Sticking Brake

[Bluegrass]

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and really to forums in general but I am hoping that someone can help me figure out what is going on with my car. Here is my situation:

 

I have a 1996 legacy outback with 239,000 miles and things started when my clutch recently went out. I replaced all the clutch components, the flywheel, and both front driveaxles. This was the most substantial car work I had yet undertaken and I was thrilled when all of the new components worked fine.

 

Another problem came up immediately, however. Now my driver's side front brake is sticking. Basically, every time I drive the car, it runs fine 5 or so minutes until it gets warm and then the front driver's side caliper starts to stick and I can feel the brakes grabbing harder and harder. I can smell the brake burning and smoke will pour off the rotor on that side when I stop. I have closely inspected all of the other brakes at the time this is happening and they are fine. They are not grabbing or burning at all.

 

My first thought was that this was caused by a problem with the hill-holder system after I put things back together while working on the clutch because the hill-holder seems to me to be the only direct link between the brakes and the clutch. I completely disengaged the cable for hill-holder, but it changed nothing. The same brake and only that front driver's side brake grabbed after about 5 minutes in the car the next time I drove.

 

I am thinking that the problem can be either that my master cylinder is failing--but if that were the case, wouldn't force be applied to all of the brakes to some degree and not just one set hard?--or it could be that that one caliper is bad. Both front brake calipers are only about 1.5 years old and I would think a caliper would last longer.

 

Any opinions or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Countryboy_LGT]

Try taking off your caliper and compressing the two pistons back inside. Once you done that have somebody sit in side and pump the breaks and watch and see if both of the pistons move out at about the same speed and stop at the same time. If one stops before the other then try replacing the caliper. Should be $65-$70 with a core. also might want to have your rotor turned just in case you warped it.

I replaced the same caliper last year and then just last week the same side started acting up and had to replace it again. Now my brakes work great. Hope this helps

[Bluegrass]

Thanks for the tip. I've decided to replace the rubber brake hose on that side next. I've heard that those can constrict from the inside out when they are old and then they do not let the fluid back into the reservoir. While I have things taken apart, though, I'll take a look at the piston too. Thanks.

[Stang70Fastback]

Replace the accelerator pedal with a Toyota assembly. That will counteract the problem.

[Baddog]

Replace the accelerator pedal with a Toyota assembly. That will counteract the problem.

 

This^

[subikid90]

Replace the accelerator pedal with a Toyota assembly. That will counteract the problem.

 

+1:lol:

[Countryboy_LGT]

The toyotoa assembly would definately work.

[Bluegrass]

Great idea...thanks for that one!

[Bdubs]

These calipers really tick me off. Whenever I rotate my tires, I make it a habit to grease the sliders with a high temp brake lube. That usually keeps them from getting sticky.

 

If you can just unbolt the caliper...you don't even have to remove the brake fluid line, you can remove the slider pin on the caliper, and grease it up. If it doesn't move freely, that may be a reason why your having your issue.

[jay-d]

These calipers really tick me off. Whenever I rotate my tires, I make it a habit to grease the sliders with a high temp brake lube. That usually keeps them from getting sticky.

 

If you can just unbolt the caliper...you don't even have to remove the brake fluid line, you can remove the slider pin on the caliper, and grease it up. If it doesn't move freely, that may be a reason why your having your issue.

 

 

Brake service ftw! Not something a lot of people realize they need to do. Those brakes create A LOT of heat and grease can only last so long. You should do brake service (re-grease slider pins, clean up any brake dust, etc) every 30,000km (18,000m)

 

It's easy, takes 10min a corner.

[Bluegrass]

Last night I took apart the caliper to see what was wrong. It was pretty simple...one of the two pistons is seized for some reason. It just will not go in or out. The other piston moves freely. I took a small block of wood and blocked the free piston with a C-clamp and pressed the pedal slowly. With the free piston clamped down, the stuck one moved. I did this several times to see if I could loosen it up but nothing changed. When I unclamped the free piston, it moved and the stuck one did not. New caliper I guess.

[kaz98gt]

This reminds me, I need to service my brakes very very soon. Thanks guys!

Sorry the problem wasn't the slider pin; any way you could take apart the piston and see what's causing the sticking instead of getting a whole new caliper? I've never really worked on these calipers, so I'm not 100% sure of what they look like/are work-able

[Bdubs]

Last night I took apart the caliper to see what was wrong. It was pretty simple...one of the two pistons is seized for some reason. It just will not go in or out. The other piston moves freely. I took a small block of wood and blocked the free piston with a C-clamp and pressed the pedal slowly. With the free piston clamped down, the stuck one moved. I did this several times to see if I could loosen it up but nothing changed. When I unclamped the free piston, it moved and the stuck one did not. New caliper I guess.

 

I was hoping it wasn't a bad piston, but guess it was. They do make rebuild kits for these, so if you want to go that route you can. I've always just found a replacement caliper from people parting out their cars.

[Stang70Fastback]

I was hoping it wasn't a bad piston, but guess it was. They do make rebuild kits for these, so if you want to go that route you can. I've always just found a replacement caliper from people parting out their cars.

 

It's really not that expensive to just get a new caliper. I got one from Advance for like $65 after I returned my old one and it came with the hardware too. It was an OEM rebuilt.

[Countryboy_LGT]

Last night I took apart the caliper to see what was wrong. It was pretty simple...one of the two pistons is seized for some reason. It just will not go in or out. The other piston moves freely. I took a small block of wood and blocked the free piston with a C-clamp and pressed the pedal slowly. With the free piston clamped down, the stuck one moved. I did this several times to see if I could loosen it up but nothing changed. When I unclamped the free piston, it moved and the stuck one did not. New caliper I guess.

 

This is exactly what happen to mine. Twice even. all you can do is jus get another one and slap in there. just rebleed that caliper. you dont need to rebleed the whole system unless you want to. Also if you bleed the brakes you have to run the car so you dont damage your vacuum booster.

[987687]

This is exactly what happen to mine. Twice even. all you can do is jus get another one and slap in there. just rebleed that caliper. you dont need to rebleed the whole system unless you want to. Also if you bleed the brakes you have to run the car so you dont damage your vacuum booster.

It's bad to use the brakes without the engine running?

[Countryboy_LGT]

Yep. just start it to keep the vacuum on the booster and bleed em like normal. subaru is the only car that ive had to do this too. all the others i do, i just do it regular or do it however the normal way is called.