Camry & Solara LoungeDiscussion area for every generation of Toyota's family car, the Toyota Camry. Lexus ES250/300 owners welcome! Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance and more.
My 2004 Camry LE brakes grab. I replaced the rotors because the steering wheel wobbled when braking. I replaced the pads, I’m having to remove the caliper and the Sliding pins every month to clean them and clean the holes in the caliper mounting bracket and re-lubed with hi temp syn brake grease, and its fine until it starts to grab after days of driving . I replaced the rubber O ring on the bottom slider pins and still a problem.
I had someone apply the brakes with the tires off and front-end lifted and I could see neither side's caliper move. I’ve read to check if the sliding pins are warped, but how do I do this?
I can’t tell which side is grabbing. The driver-side rotor looks more worn then the pass-side, so you would think the driver-side is the problem, but ,if the pass side is stuck, then the driver side does all the work, therefore the pass-side is the problem.
The only time you should have to clean the brakes is when you do a brake job. Maybe you have to clean the brake dust off because the piston is stuck on, as you already suspect, and it is eating your pads (the dirt is really brake dust?). Not to mention that your brakes and rotors are running really hot on this side with the stuck piston and this is going to ruin your rotor if you let it continue too long - i'm surprised you dont mention a pull to one side all the time.
I'd think about replacing the caliper with a new /rebuilt - the sooner the better.
Also since your brakes grab too, i'd be thinking that maybe one or both calipers are leaking a little fluid past the piston, and this could cause brake grab.
You can easily tell which side is stuck, just have a look at the pads and see which one is way more worn than the other.
chances are if its pulling to the right the passenger side is to blame. If the caliper is locking its time to change it before you glaze the disc, it happens that calipers go bad. You said you dont think its leaking, have a closer look, take the caliper off the rotor and inspect the rubber sorround around, if its leaking it'll be leaking from there, it might not be obvious because it will drip onto the back side of the disc, which would cause it to grip or even lock in some cases...
"chances are if its pulling to the right the passenger side is to blame."
Usually it's the other way around, at least for front disc brakes. When a caliper sticks, it usually sticks with the caliper piston extended outward, applying some pressure to that side's rotor. This heats up that rotor and pad combination. When you step on the brake pedal the normal side is cooler and therefore grabs better and does more of the braking. This also causes the car to pull to that "stronger" side.
^If you're pulling, it means that the piston is not engaging properly.
So you're braking harder on one side.
Just take a look at the slider pins and see if they look right. They're not that expensive, so you could even buy new ones (and if slider pins aren't at fault, use these new ones the enxt time you do your brakes).
there is a pull to the driver-side, but i can't tell if its the slider pins or the caliper.
There is no sign of fluid on caliper on both sides
Then its either the new pads and/or you need to change your rotors; maybe they are improperly finished or just worn. And this ought to fix the grabbing problem.
Are you saying that the pulling side will dictate the Caliper at fault ?
How can I check visually that this caliper or slider pins are at fault ?
A quick check would be to jack up the entire front end of the car. Then try to rotate each front wheel by hand. If one side is noticeably harder to rotate than the other, the harder to rotate side probably has it's caliper sticking, applying some brake pressure to that side.
I thought of that too but it is hard to tell sometimes because of the transmission being connected to the front wheels
I was able to do this on my car a time or 2. If you feel the transmission is putting out too much drag, you can always turn the key to run (not start) and put the transmission in neutral and try this. Either way, it's a 5 minute test.
I lifted the whole front end and spinned each tire by hand with tranny in Neutral. The left Driver side [where its pulling] does not spin as easily as the right side. The bottom slider pins on both sides were stuckand I had to pull and turn them to free them up. I pushed the pistons in on both calipers using a C Clamp and then with the caliper bolted and tightened , I tried twisting the caliper and pushing and pulling it on the slider pins. Should I feel a lot of play whening twisting it, cause this would indicate the slider pins are too worn and need replacement ?.
Should I feel a lot of play whening twisting it, cause this would indicate the slider pins are too worn and need replacement ?.
Im not sure if what you just described is telling you much about the condition of the caliper holes or the pins...i think with the problems these brakes are causing i'd just go ahead and replace the hardware with a hardware kit; the kit should have new pins, shims and brake plate parts that the pads ride on. (Make sure it has all these parts, if you have to buy the pins seperate just do that. because i think the other people posting may be right about the slider pins maybe being bad)
"Should I feel a lot of play whening twisting it, cause this would indicate the slider pins are too worn and need replacement ?."
I have never really tried twisting the caliper side to side, but I wouldn't think there would be much side to side play. Can you try this test on a friends car to compare it to your car?
I have to agree with Marc that it's probably time to buy new hardware. Regreasing the slide pins that often has got to be a headache and shouldn't really have to be done. Most people don't even regrease them when they do a brake job, as long as there is in and out movement of the caliper/slide pins and/or the pads are wearing evenly . I would also suggest rebuilding that one caliper where the wheel is harder to rotate, if just for piece of mind. Most caliper rebuild kits come with new slide pins, so that will be new too. I would also thoroughly clean the caliper mounting bracket holes where the pins go, to make sure there is no rust or scale buildup inside there. I have done it using a beed blaster or sand blaster and then thoroughly blow all the media out of the holes using compressed air. Then apply some of the high temperature synthetic disc brake grease down in the holes before applying grease to the slide pins and inserting them. You should also get new rubber boots in the rebuilding kit. For the other side I would just get new caliper slide pins and new rubbber boots and clean the caliper mounting bracket holes as I described above. Remember to thoroughly bleed the caliper that was rebuilt.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
