GreenStang

About a month ago while in downtown Knoxvegas my cars brake pedal went to the floor, but I was able to pull the pedal back up and all has been fine since (yes I've been driving it since that without addressing the problem but I needed it to last until I got finished with the spring semester of college).The master cylinder is full of fluid as well. I decided to change the front brake pads because well I don't know when the last time they have been changed was because I haven't owned the car that long. So I purchased some of the EBC green stuff pads and yesterday was going to install them but I noticed very uneven brake pad wear with the pads that have been on the car (inner was wore considerably more than the outer). This tells me that the piston is sticking, and maybe that is the cause of why my brake pedal went to the floor, could that cause that or would that be the master cylinder? The brake caliper has rust on it (previous owner was in Virginia where there's quite a bit of cold snowy weather), and the seal on it looks a tad bit wet so it may be leaking a very very minuscule amount. So I didn't install the new EBC green stuff pads because it would just wear them unevenly too and I would have a ruined set of 80 dollar brake pads then. So here are my questions:

Best replacement front calipers, and where to buy them?

Could the caliper sticking have caused the pedal to go to the floor that one time, or would that have to be the master cylinder?

If it is the master cylinder, then how hard is that to replace on these cars?

Thanks for reading!

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Start with bleeding the brakes. Then for replacement calipers hit up Crate Engine Depot and get stock AC Delco.

I'm assuming you lubed everything well after replacing the pads?

GreenStang

Did you read the post?? I didn't even replace the pads... Thanks for the info on where to look for replacement calipers though.

GreenStang

Crate Engine Depot doesn't have stock calipers for the LSJ that I seen?

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

It is a ******* wall of text and rambling, did you lube everything when you put it back together?

Did you read my post? I said hit them up, aka contact them via email, call, or even smoke signal...

GreenStang

Look, if you don't like the way my posts are then don't read them. It's not my fault that you're unable to read a paragraph. Some people bitch and complain when not enough information is given, and people like you bitch and complain when too much is given. Can't have it both ways people. ( I'll space here so you can understand, okay?)

Again, you have no idea what you're talking about. "Hit them up" could simply mean "check out their site". If they offered the LSJ caliper then it would be on their site. As for lubing parts up: Again, you have no idea what you're talking about, I didn't replace anything yet!

I hate to be rude to someone, but there was no need for the language you used. I didn't know if you had actually read my post or not because your reply didn't make any sense. If you did actually read my post then clearly you aren't understanding my "******* wall of text" so I guess I should have provided even more information? Just drop it. Thanks.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

just because it isn't on their website doesnt mean they don't have it. CED is a dealer, they can get parts, hence why you need to contact them.

double clutch

iTrader: (1)

This.

Dont get some house brand **** caliper. Email CED and they will help you out.

GreenStang

Just tried giving CED a call, but their parts department was closed for the day. I'll give them a call first thing tomorrow and see if they can help me out, because I don't want to buy some fifth world country remanufactured brand from O Reilys lol. Sorry for any confusion and for being rude, ECaulk. Glad we avoided getting in a pissing match haha that happens too much on online forums lol. Thanks fellas for your help, I appreciate it.

calo247

uneven pad wear means that the pins on the caliber are stuck and not sliding like they are supposed to, when you take the pins out to replace the pads check their condition and either replace them or clean them up, and make sure they are lubed up properly when you install them again.

in terms of changing the master cylinder it is not that hard it is just a pain because you have to remove the fuse box and bleed everything again. did it on my car in a couple hours

GreenStang

Just got off of the phone with CED and not good news. The left side caliper is 160 dollars, and the right side caliper is discontinued, haha what a crazy deal. I asked the guys opinion about using a remanufactured caliper vs. the original equipment and he basically said there's no difference and that its just as good of a caliper. All in all, even though they couldn't help me on my order CED is a very customer friendly place that I will try to order from in the future. So here's my questions now:

What kind of lubricant to use on the slides, and where can I pick that up?

What brand caliper would you buy, and from where?

What is the method for bleeding the brakes if you're only replacing the front calipers?

Thanks

double clutch

iTrader: (1)

I just use brake grease from autozone. Comes in a big tub.

I got a caliper from autozone, before i knew any better, and had to grind the **** out of it to fit. I couldnt even put it on with a new set of pads and rotor.

ECaulk

iTrader: (6)

Rock auto is a place you could get the calipers from.

The grease jsut from any parts store, I recommend the synthetic and get a can with a brush and then once or twice a year lube everything up good (most bottles illustrate were to lube).

