100% certain the piston was pushed all the way down and slider pins lubed ?

 

Lube on the pad tangs? Brake hardware condition and lube on them? Slider pins lubed with the CORRECT lube

 

Bad things can happen when a car sits for a long time. With two new calipers, rotors, and pads, the only thing that can get hung up (when it warms up, heat makes things expand) would be the brake caliper bracket and how the pads slide in them. Since the calipers are new, I'm assuming the slider pins are not an issue. Check to make sure that the bracket looks properly installed and that both bracket bolts and both caliper bolts are torqued properly, and that the slots in the bracket into which the brake hardware abutment plates are situated are free of rust/corrosion. Some mechanics recommend not reusing the abutment plates, but always installing new ones instead. Some mechanics don't put any lube on the abutment plates and the contact points of the pads, while others say to use just a thin layer of lube. Over-greasing can cause problems. I'd go with a thin layer of lube.

I know it should be obvious, but were the correct calipers, rotors, hoses, and pads installed? You can double-check those, as sometimes a part meant for a different application can still bolt on, but won't work correctly. This can happen if someone purchased the parts, then returned them with different parts in the box and the clerk at the parts store didn't know any difference and put them back on the shelf because they were still new. Some fraudsters do this with spark plugs, for example. Just trying to come up with possibilities.

Could bad wheel bearings cause this?

 

Which side of the pads are dragging on the rotor? This will determine where the issue could be. We want some resistance, but from the description the piston is slow reacting. Moisture or debris is getting past the boot and preventing proper operation.

What condition is the piston when it was removed and cleaned up? Piston is sticking and need to look closer for defects.

 

I wouldn't trust that mechanic and advise to try another one, look like an starts of "Parts Cannon". Apply Permatex Orange silicone lube or Kleen Flo Eze-Slide on slide pin(No Purple or Green Permatex -> Boot swell), copper / silver anti seize or silicone on abutment clips, Caliper Piston . Check if your using the correct abutment clips as sometimes: Gen 5 Camry aftermarket pads have 2 set of abutments clips (bigger and smaller) so wrong size could drag pads on rotors.

 

This may be irrelevant, but has the brake fluid ever been replaced/flushed?

 

100% certain the piston was pushed all the way down and slider pins lubed ?
At this point the mechanic has replaced my rebuilt caliper to eliminate the issue of me not rebuilding it correctly. The other caliper was replaced because mechanic said the one I installed was very tight when they installed the rotors. So both have been replaced by the mechanic at this point. I think both were rebuilt. I'm not sure if you have to lube the slides on a rebuilt caliper out of the box or not and I'm not sure if the mechanic di or not. Same for pushing the piston all the way back in. Don't know.



Lube on the pad tangs? Brake hardware condition and lube on them? Slider pins lubed with the CORRECT lube
Same answer as above



Which side of the pads are dragging on the rotor? This will determine where the issue could be. We want some resistance, but from the description the piston is slow reacting. Moisture or debris is getting past the boot and preventing proper operation.

What condition is the piston when it was removed and cleaned up? Piston is sticking and need to look closer for defects.
Right now I have no idea which side of the pads are wearing because the pads are new and I drove the car home from mechanic and then took it right back when I realized the issue was still present. I just had the mechanic install new rotors so I don't want to drive it much because the overheating will warp my new rotors. When I took the old caliper piston off it was pretty rusty and gnar gnar. I cleaned it up and reinstalled.



This may be irrelevant, but has the brake fluid ever been replaced/flushed?
Yes. I have flushed it twice since I have owned it.

 

It sounds as if everything was installed right, assuming the pads move freely in the clips. In that case it may be best to evaluate the master cylinder and/or abs system. I have not done this but an experienced mechanic or brake shop would be familiar with this procedure.

 

OE or after market pads? I've had to grind the ears of some after market pads to get them to side properly

 

I’d try a new master cylinder and for sure flush the brake fluid. If you have abs you may have a sticking valve and old fluid makes it much worse. A couple hard brakes on gravel with fresh fluid may loosen things up a bit. Also a service bleed if you have access to a decent scan tool.

 

I wonder if the pads themselves are binding in the bracket but ony when things get hot?

If it was me, I'd get the brakes good and hot so that you are confident the brakes will exhibit the drag. Immediately remove the caliper and confirm if the pads are binding in the caliper bracket. If they don't slide nice and easy, let it cool off overnight and try sliding them again.

 

VSC - ABS Sensor problem ??
Check out this post from Fall 2022:
Front driver brake won't release

 

Here is what I suggest you do. Get the brakes hot enough that they start to drag pretty bad. Jack up the car and remove the flexible hose where it attaches to the caliper. This should release any residual pressure that may be in the brake line to the caliper. If the wheel then spins freely, you can be certain the problem is not with the caliper but with residual pressure build up. The problem is upstream from the caliper. If the wheel doesn't spin freely, the problem is with the caliper.

 

Just curious why are you suggest removing the brake hose from the caliper instead of just opening the bleeder?

 

Brake pedal rod that pushes into the m/cyl must have some free play gap. With out the gap the rod is pushing slightly into the m/cyl. Problem shows up after driving using the brakes getting warmed up / hot. Most cars the rod is adjustable with lock nuts to make it short or long.

 

You know I just remembered something. I borrowed a friend’s launch tool a few years back. In the menu, I saw a abs bleed option for the corolla. I’m not sure if this is necessary, but it’s likely needed.

Op, you may need to return the master cylinder and get another one. The failure rate is higher these days on aftermarket parts.

 

Opening the bleeder will instantly release any pressure.

 

OK, I had the exact same problem years ago on a vehicle I bought from an individual. I learned a little more about brakes at that time. Long story short, drum brakes require springs to pull them back from the drum. Disc pads use nothing except a slight wobble of the disc to tap them away. Therefore, there can be NO restriction in the fluid line directly into the master cylinder. The master cylinder that someone installed on my vehicle was for rear shoes and front SHOES. My vehicle had pads up front. Master cylinder uses a restrictor in the shoe port and I had to remove that restrictor in the front port. Problem solved.

 

Reply 16!!!!!!!!!! Take you one minute, when the brakes are binding, loosen the Mcyl from the booster, releases # 16. How do you check this vs a hose issue? Cracking the steel line at the top of the hose and brake releases eliminates the hose. MCyl pushrod too long or something really stuck in the ABS or hold off valve if no ABS. Still tight? Crack the bleeder or hose "banjo" bolt, if it releases hose. Still stuck caliper piston, slides, or pad binding in the cradle.

 

i also had the problem with the sliding ears thingies being too tall with aftermarket brake pads. had to file them down a little until they would fit

 

After sitting for a long time the brake master cylinder piston can accumulate build up and after the engine compartment is Thoroughly heated after a long 15 to 20 minute drive on the highway can affect the master cylinder so that it's not releasing my suggestion to anybody who buys a car that's been sitting for an extended period of time when you start having brake issues instead of throwing piecemeal out of at a time it's better just to completely replace all of the major components in the brake system especially rubber flex hoses which will shut when they are heated and under vacuum it is the nature of those rubber hoses the way that they are made with the different layers

 

UPDATE:
Mechanic says he removed the wiring harness to the ABS pump unit and that stopped the brakes from locking up. After test driving though the ABS light and the Brake warning light both come on and that would make the car fail an inspection. Mechanic says he did indeed pulse the ABS unit when flushing the brakes as best as could be done with a standard scan tool. Told me the Toyota scan tool would probably do this better than his could.

At this point I am thinking of purchasing an ABS pump unit and having mechanic replace it. I do not think I can purchase these new anymore. I have found a couple on Ebay from junkyards. Is it safe to assume an 04-08 Corolla uses the same ABS pump as my Matrix? Any suggestions on how to pick a good used part and where?

Riick in post #13 suggested reading a post about a Camry that had the same issue and it was a wheel sensor. However this Camry owner never mentioned if he had any ABS light on which would be indicative of a failed ABS sensor so I am hesitant to replace my wheel sensor with no ABS light on. However it would appear my issue is in the ABS pump so I can't help but be suspicious of the front wheel ABS sensors. I asked mechanic to see if there were any engine error codes pointing to a wheel sensor and if he had time to OHM out the sensors while we wait for a used pump to show up.

