Front brakes. What needs replaced?

[TweakerG]

Well my wife drove her 87 camry on pretty much no brake pads to the point where you could hear metal on metal. Today when she got home she was complaining that the pedal would go to the floor and not stop her. I took the front driver side tire off and one of the brake pads was just hanging on the bottom of the rotor so she ran em down enough it just fell or broke off. There was also brake fluid everywhere. My question is am I going to have to replace the caliper as well or did it just leak the brake fluid because it extended too far when the pad came off? Also they have a caliper kit with some o-rings for about $4. Could I just get away with that? Oddly enough the rotor is fine.

[curtisz]

I would put fresh pads on it, bleed the system, and check the operation. If it still leaks fluid, I, personally, would go for purchasing new/used calipers rather than attempting to rebuild it.

[toyomoho]

There is no stop on the piston to prevent it from coming out if the pad is not there. If it did come out check for any damage to the caliper and piston that would prevent either from again being mated and holding a good seal. If OK, use the seal kit to replace seals and reinstall the piston. You might need to remove the caliper to work on it better, clean any parts with brake fluid.

[90 Gen2]

Parts for these cars are exceedingly cheap, really...
A set of loaded calipers and a pair of rotors will set you back less than a working class
night in Vegas...not that I know how much that is.
I mean, $25 rotors, what, $50 for calipers loaded with pads...
You can pay less for the parts than you would pay for labor alone on an elaborate car, and do it yourself in a weekend afternoon with your girl's help, even if she's just handing you refreshments and listening to you complain...

Obviously, this thing is going to be used by someone not sensitive to the aspect of operational characteristics indicating when "IT'S TIME" to do some repair/maintenance, so why not spend the paltry sums to know that she's not going to drive the brakes off the car again anytime soon, and also know that they're going to work?

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by 90 Gen2

Obviously, this thing is going to be used by someone not sensitive to the aspect of operational characteristics indicating when "IT'S TIME" to do some repair/maintenance, so why not spend the paltry sums to know that she's not going to drive the brakes off the car again anytime soon, and also know that they're going to work?

I totally agree with this statement. $150 in parts and you could have the brakes in 100% condition again. Rebuilt loaded calipers, rotors and some new brake fluid.

How did you even let her drive the car when you found out the brakes were almost gone?!?!

-Charlie

[RedSIBaron]

ive already done a pretty extensive brake job on a 2g camry for a couple hundred, and thats all new springs and cylinders for the rear drums new pads for the front and master cylinder...just remember after you rebuild that front calliper, bleed the brakes...and then if when she pushes the pedal, and if it still goes to the floor, its you master cylinder, which is cheap and easy to replace...

[marc780]

I'm with the others, new rotors, pads, remanuf calipers. how long are you keeping this car, if its for an indefinite period - i'm sure i'd just fix the brakes right even if i had to eat beans for a week to do it.

I have rebuilt calipers in the past but the rebuild kit you mention is nothing more than a couple of neoprene seals - for this kit to work, the caliper has to be like new inside, with no scratches or corrosion and very little wear inside the caliper piston bore.

Remember too, brake caliper piston bores should not be honed the way you would hone a drum brake wheel cylinder - the hone leaves an unwanted ridge at the bottom of the piston bore that will make it leak and/or not work right.

Sometimes a caliper piston bore can be polished with steel wool or fine emery cloth (go round and round inside, NOT up and down! or it will leak), cleaned to within an inch of its life with soap and water, compressed air, and brake fluid, then the new seals put in and the caliper reused. BUT the caliper has to be in very good shape to begin with for this to work, and if this does not describe your old calipers, i think i'd either try and find some good junkyard ones to rebuild.

But really, since these are your brakes, after all...In this case i'd go with a remanuf caliper, at least for the side that leaked.