

BRAKE CALIPER FULL
If one of the sliders is sticking, this might lead to a spongy brake pedal feeling, as the brake caliper flexes trying to make full contact with the rotor. If the caliper slider can’t move freely, it could lead to more wear on the inboard pad, dragging of the outboard pad, or reduced braking efficiency, no braking at all on the outboard pad. Accelerated wear on the inboard pad is common enough, but a sticking slider exacerbates the problem. Stuck Caliper Slider: On floating calipers, caliper sliders are the weakest link and cause many problems.
BRAKE CALIPER HOW TO
Here are some common brake caliper failures and how to fix them. Still, brake calipers can fail in a few ways. įixed brake calipers are more expensive, but also more efficient and more reliable, while floating brake calipers are sufficiently reliable to offset the cheaper production costs. Inside a floating brake caliper are one or two pistons on the inboard side.Ī Sticking Brake Caliper Slide or Brake Pad Could Lead to Accelerated Wear.

Floating brake calipers are not mounted directly to the knuckle, but to a “cage.” The cage carries the brake pads, usually on sliding rails, and the brake caliper slides over them, mounted with sliding bolts. Inside the block of a fixed brake caliper, two to four pairs of pistons compress the brake pads, which slide on pins, from both sides. Fixed brake calipers are bolted directly to the knuckle and all moving parts are internal. Gripping the rotor, the brake caliper can reduce the speed of the wheel to the speed of the steering or suspension, that is, zero – more on that in a minute.īrake calipers come in two basic types, fixed brake calipers and floating brake calipers. The brake caliper is fixed to the steering or suspension knuckle. The brake rotor, or brake disc, mounts between the wheel and axle hub, rotating with the axle and wheel. The disc brake system is made up of a few basic parts, including the brake caliper, brake rotor, brake pads, and various shims, springs, and clips to hold the pads. What Exactly is a Brake Caliper, Anyway?.