 

Would an 04-08 Pontiac Vibe also have the same ABS pump. I'm trying to broaden my search for this part so I can get one that appears to be in good condition at a good price.

 

Best thing to do first, go to toyodiy.com and enter your vin. The database will generate the result for your vehicle. Obtain the part number from the part list generated for you.

With the electrical connection removed, the ecu posts the codes because the problem isn’t with the abs pump.

 

Update:
I went and picked up the car because I have lost faith that this shop can fix the brake drag issue. Shop assured me it was the ABS unit and we should replace it with a used one but I wanted to test it myself so I picked it up with the ABS disconnected and the brakes were fine for the first ten minutes of driving but after about 15/20 they still start draging. I think the issue is that the car has to be driven for 15/20 minutes before the issue presents itself so the mechanics just don't want to be out of the shop that long so they take it for a quick spin and assume everything is fine.

Anyway, I'm looking for a new shop that specializes in Asian cars to go to. I may replace the brake booster since it is the second to last part to replace and I do not want to replace the master cylinder.

It seems to me the issue takes time to present itself. So I'm wondering if anyone has a theory on what would cause the brakes to drag after 15 minutes of highway driving and not in the first first minutes of driving. I can definitely tell that everything is fine when I first get on the highway but then after 15 minutes the wheel starts shaking and it gets progressively worse the farther I go. When I stop I put my hands on both front wheels and they are both very hot but the front right seems to be hotter.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the update.

When I stop I put my hands on both front wheels and they are both very hot but the front right seems to be hotter.

Just to prove the hot brakes thing, you can use an infrared thermometer gun (they cost $20 or even less) and point it at both the left and right side brakes and see what the temperature difference is.

 

I would try this. Purchase a launch tool scanner from Amazon. Model x431. This is the only scan tool I’ve tried that has the abs bleed function.

The tool is on sale at Amazon for $372.

Amazon.com

 

Another Update:
I had some time off today so I did a little testing of my own.

The biggest change to my situation is I no longer have to drive the car to produce a locked up rotor on the front right wheel. It occurred after simply starting the car and applying the brakes several times to build brake line pressure.

Before performing the below tests I jacked up the car, started it and pumped the brakes to produce a good amount of pressure in the brake lines and then shut it off. With the wheels on I could spin the front left but it had mild resistance and was not free spinning. The front right I could barely spin with one hand and could only budge it with two hands.

Test #1 (release pressure at master cylinder)
Of the two brake lines on the MC I loosened the brake line that is located towards the front of the car on the brake MC to release some fluid. I assumed this was the front brake line? The front left wheel got a little easier to spin but still had some resistance. The front right wheel was no longer seized and I could spin it with one hand but still it had mild resistance.

Test # 2 (release pressure where hard break line meets soft line in the wheel well)
Both front wheels were immediately free spinning and could continue to spin after I gave them a push after this test.

Test # 3 (Release vacuum at brake booster)
I pulled the check valve on the brake booster and no changes were observed at the wheels.

Test # 4 (Untightened the MC from the brake booster) I did this to give the MC some space from the brake booster push rod and no change in the wheels was observed.

I think it is safe to say the calipers, soft brake lines and the booster are ok. I think the MC needs to be replaced because releasing pressure at the MC immediately unseized the front right wheel. However, I am unsure about the ABS or the hard lines running from the ABS to the soft lines because it seems releasing pressure where the soft lines meet the hard lines in the wheel wells gave me the best results for a free spinning wheel. I am unsure what is a normal spin condition for a wheel that has new rotors and brake pads. Should the wheels continue to spin free somewhat after you give them a push or is some mild resistance normal that brings them to an immediate stop once you stop applying pressure with your hand. Resistance as in with the wheels on they don't spin much at all after giving them a good push by hand. They are not seized but they are dragging slightly.

 

Hey man, any updates, I’m having an extremely similar situation with my brakes. Would love an update to see if the MC worked?