Damn rear brake calipers!!
Discussion
Guys,
I urgently need your advice about the rear brakes on an S2 Elise. I took the car to have new pads put on the rear. No problem you would think, but the garage has informed me that both rear calipers appear to be seized. I went down there to see what the problem was exactly. The chap showed me that the rear brakes weren't operating correctly (!!) and it seemed he was right, since the rear discs certainly showed a degree of corrosion in the swept area. (Although the car was standing over Xmas, the fronts had cleaned off nicely - he said that they had tried winding the caliper back in and they weren't playing ball.)
So, questions.
Are the calipers especially prone to seizing?
Is there some magic Lotus thing or super-gorilla strength required to free them off and get them moving again?
Is the Elise braking system & the components unusual, unique or exotic in some way?
If it is a double caliper replacement, what is the £damage likely to be?
Thanks in advance!
I urgently need your advice about the rear brakes on an S2 Elise. I took the car to have new pads put on the rear. No problem you would think, but the garage has informed me that both rear calipers appear to be seized. I went down there to see what the problem was exactly. The chap showed me that the rear brakes weren't operating correctly (!!) and it seemed he was right, since the rear discs certainly showed a degree of corrosion in the swept area. (Although the car was standing over Xmas, the fronts had cleaned off nicely - he said that they had tried winding the caliper back in and they weren't playing ball.)
So, questions.
Are the calipers especially prone to seizing?
Is there some magic Lotus thing or super-gorilla strength required to free them off and get them moving again?
Is the Elise braking system & the components unusual, unique or exotic in some way?
If it is a double caliper replacement, what is the £damage likely to be?
Thanks in advance!
Could be a number of issues.
I would suggest:
You will need to remove the pads from the caliper (which may take a little gentle persuasion), then free off the caliper. If it is the handbrake linkage that has siezed, this can probably be done by simply working the parking brake lever on the caliper back and forth a few times on either side, to ensure that it is moving freely (using a brake cleaning spray, available from motor factors, may help, but avoid getting it on the discs if you can).
If the caliper piston itself has stuck, you may need to free that off - I usually get an assistant to gently pump it out a bit (not too far, or the whole piston will pop out of the caliper!) by pressing on the brake pedal while I'm at the caliper, then gently lever the piston back in (either using a proper retractor tool or *very carefully* using a long screwdriver or similar. Repeating this a few times will usually free off the piston quite acceptably.
If nothing happens to the piston, it may be hydraulic - may need brakes bled etc.
Unlikely that you will need new brake calipers - likely to be a hydraulic or corrosion problem.
>> Edited by shangani on Saturday 7th January 18:07
I would suggest:
You will need to remove the pads from the caliper (which may take a little gentle persuasion), then free off the caliper. If it is the handbrake linkage that has siezed, this can probably be done by simply working the parking brake lever on the caliper back and forth a few times on either side, to ensure that it is moving freely (using a brake cleaning spray, available from motor factors, may help, but avoid getting it on the discs if you can).
If the caliper piston itself has stuck, you may need to free that off - I usually get an assistant to gently pump it out a bit (not too far, or the whole piston will pop out of the caliper!) by pressing on the brake pedal while I'm at the caliper, then gently lever the piston back in (either using a proper retractor tool or *very carefully* using a long screwdriver or similar. Repeating this a few times will usually free off the piston quite acceptably.
If nothing happens to the piston, it may be hydraulic - may need brakes bled etc.
Unlikely that you will need new brake calipers - likely to be a hydraulic or corrosion problem.
>> Edited by shangani on Saturday 7th January 18:07
Oh also try this link for info:
www.elise-faq.info/content/brakes/index.php
If you are not confident with brakes / mechanical things, don't do them yourself. Seems odd that both your rear calipers would fail simultaneously if it was primarily a caliper problem. Hydraulic or linkage more likely, but get the system right before driving. Evryone likes to go, but stopping is occasionally necessary as well.
www.elise-faq.info/content/brakes/index.php
If you are not confident with brakes / mechanical things, don't do them yourself. Seems odd that both your rear calipers would fail simultaneously if it was primarily a caliper problem. Hydraulic or linkage more likely, but get the system right before driving. Evryone likes to go, but stopping is occasionally necessary as well.
you sayd during cristmas it stood stil? are you a guy who puts the handbrake on?? don't ever do that for a long time! cause of moistre and sald can corode the piston and that way it can't move or go back annymore! or can't work correct annymore!
Always park the car in first(no handbrake, only for short moments or a sharp hill)
And I don't know how it works on a Elise, but normally for safety the brake lines ar sepperate so always one line could work when one is broken or so...
So on some cars smaler RWD cars the cirquit can be one fronts and one backs cirquit! on frontwheel drive cars they some times do that diagonal...so that couls explain yours?
So maybe also one pressure rubber somewhere is busted? that way not anough pressure to some wheels...? I believe thats in the master cilinder, but again don't know how it works with a lotus?
GTRene
>> Edited by GTRene on Saturday 7th January 18:18
Always park the car in first(no handbrake, only for short moments or a sharp hill)
And I don't know how it works on a Elise, but normally for safety the brake lines ar sepperate so always one line could work when one is broken or so...
So on some cars smaler RWD cars the cirquit can be one fronts and one backs cirquit! on frontwheel drive cars they some times do that diagonal...so that couls explain yours?
So maybe also one pressure rubber somewhere is busted? that way not anough pressure to some wheels...? I believe thats in the master cilinder, but again don't know how it works with a lotus?
GTRene
>> Edited by GTRene on Saturday 7th January 18:18
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff