Brake caliper piston boot torn. Opinions?

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I noticed one of the piston boots was torn on the truck in my sig. What do you guys think see if I can put a new boot on the oem caliper or just get a whole new caliper from rockauto?

I'm leaning towards a new caliper, but maybe I'm being lazy.
 
If the boot is torn you will at the least need to rebuild the caliper. Hone it and examine the piston for rust/pitting, maybe a new piston.

I do not think too many calipers are rebuilt in this country by mechanics. Too expensive in time compared to a rebuilt. They are sent out of the country to be rebuilt by people who are paid a quarter an hour.
 
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Originally Posted By: beast3300
Replace caliper. Doing in sets is best though.


Ya know that crossed my mind. I actually have both sides apart right now putting in all new ball joints. Maybe I should just do both. Would also allow me to put on new brake fluid which I have been meaning to do.
 
I still rebuild them. It's about 6 bucks for a rebuild kit, no hassles with returning cores, and I know it's done right the first time. There are a couple tricks to doing it though, so if you've never done one, it could be frustrating.
 
Originally Posted By: another Todd
I still rebuild them. It's about 6 bucks for a rebuild kit, no hassles with returning cores, and I know it's done right the first time. There are a couple tricks to doing it though, so if you've never done one, it could be frustrating.


I order them on line from AZ or AAP and take the cores in on the first trip. Just did 2 new ones in my kid's car yesterday. $39/each. Nice and clean, new bleeders.
 
Heh heh spent 9$ on a bottle of Syl-Glyde. This is what I do if I can loosen the bleeder. If the bleeder is frozen , I trade it in for a reman.

On the 528e, I take the caliper off the carrier. Leaving the hose on, I carefully pop the puck out with brake pressure. The area of the cylinder where seal travels is above the "sump" where the water collects behind the bleeder. So the swept area is still OK. I take the puck out and wire wheel the rust off the top edge. This is the crud that sticks the caliper. If there is peeling in the chrome, I file the pit to smoothness. A light touch is all I ever have had to. I wire brush the bleeder screw until it gleams, making sure I can blow through it. Then I put it together using the Syl-Glyde as assembly lube. An 8 " C-clamp and a small hammer is all I use. The hardest part is the darn boot. I dont even bother with the rebuild kit anymore The seal on the puck has to be good, the rest is less critical. How I ramble.

To the OP, I would lightly pack some spark plug boot grease,silicone, into the boot where it hits the inside edge And fuhgeddabodit. When they get get worse, replace both calipers

This is with ATE parts 25 yrs old, YMMV. The generic procedure should apply to most calipers though.
 
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Originally Posted By: andyd
Heh heh spent 9$ on a bottle of Syl-Glyde. This is what I do if I can loosen the bleeder. If the bleeder is frozen , I trade it in for a reman.

On the 528e, I take the caliper off the carrier. Leaving the hose on, I carefully pop the puck out with brake pressure. The area of the cylinder where seal travels is above the "sump" where the water collects behind the bleeder. So the swept area is still OK. I take the puck out and wire wheel the rust off the top edge. This is the crud that sticks the caliper. If there is peeling in the chrome, I file the pit to smoothness. A light touch is all I ever have had to. I wire brush the bleeder screw until it gleams, making sure I can blow through it. Then I put it together using the Syl-Glyde as assembly lube. An 8 " C-clamp and a small hammer is all I use. The hardest part is the darn boot. I dont even bother with the rebuild kit anymore The seal on the puck has to be good, the rest is less critical. How I ramble.

To the OP, I would lightly pack some spark plug boot grease,silicone, into the boot where it hits the inside edge And fuhgeddabodit. When they get get worse, replace both calipers

This is with ATE parts 25 yrs old, YMMV. The generic procedure should apply to most calipers though.


Ummmm....not sure I would just grease up a torn boot. A torn boot means water and dirt are getting in there so you will get rust. And probably a stuck caliper sooner rather than latter. Rebuild or replace.
 
If the top of the puck is coated with grease it will last long enough to get your money's worth out of the rest of the brake components. Sure, the "right' thing to do is a rebuild. But, no way is it of immediate concern.
laugh.gif
 
Tricks mostly relate to reassembly. This is how I do it.
To disassemble; WEAR safety glasses through out the whole procedure. Remove caliper and bleeder screw. Then I put some rags in the caliper covering the piston to cushion the "pop" and prevent piston damage, and another rag covering the whole thing to prevent brake fluid from spraying out, then very slowly , apply low pressure compressed air through the bleeder until the piston "pops" out. Remove dust boot and piston seal, lightly hone the bore as needed, clean/rinse parts with brake fluid. Inspect piston.

To reassemble: install piston seal, make sure it is not twisted, lube it with wheel cylinder assembly lube or brake fluid. Install the dust boot into the caliper bore making sure it is seated. LOWER AIR HOSE PRESSURE TO A COUPLE PSI. Simultaneously, add low air pressure to the brake bleeder port and push the piston squarely onto the seal, when the seal gets sealed by the bottom of the piston, it will inflate and pop up and over (around) the piston. Stop the air at this point and push the piston in by hand, making sure the dust boot slides up on the piston as it is seated. The piston should smoothly move into the bore till it bottoms out. Recheck the dust boot to make sure it is even and not twisted. Reinstall caliper. Properly bleed the brakes when both calipers are installed.
 
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I'd go with a rebuild kit (caliper boot and all the other rubber parts). They should be pretty cheap and you don't need to worry about someone giving you a low quality rebuild that may not work until your 3rd exchange.
 
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