Front Caliper replacement after total brake system failure

[Brian Meek]

Hi folks, I’m new to this forum and appreciate the benefits of your collective wisdom. In this post, I’m mostly looking for any tips or gotchas to avoid on refilling a mostly drained brake system.

Background story: My daughter, who’s away at College, has been driving our 2001 Expedition (5.4L; 4WD; EB). She reported brake noise to me after driving home. Me: “Brake noise? Since when? That’s seriously an urgent big deal! Blah blah!”. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to buy and install a new set of rotors & pads all around because she was likely hearing wear warnings from her brake pads for a bit too long and may have already scratched up a rotor. I ordered a set of rotors and pads.

Well, when we traded cars and I moved the Expedition to where I wanted to work, I noticed that the brakes were WAY too squishy. Then I noticed the fresh puddle of brake fluid under the right front wheel… Here’s what I found when I dug into the job:



Half the rotor’s gone! You can see the corresponding “pad remains” still in the removed caliper. Apparently the heat from this disaster melted some seals in the caliper causing the loss of fluid…. Needless to say, I then called my daughter to amplify my previous lecture.

So, I’ve ordered a set of remanufactured front calipers.

I don’t expect any challenges replacing the front calipers and the rotors & pads all around, but I’m a bit anxious about refilling and bleeding the hydraulic brake system after all that fluid drained out. Any recommendations on that process would be welcome.

 

[zfifty]

Make sure your new rotors have the 14mm lugs, dec. 99 and earlier used 12 mm. I use this inexpensive one man brake bleeder available at most major auto parts stores and on amazon.


Amazon.com: ABN One Man Brake Bleeder Kit – Small Brake Bleeder Bottle Brake Bleeding Kit with Magnet for One Man Jobs: Automotive

Here is an informative video on bleeding brakes.

View media item 7545

 

[Brian Meek]

Thanks for the response, @zfifty! I gave my open-ended question here about refilling a mostly-drained brake system a bit more thought and concluded I'm over thinking it. I'll add more fluid and bleed out more air... so what? Just bleed the damn brakes!

I recall doing the tubing & plastic bottle method described in the video you shared with my old ES300/Camry, and it worked well enough. This time I decided to invest in this somewhat more expensive hand-pump / vacuum tester / brake-bleeder gadget from Harbor Freight.

 

[zfifty]

Glad to be of help. I have a daughter who was away the last four years in college as well. She just graduated last month {RN} so I know the "Dad something making noise" What? fix it routine. Nothing is more precious and concerning to us then them. That bleeder you purchased has multiple uses and eliminates having to pump the brakes. Great choice.

 

[riphip]

Your caliper may be worn out if it does not have the metallic pistons. The phenolic material pistons wear and will lock up in the caliper.

 

[Brian Meek]

Your caliper may be worn out if it does not have the metallic pistons. The phenolic material pistons wear and will lock up in the caliper.

Hmmm. Plastic brake caliper pistons? I didn't know that was a thing.

Well, the remains of the inside brake pad that ground down that rotor pictured in the OP seemed to have protected the metal pistons in the original caliper, but since the caliper's seals apparently melted/blew out and the brake fluid drained out, I immediately ordered a set of re-manufactured front calipers.

I was amused that the rebuilt calipers came with a red "Electrostatic High-Heat Powder" coating that I didn't order, but they did have metal pistons and are working fine.

 

[Brian Meek]

Glad to be of help. I have a daughter who was away the last four years in college as well. She just graduated last month {RN} so I know the "Dad something making noise" What? fix it routine. Nothing is more precious and concerning to us then them.

Amen.

That bleeder you purchased has multiple uses and eliminates having to pump the brakes. Great choice.

Actually, the vacuum brake bleeding method didn't work all that well for me... You see, the bleeder valves on brake calipers aren't designed to be entirely airtight when loosened, so they let bubbles into the stream of brake fluid you're pulling out of the system.

I wasn't aware of this, so long after I had vacuumed the remaining old fluid and air out of the line to the right rear brake, I kept squeezing that vaccum pump as I watched clean fluid come through (with a stream of bubbles)... I probably wasted a pint & a half of new brake fluid before I realized that the bubbles I was seeing in the clear tube were entering through the loose threads of the bleeder valve.

I did smear a thick layer of silicone grease around the bleeder valve to confirm my suspicion. The silicone grease confirmed but was too lightweight to solve the issue. In hindsight, I guess this method, with thicker grease or putty, is how to make vacuum brake bleeding work.

At the time, I reverted to the "one-man tubing & plastic bottle method" and all is well .

 

[JamaicaJoe]

I have a 2001. About 4 years ago the right rear brake kept dragging and heating the rotor to 900 degrees. I even lost a bearing seal due to heat. I had gone around and around with various shops focusing on the parking brake shoes and sorings. Finally I had my shop replace the caliper and the rubber hoses going to all the wheels. The problem hhas not returned.

I was also told the pistons in the calipers were phenolic or bakelite. Not sure that was true, but the hoses can collapse internally and clog. Spend the money and fix it right. A 6000 LB Expy can be a ballistic missile without brakes.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[Brian Meek]

Interesting. While replacing the rear rotors and pads, I cleaned and lubed the calipers and noted that at least the exposed portion of the piston, that pushes on the pad, is metal. Could be that the piston’s internal mechanism is of… phenolic material.

Regarding the E-brake, they’re usually trouble-free, right? My right rear wheel’s e brake cable had come off, and on that wheel I really had to work at getting the rotor off (even after knocking it loose with a rubber mallet). I found a video that showed where an access portal for adjusting the e-brake, covered with an oval black rubber plug, sits towards the bottom of the inside of the wheel/hub. I was able to use a short flat headed screw driver to turn the adjustment cog downward (counter clockwise from the rear of the truck), several turns, which finally freed the rotor.

 

[Trainmaster]

Without fail, every time I take apart the rear brakes and think the Parking Brake stuff will be fine it falls out in rusty pieces when I pull the drum. Just happened on a Jeep where I was changing brakes. Here I had all my OEM quality stuff delivered at Rock Auto low prices and I had to trek out to Advance Auto for Chinese e-brake hardware at five times to going price. Kills me to spend $50+tax for Chinese parking brake shoes that I can buy online for $12. Won't even mention the hardware kit.