Itinerant Air-Cooled

So took the rig out for a freeway test (see general troubleshooting). All went well, ran great. Stopped for gas and to check air in the tires and I'm glad I did. Driver's side front wheel was HOT to the touch. I shamelessly took advantage of Firestone's free diagnostic services and they confirmed my thought that the caliper is sticking.

OK, so I'm not taking the Vanagon to Tacoma this afternoon after all. But, having not worked on brakes before is the ~$200 to replace the caliper worth it? Are parts, tools and therapy going to be half that? It seems like this should be fairly easy, but thoughts? I AM going to the Outhouse Camp next weekend if I have to CARRY the van up there. So not only do I want to sort this out, I'd like to do it on Monday or Tuesday.

Mike

because your asking here, yes, you should do it yourself. it's not that big of a deal really.
if you have access to quality replacement parts right in town and can tackle it this weekend, just do it.

that said, your in a time crunch and you don't currently have the proper parts/tools to do the job (maybe you have the tools) - in which case, you *may* want to just bite the bullet and have it done.
it's no fun waiting for parts to ship or certain stores to open the next morning just so you can rush a job and get back on the road, and your brakes are one area where a rush job can bite you.

Does the caliper release if you remove or loosen the rubber brake hose?

Randy in Maine wrote:Does the caliper release if you remove or loosen the rubber brake hose?

Let's do the sequence crisply.

A) Lift wheel.
B) Stomp on brake pedal.
C) Wheel sticky to turn?
D) Crack loose bleeder screw. If wheel releases, brake hose.
If wheel does not release, new caliper.

Colin

One of my front calipers had a stuck piston when recently put new brake pads in. I couldn't get it to push back. I took it off the bus and put it in the shop vice and the piston broke free and pushed back with normal effort. I installed the new pads and the brakes have worked better than ever. It must have been only using 3 front pistons to stop before this.

Same thing was going on with my Ghia so I parked it till I had time to look at it. Tried freeing the inside piston with no luck and ordered a rebuilt one from Oreillys . Finally came in after waiting and waiting....and calling "Is my caliper in yet?".
Went to pull the old one and "S**t, what kind of mechanic worked on this?. Caliper bolts were not torqued down, well the top one had maybe 15lbs but the lower one was finger tight. Now the brakes were redone couple of years ago with new everything including hoses so atleast that stuff looks good. But last fall I went to check on a weird looseness in the rear end and discovered that the axle nuts were finger tight!
What is with shops these days, can't they at least do the simplest work right and torque the nuts and bolts to spec!
Good thing we just drive the Ghia around Seattle on sunny days (the top leaks like no tomorrow) going to Trader Joes etc.....
I guess I'll make time to go thru the d**n thing in the spring when we come back..

Amskeptic wrote:

Randy in Maine wrote:Does the caliper release if you remove or loosen the rubber brake hose?

Let's do the sequence crisply.

A) Lift wheel.
B) Stomp on brake pedal.
C) Wheel sticky to turn?
D) Crack loose bleeder screw. If wheel releases, brake hose.
If wheel does not release, new caliper.

Colin

I noticed a sticky left front brake on my 78 Westy today. I thought to myself, "How do I know if it is caused by a sticking piston or a problem with the brake hose not allowing the pressure to release?" Well, this post was the answer.

Thanks again, Colin.

Tim

Okay, so I just confirmed I have a sticking piston/caliper.

What is advised for this? A caliper repair kit, like the one sold at Bus Boys (251-698-471 Bus/Pickup/Vanagon 73-85 $17.65 kit)? Or a new/rebuilt caliper?

And if the answer is a new/rebuilt caliper, should both front calipers be replaced at the same time? With new hardware (pads, springs, etc) for each? Or does it not matter, mixing old and new?

Thanks in advance for the input. While I'm under the front of the bus, I'm going to put grease fittings in the ball joints, repack the front wheel bearings, apply seam sealer to any open seams, and then undercoat the wheel wells. My first look under the bearing cap on the right side suggests that it has never been touched since new (57,000 miles ago). It looks factory fresh - check my gallery.

Tim

NVM (Never mind). I took off both calipers and both had significantly asymmetrical wear in the pads. So, I'll just get new/rebuilt calipers with all the fixings and call it good.

Tim

satchmo wrote:NVM (Never mind). I took off both calipers and both had significantly asymmetrical wear in the pads. So, I'll just get new/rebuilt calipers with all the fixings and call it good.

Tim

Hi! Sorry I'm late! Significant asymmetrical wear to the pads is a good indicator for replacing the calipers. BUT!! Save your OEM calipers, they are good quality and can likely be rebuilt.
Colin

Amskeptic wrote:

satchmo wrote:NVM (Never mind). I took off both calipers and both had significantly asymmetrical wear in the pads. So, I'll just get new/rebuilt calipers with all the fixings and call it good.

Tim

Hi! Sorry I'm late! Significant asymmetrical wear to the pads is a good indicator for replacing the calipers. BUT!! Save your OEM calipers, they are good quality and can likely be rebuilt.
Colin

Here is the new caliper next to the original one:



A close up on the original shows the asymmetric pad wear:



The caliper from the passenger side was similar, but not as severe.


What should I do to prevent rust as I store the old/original calipers?

Tim

satchmo wrote: What should I do to prevent rust as I store the old/original calipers?
Tim

Drench with WD-40 in the open bleeders and on the outside and stick in a plastic bag. When they are rebuilt, you will be washing off the WD-40 of course.
Colin