Short Version
Having trouble getting the piston dust boot off.
Any tips?
Also, any opinions on potential benefit of beefing up the pad return springs?
LONG VERSION
My drivers side front wheel is getting hot, and the brakes (Daihatsu Skywing FWD with floating single-pot calipers) seem to be dragging. Jacked up with the wheels off at idle in 2nd gear, that side doesn't rotate. Feeding a bit (not a lot) of brake pressure in to transfer some drive to the stuck side gets it moving, so its not VERY stuck, but its stuck enough to be a problem.
Have already cleaned up the slider pins and pad guides, and swapped the pads side-to-side, to no avail. Its got a new brake hose that side, but I've used PTFE tape on the outer threads of both the brake hose and the bleed nipple. I was pretty careful to avoid it getting into the plumbing and acting as a non-return valve, and opening the bleed nipple doesn't free off the wheel, so I don't THINK that's the problem.
So I reckon I've got to take the caliper apart and clean it up (or replace it, IF available). I've taken it off, but have so far not been able to remove the dust boot, though I may have already damaged it trying.
The Daihatsu G100 manual (Not the same car, Skywing seems to be mostly like a G11, but probably close) says:-
"Detach the cylinder boot set ring and cylinder boot, using a common screwdriver"
which seems to be easier said than done.
Other (non-make specific) sources vary, from the realistic/defeatist "cut away the dust seals" (perhaps implying that it isn't possible to get them out intact, at least on Rovers)
http://www.head2head.free-online.co.uk/Rover/caliper.htm
to the standard-issue insane optimism of "Remove the outer dust seal, too." (Yeh, thanks for that piece of "useful" advice)
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a3915/4305927/
Eric the Car Guy seems to leave them in place, and just blows the pistons out through them with compressed air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4FzXGrSrmU
I don't have compressed air, so my options for removing the piston (whether or not I get the dust boot off first) seem to be:-
(a) Take it to a filling station that has air (rather a lot of them in these parts don't)
(b) Find my old brake hose and hook it up (duct-tape may feature) to a bicycle pump
(c) Put it back on the car and blow it out with the brake pedal.
So, two questions:-
1. Any tips for the disassembly process, especially dust boot removal?
2. Any opinions on improving brake retraction, to avoid dragging brakes?
Eric and several other sources state that piston seal distortion is responsible for pad retraction, though this seems to be controversial.
http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,40153.0.html
My pads have return springs on them, though they don't seem to be very strong. Would replacing or supplementing these be worthwhile?
I think I've seen some mention of this being done in the context of hyper-mile-ing. Can't find it now but havn't looked very hard since I don't think there were any details in the post.
Having trouble getting the piston dust boot off.
Any tips?
Also, any opinions on potential benefit of beefing up the pad return springs?
LONG VERSION
My drivers side front wheel is getting hot, and the brakes (Daihatsu Skywing FWD with floating single-pot calipers) seem to be dragging. Jacked up with the wheels off at idle in 2nd gear, that side doesn't rotate. Feeding a bit (not a lot) of brake pressure in to transfer some drive to the stuck side gets it moving, so its not VERY stuck, but its stuck enough to be a problem.
Have already cleaned up the slider pins and pad guides, and swapped the pads side-to-side, to no avail. Its got a new brake hose that side, but I've used PTFE tape on the outer threads of both the brake hose and the bleed nipple. I was pretty careful to avoid it getting into the plumbing and acting as a non-return valve, and opening the bleed nipple doesn't free off the wheel, so I don't THINK that's the problem.
So I reckon I've got to take the caliper apart and clean it up (or replace it, IF available). I've taken it off, but have so far not been able to remove the dust boot, though I may have already damaged it trying.
The Daihatsu G100 manual (Not the same car, Skywing seems to be mostly like a G11, but probably close) says:-
"Detach the cylinder boot set ring and cylinder boot, using a common screwdriver"
which seems to be easier said than done.
Other (non-make specific) sources vary, from the realistic/defeatist "cut away the dust seals" (perhaps implying that it isn't possible to get them out intact, at least on Rovers)
http://www.head2head.free-online.co.uk/Rover/caliper.htm
to the standard-issue insane optimism of "Remove the outer dust seal, too." (Yeh, thanks for that piece of "useful" advice)
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a3915/4305927/
Eric the Car Guy seems to leave them in place, and just blows the pistons out through them with compressed air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4FzXGrSrmU
I don't have compressed air, so my options for removing the piston (whether or not I get the dust boot off first) seem to be:-
(a) Take it to a filling station that has air (rather a lot of them in these parts don't)
(b) Find my old brake hose and hook it up (duct-tape may feature) to a bicycle pump
(c) Put it back on the car and blow it out with the brake pedal.
So, two questions:-
1. Any tips for the disassembly process, especially dust boot removal?
2. Any opinions on improving brake retraction, to avoid dragging brakes?
Eric and several other sources state that piston seal distortion is responsible for pad retraction, though this seems to be controversial.
http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,40153.0.html
My pads have return springs on them, though they don't seem to be very strong. Would replacing or supplementing these be worthwhile?
I think I've seen some mention of this being done in the context of hyper-mile-ing. Can't find it now but havn't looked very hard since I don't think there were any details in the post.