Anybody used these calipers?

[Rickyy]

My sticky brake caliper is back! One black wheel, the smell of burning and not needing the handbrake on an incline!

I found these calipers one Ebay...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAZDA-MX5-NA-1-8-1994-19...

They are half the price of others I have found, but have a two year warranty. Are they any good or is it just false economy?

Also, it's the offside front that is binding, is it worth changing the nearside too? I'm worried about there being an imbalance or is it that unlikely?

TIA

[Shanksy87]

I bought this calliper last week and fitted yesterday. I figured it's worth a punt for £60. It fits fine, came with a full fitting kit which was nice and stops the car as you'd hope.

There is logic to buying the best you can afford but as the mx5 is only a daily hack I'm not too interested in lavishing goods upon on it so long as it stops and goes.

It's worth adding it's more likely the slider seizing will be your issue, not the calliper piston itself. I changed mine as it was knackered but my lower slider was seized also, nothing some grease can't tackle.

Edited by Shanksy87 on Sunday 1st January 11:45

[battered]

Rickyy said:

Also, it's the offside front that is binding, is it worth changing the nearside too? I'm worried about there being an imbalance or is it that unlikely?

TIA

No need to change the other side if it's a like for like (ie not an upgrade part) and the other one works. There will be no imbalance, they are not matched in any way.

Thousands of cars every year develop faults like this and only the faulty side is replaced. The other side will jog on for another year, two, three, or indefinitely.

[Rickyy]

Thanks both. I have stripped, cleaned and greased the sliders on all the calipers, but this one is intermittently sticking. It wouldn't roll facing downhill yesterday!

I'll give one of these a try I think.

[battered]

In that case you probably have a sticking piston. Back in the days when time was cheap some mechanics and lots of DIYers would remove the pads and get the piston out as far as possible without it leaving the caliper. They would then clean the corrosion off the piston, clean the seals and slide it back for another year of service. These days with an exchange caliper being less than 1 hour's labour, nobody bothers. Try buying a seal kit in a factor these days, they just look at you funny.

I still have a Mk1 Fiesta front brake caliper piston as a paperweight. It came off a car in about 1984, we could have put it back after a good polish but it was a bit of a mess and a new one wasn't a big deal.

[Accelebrate]

I order a replacement front caliper for my MK3 from them. It turned up quickly, was nicely finished and has been spot on so far.

The one I received appeared to be an OEM part rather than remanufactured OE part as the original had Mazda stamped into it. Was otherwise identical though.

[Rickyy]

Decided to go for it. Seemed good quality and performs well. It must have been sticking for a long time, as the car feels so much better to drive.

All of this was less than £120 delivered from brakeparts.co.uk. Ordered Monday evening and arrived on the Wednesday.