Sticking calipers

[phil_cardiff]

Does the MX-5 have a inherent fault with sticking calipers? My front left really stuck on, leaving the car crabbing and heating the wheel like a hot plate. That cost a couple of hundred. Looks like the front right is now sticking but not as badly. There's an occasional pull to the right under braking, there's more brake dust on the alloy and after repeated emergency stops from 50-70 the alloy was hotter on the right side.

I'm due to drive her 500 miles this weekend. The head says no, the heart says it'll be ok...??

Either way I'm not happy having owned a Toyota before this that didn't need a bulb changing in 7 years!

[slickchange]

No inherent problem but if one went bad then it stands to reason that the other would be on its way out. Like tyres change both sides of the axle so you have even braking/both sides in the same state of repair.

If you need a quick bodge til pay day, clean the piston of any corosion with brake cleaner and put some copper slip on it. Done it on my jeep and seemed ok up until I changed the caliper. If the seals fked then it'll just jam up again.

[phil_cardiff]

Cheers, may just clean it up if possible. Can't drive 500 miles in it in its current state.

For sale, 1998 mx-5, 2 recent new calipers...

[snotrag]

Mine did this once.

Had to keep using it in the meantime.

If you must drive it - then pop this lot into your boot -

Jack
Wheel wrench/socket
Correct size ring spanner for the top caliper bolt (back of the caliper, allows it to slip off).
Brake windback tool.
Brake cleaner aerosol
Penknife.

Mine would free up, then randomly every couple of days I'd brake for something and it would stick -causing the problems you descirbe.

Quick pull over, lift car, wheel off, undo caliper hald, pull pads out - peel rubber seal back with stanley knife and blast with brake cleaner.

Using the method of pumping the pedal and windign the tool back, you can work the piston in and otu a couple of times, and it will free off. Re-assemble, wheel on, off you go, ten minutes max.

I did this every couple of days for about two weeks

[Munter]

I think the correct smilie for you snotrag is

[bluetone]

Yes sticky calipers are a problem. I have replaced both rears and one front over the last 3 years. This is an easy DIY job on the fronts if you have the space, tools etc and a reconditioned caliper can be had for £70 or so. There are lots of how-to guides out there on the interweb to show what to do if you have the inclination. Obv don't meddle with your brakes if you are not confident in what you're doing.

[phil_cardiff]

Dropped her off at my local mechanic, he can't find anything wrong. The calipers are moving freely.

Any ideas as to why there's more brake dust on the offside front alloy, it occasionally pulls to the right under heavy breaking and 10 repeated emergency stops from 50-60mph had the offisde front alloy hotter than the nearside? Can a caliper 'stick' occasionally? Or is the offside brake working more effectively somehow?

[snotrag]

Yes, mine used to stick/unstick itself.

Wheel getting warmer and pulling to one side is definitely the brake rubbing/sticking.

[phil_cardiff]

That's what I thought. Not fun when you don't trust your car anymore. Hopefully the clean and grease my mechanic will have given it will stop it sticking again.

[skinny]

i think it's an inherent problem with the floating caliper design - the pins that the caliper slides on can get very sticky.

[snotrag]

It wasn't the sliding pins that stuck on mine - there easy to sort out.

It was the cylinder itself that would sieze on mine.

[skinny]

i've had both - cylinder was caused by split in the rubber seal which allowed piston to go rusty. the incorrect or lack of grease on teh slider pins also causes problems tho