ?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,541
Likes: 1,975
From: Temple Terrace Florida
Looks like you have a 68/69?? I would check to see if you have Delco Moraine calipers. Over the 50 year life of the car, a previous owner may have changed out the calipers to SS sleeved. If so, I would pull them apart to see if they have ever been sleeved in stainless steel. The replacement calipers you buy at your local auto store may have "offshore" calipers. If already sleeved, you can easily rebuild them yourself with an O-ring kit. The O-ring piston in the caliper is more forgiving with respects to rotor run out. I have O-ring pistons on my 66 and 68 coupes. I have done about six cars for friends with zero leaks. Jerry
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5,484
Likes: 2,193
From: Loveland
ACDelco calipers from Advance Auto are about $120,,,,, rebuilt. I did all mine on a 68. If you can take the caliper off,,,, you can rebuild it. Make sure you get the torq specs for the calipers. As the pistons are spring loaded,,, you will need to hold back the pistons. The commercial pistons hold down clips didn't work for me. A block of wood cut to the correct thickness works well.
Last edited by kodpkd; Apr 18, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 224
From: Pawleys Island, SC
Here's the problem. The majority of lip seal calipers leak on C3s because of rotor runout or just plain non-use. Replacing them in this case will just result in more leaks down the road. I found out the hard way.
Consider an O ring rebuild kit from one of the vendors here and you wont worry again. Just check your existing calipers to make sure the bores are stainless sleeved.
Consider an O ring rebuild kit from one of the vendors here and you wont worry again. Just check your existing calipers to make sure the bores are stainless sleeved.
Last edited by revitup; Apr 18, 2020 at 04:21 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 421
From: BC
You can buy brand new casting o-ring calipers from most of the vendors and they are not sleeved. I think the deal is that if the bore is standard size you can use o-rings but if machined out at all like most old calipers, the o-ring will not be in tolerance with the bore where the lip seals expand more. Not all o-ring calipers are sleeved and I don't think it's necessary if the bores are within tolerance. The trick with lip seals is to get rotor runnout in tolerance or within about .002" by shimming. They will last indefinitely or at least 10 plus years if this is done and fluid is changed regularly but it's rotor runnout that's the killer of most caliper seals and if excessive, it will do in the o-rings too.
Last edited by CanadaGrant; Apr 18, 2020 at 07:28 PM.
