Rear disk brake locked up

[moparmaniac07]

This one's got me stumped. A few months ago, my girlfriends driver side rear brake locked up. Changed the pads and caliper figured that should do it. A week or two later, she says her brakes smell after she parks it. My dad suggests I got a bad caliper from Advance, so I got it replaced. Still didn't fix it. Then changed the proportioning valve, took the valve off my dad's Cirrus that just recently bit the dust, so it should still be good. After that change, the tire spun somewhat freely and wasn't completely locked up, but again, a few days later, the brakes smell. I realized I never lubricated the slide pins or anywhere else the caliper slides, so the wheel comes off again. What else is there that could cause a caliper to stick?

[min301]

Could be a flapper in the brake hose, could be siezing slide hardware,
could be a mis-adjusted or sticking emergency brake.

Without it here for me to see, I can't help much beyond ideas.

[kyhunter89]

is the e-brake built inside the rotor or into the caliper? grease and slide the floating pins by hand. A bad brake line is my guess.

[TC]

Look for a smashed brake line.........


Or do this have someone get in the car and pump the brakes, then have them hold the pedal down while you crack open the brake bleeder on the caliper, see how much fluid comes out, if it comes out slowly you have an obstruction in the line........

Oh ya make sure you tighten the bleeder back up before the person releases the brake pedal.....

[Stich496]

I'll bet on the rubber line, if the calp are new, and you greesed the slides
and the e brake cable doesn't stick..

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've never heard of a Girlfriend.... are they reliable? how about a year/make/model of the car you're working on (assuming you're not working on the girlfriend, if you are, well - others will have to answer those questions)

[moparmaniac07]

Sorry, forgot the model. It's a 2000 Stratus. The e-brake is inside the rotor, so it's not that. The fluid flow seems good, though I'll have to try the other side to compare. Thanks for the help so far, I guess it's either still catching somewhere, or there's a blocked line.

[A/Fuel]

Funny this came up, I replaced a caliper on a 2000 cirrus and within a month it wore the pads off. I took it off and the piston was stuck. I replaced the caliper and couldn't bleed it right and noticed the wheel was locking up again, I replaced the rubber brake line and bled it. That fixed the problem, BTW it was the drivers side rear too.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Sorry, forgot the model. It's a 2000 Stratus. The e-brake is inside the rotor, so it's not that. The fluid flow seems good, though I'll have to try the other side to compare. Thanks for the help so far, I guess it's either still catching somewhere, or there's a blocked line.

master cylinder could be hanging up (the spring inside isn't pulling the seal back) - had it happen on two chevy trucks that had never seen a brake fluid change...

[Scott Liggett]

I was just talking to someone about how he kept going through pads on the rear of his car. He learned that the rear calipers were adjustable. They were out of adjustment and the rears were dragging using them up.

[A/Fuel]

I was just talking to someone about how he kept going through pads on the rear of his car. He learned that the rear calipers were adjustable. They were out of adjustment and the rears were dragging using them up.

I looked for a way to adjust them right away but couldn't find it. I could open the bleeder and push the piston back, close the bleeder and the wheel would move freely. Then press and release the brake and the wheel would have resistance like the brakes were still applied. The passanger side would move like it should.

One thing though, I would go ahead and replace the caliper again along with the rubber line this time. The rubber seal around the piston is probably shot because of the heat and all the grease is dissapeard from the wheel bearings and sliders on the calipers. The pads have probably gotten pretty brittle too.

[yellomalibu]

I had heard of the rubber line going bad internally* for years before it finally happened to me. I was actually a little skeptic, but now I can swear that it does happen.

*The rubber brake line can go bad internally, often acting as a one way valve, with no visible bulge.

[SpiderGearsMan]

They adjust if they are the screw type caliper

[moparmaniac07]

Damn, should stole the hose off my dad's Cirrus too, it just went to the junkyard Friday. $25 from Autozone, probably similar from Advance. I'll have to see if the non-chain store has it, maybe it'll be cheaper, when I get my belts because apparently, they don't have a huge selection at either place.

[Stich496]

advanced was 34 for my rear rubber for my truck..
it was 14 bucks at rock auto.. same part #