Seized rear caliper piston
Discussion
I normally pride myself on keeping my cars/bikes well maintained, but this has well and truly slipped through the net 
I’m truly ashamed!
It’s a 2019 Skoda Scala with 45k miles; the rear discs and pads were mentioned as an advisory on the last MOT and I promptly bought replacements then forgot about it as we have had quite a lot going on. I decided to change them today and was appalled at what I found. In addition to the pads being completely worn and the discs knackered, the caliper piston is seized. I tried to wind it back in with the proper tool but it wasn’t going anywhere so I’ve taken it off the car with a view to replacing it/or trying to wind it back in on the bench. I’ve recently replaced the calipers on my VW Caddy and they were really cheap, but replacements for the Skoda are unusually expensive. I’ve seen some refurbishment kits but I’ve never attempted this before. Is it worth tackling or should I just bite the bulled and replace the caliper?
Thanks in advance.
I’m truly ashamed!
It’s a 2019 Skoda Scala with 45k miles; the rear discs and pads were mentioned as an advisory on the last MOT and I promptly bought replacements then forgot about it as we have had quite a lot going on. I decided to change them today and was appalled at what I found. In addition to the pads being completely worn and the discs knackered, the caliper piston is seized. I tried to wind it back in with the proper tool but it wasn’t going anywhere so I’ve taken it off the car with a view to replacing it/or trying to wind it back in on the bench. I’ve recently replaced the calipers on my VW Caddy and they were really cheap, but replacements for the Skoda are unusually expensive. I’ve seen some refurbishment kits but I’ve never attempted this before. Is it worth tackling or should I just bite the bulled and replace the caliper?
Thanks in advance.
Self adjusting or wind back calipers (incorporating park brake too) are a pet hate of mine, with free moving calipers when you service the brakes its easy to exercise the pistons in their bores multiple times and you can judge how much pressure is required to push the pistons home, you don't get the same feel winding self adjusting types back in until one day you can't.
There's a place offering remanufactured exchange units for your car on ebay for £60, they want a hefty deposit up front until they receive your old one back and there's always the risk they can't unseize yours either.
Can't say as i've had great success in refurbing my own calipers and a new or refurb has to be bought, in contrast i've put new seals in hundreds of slave cylinders over the years of my (skint) youth with almost universal success.
There's a place offering remanufactured exchange units for your car on ebay for £60, they want a hefty deposit up front until they receive your old one back and there's always the risk they can't unseize yours either.
Can't say as i've had great success in refurbing my own calipers and a new or refurb has to be bought, in contrast i've put new seals in hundreds of slave cylinders over the years of my (skint) youth with almost universal success.
Edited by Smint on Thursday 29th February 07:22
I would not be at all surprised if it is seized, it's precisely what they live to do! ...but it's always worth trying to turn the piston acw in case it's one of those cack-handed ones... just see if it rotates, without any inward pressure initially.
When fitting its replacement, don't forget that you must use hydraulic pressure to progress the piston & pads to the disc first and before you even look at the handbrake quadrant (eg even moving it slightly to engage the cable nipple can confuse its poor delicate innards).
When fitting its replacement, don't forget that you must use hydraulic pressure to progress the piston & pads to the disc first and before you even look at the handbrake quadrant (eg even moving it slightly to engage the cable nipple can confuse its poor delicate innards).
Now that you have removed it you may well be able to retract the piston with the caliper clamped in a vice.
I had the same thing with the Mrs's Astra, I just couldn't get it retracted in situ but once clamped in a vice it was persuaded back in.
It's been fine back in the car for about 3 years now.
I had the same thing with the Mrs's Astra, I just couldn't get it retracted in situ but once clamped in a vice it was persuaded back in.
It's been fine back in the car for about 3 years now.
Okay, this is embarrassing but here goes….
I took the other caliper off and it also appeared to be seized. Had the replacements been easily available I would probably have bought them immediately and fitted them but when I went to bed I was thinking things through and came to the conclusion that it would be unlikely both were seized on a relatively new car and that I must be doing something stupid. I’ve never worked on a car with wind back calipers and my caliper tool set comes with two bodies. I then wondered if I was winding them the wrong way….and that was exactly what I was doing. I had picked up the LH wind back tool instead of the RH. What an idiot! All back together and working perfectly. The car has suffered an intermittent “chuffing” noise for months and I was absolutely convinced it was coming from the front o/s but it must have been the rear brakes because that has also gone, which is a result.
The only other issue is a creaking/squeaking noise (rear) whilst going over bumps, which is worse in cold weather. It has a torsion beam set up on the rear, and I have read that applying some silicone spray to the bushes/mountings should help. Does this sound right?
I took the other caliper off and it also appeared to be seized. Had the replacements been easily available I would probably have bought them immediately and fitted them but when I went to bed I was thinking things through and came to the conclusion that it would be unlikely both were seized on a relatively new car and that I must be doing something stupid. I’ve never worked on a car with wind back calipers and my caliper tool set comes with two bodies. I then wondered if I was winding them the wrong way….and that was exactly what I was doing. I had picked up the LH wind back tool instead of the RH. What an idiot! All back together and working perfectly. The car has suffered an intermittent “chuffing” noise for months and I was absolutely convinced it was coming from the front o/s but it must have been the rear brakes because that has also gone, which is a result.
The only other issue is a creaking/squeaking noise (rear) whilst going over bumps, which is worse in cold weather. It has a torsion beam set up on the rear, and I have read that applying some silicone spray to the bushes/mountings should help. Does this sound right?
Good result.
Good also to know i'm not the only one who gets things arse about face now and again and can't believe it when the penny drops.
Still don't like wind back calipers and never will, by the way you've triggered my OCD, i have to paint the unswept parts of discs with black metal paint before it goes on the road, calipers too, hate seeing rusty discs and calipers, hopefully they're pre painted so won't rust for a long time.
I spray ACF50 (other products are available) every year over the undersides as part of my rustproofing regime, that too tends to shut any suspension noises up.
Good also to know i'm not the only one who gets things arse about face now and again and can't believe it when the penny drops.
Still don't like wind back calipers and never will, by the way you've triggered my OCD, i have to paint the unswept parts of discs with black metal paint before it goes on the road, calipers too, hate seeing rusty discs and calipers, hopefully they're pre painted so won't rust for a long time.
I spray ACF50 (other products are available) every year over the undersides as part of my rustproofing regime, that too tends to shut any suspension noises up.
Edited by Smint on Saturday 2nd March 17:05
TwinKam said:
I would not be at all surprised if it is seized, it's precisely what they live to do! ...but it's always worth trying to turn the piston acw in case it's one of those cack-handed ones... just see if it rotates, without any inward pressure initially.
When fitting its replacement, don't forget that you must use hydraulic pressure to progress the piston & pads to the disc first and before you even look at the handbrake quadrant (eg even moving it slightly to engage the cable nipple can confuse its poor delicate innards).
Don't say I didn't tell ya!When fitting its replacement, don't forget that you must use hydraulic pressure to progress the piston & pads to the disc first and before you even look at the handbrake quadrant (eg even moving it slightly to engage the cable nipple can confuse its poor delicate innards).
cuprabob said:
I'm surprised a replacement caliper is expensive as I'm pretty sure it will be a standard part used across many other models across the VAG range.
Looks identical to a VW Polo rear caliper.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153492997912?mkcid=16&a...
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