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Is the abutement bracket supposed to have a little play. I have the bolts as tight as can be to the caliper but it has a little wiggle room where the caliper can slide side to side. Also the rattle clip that install to the top part of caliper on the inside seems to be able to seat in either way. Does it matter? Thanks
There should be no play in the abutement brackets, they should be as tight as a drum. Make sure that you've placed your washers in the right location, which should be next to the head of the bolt that holds the bracket in place.
R/Noland
P.S. I also remember when I first installed mine, I put the bracket on the wrong side of the adapter bracket the first time. I noticed it when my rotor did not properly lineup with the caliper. Just another thing to consider.
Im sorry the abutement is tight its those two long bolts that hold the caliper and abutement together and it allows the caliper to slide side to side on the partially threaded bolts. With me. Do you remember ****ing with that rattle clip top side of caliper?
ya that bolt is tight and I used the same illustration. Now the caliper slides over the two slider pins and after I put the caliper over the rotor and tightend the abutment to the adapter I noticed play where the caliper has a little slide room. Just a little as its riding the slider pins.
ya that bolt is tight and I used the same illustration. Now the caliper slides over the two slider pins and after I put the caliper over the rotor and tightend the abutment to the adapter I noticed play where the caliper has a little slide room. Just a little as its riding the slider pins.
Then it sounds like you've got it right. Once you get the brake pads to settle, then the movement won't be as much, but the caliper is suppose to slide back and forth on the guide pins. Make sure you use a good lube to keep them from binding up also!
I just finished mine on Thursday night, I Installed all the bolts for the adapter plate and the abutment bracket with blue thread lock and then torqued to 120 ft/lbs. Then installed the calipers as per the drawing with the anti-rattle clips, torque on the bolts threaded into the pins at 20 ft/lbs. After bleeding I don't find any play in the caliper, it stops quicker but I still have to install the DRM propotioning spring in the master cylinder. I just had to drive it today, the weather was way to nice to do anything else!!!!!!!!!!!
Then it sounds like you've got it right. Once you get the brake pads to settle, then the movement won't be as much, but the caliper is suppose to slide back and forth on the guide pins. Make sure you use a good lube to keep them from binding up also!
R/Noland
After bleeding there will be very little play if any!
Now the caliper slides over the two slider pins and after I put the caliper over the rotor and tightend the abutment to the adapter I noticed play where the caliper has a little slide room. Just a little as its riding the slider pins.
This would be because it's a floating caliper. The reason it slides is because you (presumably) pressed the piston completely back in the bore in order to put everything together. The pads don't fill up every bit of space, so there is some space left for the caliper to slide. Once you press the brake pedal, the piston will extend and take up that slack.
Oh, and for lubing the pins, don't use any petroleum based grease. Apparently they can attack the rubber seals. Silicone grease is the thing to use.
I didnt use any grease on the pins or thread lock on the bolts and I didnt use a tq wrench on the bolts. Just took it as far as My huge muscles allowed. I could redo it as I only have one wheel done. Im struggling with braking the nut loose on the hard brake line as Im changing to braided lines while im there.
You must grease the slider pins or they will rust and get trapped in the abutment bracket. The bolts new have thread lock on them. Unless you bought used stuff.
I didnt use any grease on the pins or thread lock on the bolts and I didnt use a tq wrench on the bolts. Just took it as far as My huge muscles allowed. I could redo it as I only have one wheel done. Im struggling with braking the nut loose on the hard brake line as Im changing to braided lines while im there.
Having a caliper bolt back out and the caliper swing into the wheel is not a lesson most people want to learn.
If you didn't buy new bolts (if they didn't have a band of red on them), you should consider removing them and putting thread-locker on.
And if you used your huge muscle on a bar less than a foot long (like on an 8" ratchet or something), don't count on them being even close to torqued properly.
Having a caliper bolt back out and the caliper swing into the wheel is not a lesson most people want to learn.
If you didn't buy new bolts (if they didn't have a band of red on them), you should consider removing them and putting thread-locker on.
And if you used your huge muscle on a bar less than a foot long (like on an 8" ratchet or something), don't count on them being even close to torqued properly.
I did go back and put the blue thread lock on the abutement threads and the adapter threads. I also lubed the slider pins. I will use a neighbors tq wrench and tq em down. Anyone know how many pounds. I think its around 125lb?
In my 88 FSM its a 137 ft/lbs, I used a 120 ft/lbs when reassembling the adapter and abutment bracket this time! The reason is I had replaced it all with new rotors and pads 4 years ago, when reassembling then, I had used blue thread lock and I had a heck of a time taking it apart this time. I needed to use a pipe over my 3/4" drive ratchet handle to get it apart!
John
Last edited by JohnyH; Jul 6, 2008 at 09:18 PM.
Reason: spelling
I did go back and put the blue thread lock on the abutement threads and the adapter threads. I also lubed the slider pins. I will use a neighbors tq wrench and tq em down. Anyone know how many pounds. I think its around 125lb?
Torque values for the caliper bracket bolts vary by year. In the FSM for my 92, the torque spec for the front bolts was 165 ft-lbs +/- 15 ft-lbs. My 87 manual calls for 137 ft-lbs.
Using a threadlocker like Loctite Blue is a good idea. The original bolts came with a threadlocker already applied. When new GM bolts are purchased, they have the threadlocker on them. You can easily resue the old bolts after cleaning any old threadlocker from the bolt threads and the female threads on the bracket.
You don't wnat to use the Loctite Red stuff That material requires heat to loosen bolts where it is used.
If you are installing new or recently rebuilt calipers, they will slide a bit back and forth until the calipers are fully bled and the pads are closer to the rotor. As stated above, the guide pins need to be lubed up with some grease. I use some white sticky stuff from Super Lube, it's synthetic and sticks like crazy but lubes very well. Make sure the guide pin seals are in good order as well.
The abutment brackets do need some threadlocker, I always recommend the red stuff as they are brake bolts, and torque as the manual specifies, but rarely will you need over 50-75 Ft-lbs. You'll give yourself a hernia attempting those 100+ ft-lb marks. The blue stuff is fine.
The rattle clip at the top should only fit one way with the wider part toward the caliper pistons but some guys take them out for better air flow over the rotor vanes. They aren't a must have but help to keep the pads tight in the abutment.