Rebuilt Front Brake Caliper

[swshawaii]

Replaced the caliper dust boot and glad I did. No wonder you guys advise opening the bleeder screws when compressing pistons.



Top pictures show contaminants that remain in the bores AFTER a very recent brake flush. Will be rebuilding the drivers side next.



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[Vic Sorlie]

Nice job. Maybe you'll write it up for the Projects section.

 

[Gavin Allan]

I saw the same thing when I redid the brakes on my motorcycle. Amazing, isn't it?

 

[Richard L]

I used to rebuild calipers many years ago, but with the cost of the rebuild kits, and the potential of a caliper being beyond repair, I found that simply buying factory rebuilt calipers was far better and cheaper in the long run.



Most autoparts stores will sell you a rebuilt caliper with a 50K mile warranty and even some have lifetime warranties, and depending upon application you can by them for as little as $19.99 apiece. Most rebuild kits cost than much or more.



Then if you add in your labor to rebuild the old caliper it is a "No Brainer". The factory rebuilt caliper is the way to go.



Having said that, I think it is good experience for someone to rebuild a caliper at least once just to see what it looks like inside and to get the experience. Once you see easily a caliper can be ruined because you have not flushed your brake fluid will prompt you to flush your brake fluid more often, or at least with every brake job.



...Rich

 

[swshawaii]

Caliper repair kits cost $3 each. Benefit of using factory rebuilts is getting new slide pins and hardware. Could not find rebuilt calipers locally for under $65 each. Much cheaper on line but the shipping is prohibitively expensive and would have to return the cores and pay flat rate shipping. "Rebuilding" consists of two square cut seals and dust boots for each side.

 

[Todd Z]

Sweet job man !!:banana:



Todd Z

 

[EddieS'04]

Excellent,

steve.........:supercool:

 

[Richard L]

swhawaii,

Sorry, I forgot you live in Hawaii and almost everything is way more expensive.



The problem with caliper rebuild kits is that they only replace the seals, boots and O-rings and I have paid way more than $3.00 for rebuild kits....and that was years ago...Most kits I see online now are about $8 to $12



I think the high prices on Calipers and shipping is because you live in Hawaii...for the other 49 states they are much cheaper. I found Raybestos calipers for $27.70 each with a $10 core charge at RockAuto. I don't know what the charge is to ship to Hawaii, but for the $10.00 core charge, I would probably not bother shipping the old calipers back.



I just think the Lifetime warranties are well worth the extra charge, since I have taken them back and exchanged them for newly rebuild calipers with the warranty and so you can actually get rebuilt calipers for two or more brake jobs for the price of one...that really brings down the overall cost of the calipers.



BTW, as previously stated by others, you did a good job on the calipers :supercool:



...Rich

 

[swshawaii]

I found Raybestos calipers for $27.70 each with a $10 core charge at RockAuto.

Thanks Rich, but those prices are for REAR unloaded calipers. Fronts are $59.79 each + $38.06 cheapest shipping to Hawaii.

 

[Richard L]

swshawaii,

Yep, my error...I did give you the price for rear calipers,



But they also list cheaper front calipers for $40.99 and $41.79 for semi-loaded right and left sides, but the core charges are about $45....and that does not include shipping. Those prices are crazy !!



Your real problem is living in Hawaii and the shipping charges that jack up the prices, even in the local autoparts stores.



I can buy calipers much cheaper at local auto parts stores like AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc, and sometimes even cheaper at several independent parts stores we have here in town. They sell to the repair shops in town and they offer lower prices and even give me (and probably all customers) a 15% discount....but they don't offer the 50K or lifetime warranties like AutoZone, CarQuest, chain stores do.



I agree that cost wise, rebuilding your old calipers was your best option, but if you lived in the continental US, it would be much cheaper in the long run to buy rebuilt calipers with long warranties, and then just swap the calipers every brake job. Initial cost is a little higher but over several brake jobs, it works out to be much cheaper.



Perhaps you can arrange for someone to buy and ship you a set of calipers from the mainland. and they can ship them via USPS Express Shipping. They have Flat Rate boxes that will hold one caliper and ship 3 day air for about $12.00 That's how I shipped my LeverLift kits and it was much cheaper and more reliable than UPS or FedEx. It would still be expensive to ship the cores back, but for some parts it might be worth it. Paying nearly $40 in shipping charges for a brake caliper is crazy?



Just looking at some options for you..... I guess you guys have to pay a little extra to live in paradise....:grin:



...Rich