Originally Posted by KrisZ
How tight were the pins to remove?
I noticed on my 06 years ago during my annual pon lubrication that the pins on the rear calipers were a bit hard to remove, not stuck, bet there was resistance. It turned out, since the rear calipers are aluminum, oxidation would form under the pin rubber bushings and form a pinch point.
I had to remove the bushings from the calipers, clean out the oxidation, apply caliper grease to prevent oxidation and reinstall. No problems since and still on factory calipers all around.
For those not familiar, first gen Mazda 3s, and I think second gen, use a bushing for caliper pins, not a boot. The pin us partially exposed where it comes out of the bushing and screws in to the bracket. As the pads wear, more of the pins is exposed. Hence, lubricating the pin every once in a while is a good maintenance practice for this type of arrangement.
See that's what I am thinking too, pins are moving but maybe not moving as free as they should be. I removed the bushings last time and cleaned the hole with a file but I am thinking of getting a dremel and grinding or sanding down the hole to clean it up real good.
How tight were the pins to remove?
I noticed on my 06 years ago during my annual pon lubrication that the pins on the rear calipers were a bit hard to remove, not stuck, bet there was resistance. It turned out, since the rear calipers are aluminum, oxidation would form under the pin rubber bushings and form a pinch point.
I had to remove the bushings from the calipers, clean out the oxidation, apply caliper grease to prevent oxidation and reinstall. No problems since and still on factory calipers all around.
For those not familiar, first gen Mazda 3s, and I think second gen, use a bushing for caliper pins, not a boot. The pin us partially exposed where it comes out of the bushing and screws in to the bracket. As the pads wear, more of the pins is exposed. Hence, lubricating the pin every once in a while is a good maintenance practice for this type of arrangement.
See that's what I am thinking too, pins are moving but maybe not moving as free as they should be. I removed the bushings last time and cleaned the hole with a file but I am thinking of getting a dremel and grinding or sanding down the hole to clean it up real good.