Possible Frozen Caliper

[sciphi]

One of my front wheels is much harder to spin by hand than the other. I filed down the mounting tabs on the pads to get the pads to slide in and out easily. Upon reinstalling the caliper and pumping the brakes, the wheel returned to being hard to spin. Is the caliper frozen?

 

[Quest]

yes, sounds like your caliper slider (sliding pin) or piston seized.

 

[mechtech2]

Ditto Quest, but if the pads are new and not seated, that would also cause a lot of drag for a while.

 

[Master ACiD]

could be caliper. could be cv joint, could be anything.

i have seen new cv's that were physically difficult to spin when they were at an angle. a well used cv is usually super easy.

the way to quickly determine if its a brake issue or not is to temporarely remove the pads and then wpin the wheel. if the resistance is still there, its not a brake issue. if its gone, look at the brakes.

 

[alreadygone]

Also can be the flex hose. To diagnose, while turning axle is stiff, loosen bleeder. If turning resistance lessens, hose is restricted, if it stays the same, caliper or something else is cause.

Bob

 

[doitmyself]

sciphi,

tell us what kind of car it is. Make, model, year.

 

[sciphi]

99 Hyundai Elantra.

 

[sciphi]

I tried filing down the edges of the backing on the pads to make them slide more easily. Did not work.

 

[Quest]

filing down the backing of the pads will not do anything if your caliper piston is seized/gliding pins stuck

Quit wasting them and get it fixed promptly.

 

[Quest]

filing down the backing of the pads will not do anything if your caliper piston is seized/gliding pins stuck

Quit wasting time and get it fixed promptly.

 

[sciphi]

I ended up replacing the caliper. Problem solved.