ItalianJoe1

iTrader: (10)

2006 CHEVROLET COBALT 2.0L L4 Supercharged Caliper | RockAuto

Only a couple left but they have brand new AC Delco calipers for $130, and reman ones also.

zeeky420

Lmfao

zeeky420

Lmfao this **** is hilarious

GreenStang

Got calipers today from O Reily's, they're made by Brake Best. Couldn't justify spending 160 dollars a piece on some OEM calipers, when the only difference is "the metal hasn't been on a car before". A caliper is a caliper is a caliper, as long as its been rebuilt and it works, then its doing its job. Won't be the first part on my car that's not OEM, and definitely wont be the last lol.


I masked the new calipers off this afternoon and painted them, and I may post pictures up of them tomorrow so everyone can oogle at my painting skills haha.


So I've read some conflicting posts around the interweb regarding what kind of brake grease to use. Some say to use a silicone based grease, and others (aka the greasy bastards of the interwebs) wouldn't care if you threw some damn lard on the pins as long as it was cheap and it was greasy lol (sounds like a bad meal from McDonalds doesn't it haha?).


So what kind of grease should I use on these pins given these conflicting answers?


Thanks!

ItalianJoe1

iTrader: (10)

Any grease will do.

Unless you track your car, you aren't going to build enough heat to justify some fancy ceramic high-temp brake grease.

If you are tracking your car, you won't go with "a caliper is a caliper is a caliper" rebuilds

GreenStang

Calipers painted

GreenStang

ItalianJoe, I think there's a lot of people that use performance parts on there cars that don't ever go to the track. "Track" here in Tennessee means dirt. We don't have concrete jungles here lol. I mean why would we? That's what the high way is for lol (just kidding people lol). I know if one was to use just "any ol' grease" that couldn't hold up to moisture, then that could result in the pins becoming dry and locking up. Which is probably why people use a "fancy" silicon based grease, I'd say lol.

As for if I was using the car at the track I wouldn't go with a rebuilt caliper: I've seen on this forum that the brembo caliper upgrade was not much of an upgrade over the stock caliper. The only upgrade it brings according to some is that it reduces brake fade. This rebuilt (bastard caliper according to you lol) is made to OEM specs, has brand new parts in it, with the only difference being the metal has been used before. "Oh no! I got used metal, and that totally should have justified me paying 160 per caliper instead of 49!" Yeah no lol. Remember a wise man once said, "It's not how quick you can stop, it's how quick you can go before you have to stop!". That wise man I've mentioned was me lol đŸ˜‚

GreenStang

Thanks everyone for all of your contributions to the thread, I really appreciate it! I've got all of the info that I need now.


Thanks!

Viperoni

Use a synthetic high temperature grease made for brake parts, you'll find them at your local auto parts store.

calo247

a tube of brake grease at a parts store is a couple bucks, one tube goes a long way. then you can be confident you are using the correct product

umrdyldo

iTrader: (1)

Although I know this post will go in one ear and out the other.....

I design new stores for O'Reilly. They are a great company and they mean well.

But just because it says OE replacement on a part doesn't mean it's anywhere near the quality of the original part.

DO NOT EVER BUY electrical sensors and parts from O'Reilly. And if you think the lifetime warranty stuff is better, you are wrong.

As for their brakes, I still wouldn't trust it. Some people love the idea of being able to return stuff if it's bad, but why buy stuff that you know isn't as good.

GreenStang

Alright, so if the original OEM caliper the car comes with is "so holy grail good" then why do they fail? It's not buying inferior parts, instead it's buying parts that are readily available, for way less money, and that consist of the same parts (metal, piston, bolts, guides etc). Some people have it in their head that OEM parts are the only way to go for every single part, and while it's true some if not most OEM parts are better than aftermarket, it's not true for everything. I mean if OEM was always better than aftermarket would GM have put Brembo calipers on the LNF's? Some of it, not all, is a marketing scheme that they try to make people afraid to use cheaper parts of the same if not better quality than OEM so that they can make you purchase these parts from them and make big money. At the end of they day. I searched for OEM calipers and found some which were way to expensive, so instead I replaced with one built to OEM specifications and the car is doing great now. I mean according to CED the right side caliper is already discontinued so what are people going to do when they need these "holy grail" caliper in the future? I'll tell you: they'll either bite the bullet and upgrade to Brembo's, or replace with whatever they can find as I did.

We do not know if the quality is as good as OEM just because it says it was built to OEM specs, but we also don't know that it isn't either, right?

I didn't buy the part for the return policy, I bought the part to make my vehicle work, which it does now.

The main point here is "we don't know" so it's easier to assume it isn't as good, than say it's just as good "just because". OEM parts make people feel better about their cars, it's physiological. They'd rather pay the big money for OEM parts because they feel like they're buying the "right" part and paying up for quality, and again sometimes that's true, but not all the time aka marketing scheme.

I'm happy with the calipers from O Reilys, but if others feel the need to pay 160 a caliper for OEM that soon will not be able to be found them so be it, but not me. Those same people will be in the line at one of the local auto parts stores for some built to OEM specs eventually.

Thanks for your insight. Take care.

Thanks,

CW