I finally got around to changing my front breaks today, kept forgetting my allen head sockets at school and not the best weather, the wear tabs started scratching a few weeks ago, I picked up the cheap napa pads for now.. After install today I took her for a test drive and she pulls hard to the left. From what I could see the caliper is either not sliding on the bushings or the brake cylinder isn't retracting all the way... Or a combination of the two. It took me about 20 minutes of messing around to get the driver side caliper off because the bolts wouldn't slide out of the grove of the bolt hole, I thought the cylinder moved fairly easily when I clamped it to increase the gap, but then again it was a c clamp, that always makes it easier.. Now the passenger side... came off in 5 minutes and back on just as quick versus the driver side fighting me the whole way. The bolts moved easily and the cylinder moved in just the same..

Also passenger wear tabs hadn't contacted the rotors yet, and had much more material left on them... I think I have an issue somewhere in there and I just don't know what.. I'm a pretty good mechanic but I just don't know disc break setups the best, anything I can do immediately to correct the issue or just drive on them and hope it clears up?? I don't want to be heating up my breaks and wearing down the rotors though.

Thanks in advance..
Jordan

Stuck caliper or bad hose, lift up the front and try to turn each wheel by hand if it doesn't spin its seized. It could be the pins or the caliper it self. Also you can replace the rubber "boots" or as what they are correctly called is the bushings, which are fairly cheap. BTW mechanical problems on cars NEVER clear themselves up they only get worse.

I guess I might be looking into new calipers then... I know mechanical problems don't just clear up but it didn't have the issue when it had the thin worn down pads on, and now with thick new ones its probably part of the issue, or at least why it started pulling/grabbing now as to before. I wonder if I put one of the pads that was on the passenger side onto the driver side and see if that would temporarily fix the issue, I have been looking into doing all new breaks including rear disc swap anyway so now would be as good of a time as ever.

Quick question. Did your replace or turn your old rotors?
And definitely replace that caliper hardware.

Its a Caliper, went through the same issues when I bought mine. A tip, if you have the money, replace the front bearing hubs if the miles are getting up there, everythings apart and off, takes another 10 mins for some prevenative. When you put your brakes back together, get some silicone brake lube and apply generously to all sliding contact points, especially those caliper bolts. For the cost of rotors dont ever bother turning them, change em. Autopartswarehouse had a good sale on slotted with EBC pads for 100 bucks. Your brakes should always (give or take that millimeter) wear evenly, if they arent somethings not right.

When you squeeze back the piston, always crack the bleed screw. Forcing the fluid backwards through the ABS pump or Cylinder can pooch that in a bad way.

The car is only at 108k now... The previous owner put on Brembo slotted rotors and EBC Green stuff pads. I don't know if the front wheel bearings have been changed but I will look into it. I am going to go out here in a little bit and see if I can loosen up the bushings, but I have a feeling it is mostly in the caliper piston not wanting to stay in with the way thicker new pads on.. I will start to put together a list of what I will need to buy, Thinking of getting new calipers and rotors, probably EBC pads. According to the previous owner the rear shoes haven't been changed in the life of the car, or at least since he had it (2003) so they are probably getting near shot, I haven't had any noises from them, and E break still works great, no i'm not trying to drift or anything... i have manual so its set whenever I park. I am thinking if I am going to do anything to the rears I might as well go for the disc swap, I have read around the Neon sticky, It seems pretty straight forward.

I'll see what I can do today and post back later

Thanks guys

Jordan wrote:The car is only at 108k now... The previous owner put on Brembo slotted rotors and EBC Green stuff pads. I don't know if the front wheel bearings have been changed but I will look into it. I am going to go out here in a little bit and see if I can loosen up the bushings, but I have a feeling it is mostly in the caliper piston not wanting to stay in with the way thicker new pads on.. I will start to put together a list of what I will need to buy, Thinking of getting new calipers and rotors, probably EBC pads. According to the previous owner the rear shoes haven't been changed in the life of the car, or at least since he had it (2003) so they are probably getting near shot, I haven't had any noises from them, and E break still works great, no i'm not trying to drift or anything... i have manual so its set whenever I park. I am thinking if I am going to do anything to the rears I might as well go for the disc swap, I have read around the Neon sticky, It seems pretty straight forward.

I'll see what I can do today and post back later

Thanks guys

Only 108k? I say go ahead and change all 4.

Well taking one of the new pads off and using a good used one helped out alot on the driver side... I'm starting a part list, including wheel bearings, neon rear discs, new rotors, brakes and possibly calipers... I haven't ever been in the market for calipers so what would a good choice for this car be?

I have full SSBC brakes on my S10 and quite happy with them. Aluminium housing, twin piston. And Actually the calipers for the front are the same as a Cavalier, been tempted to take them off for the cav (as the S10 isnt on the road right now). You have lots of options with their parts such as getting them custom coated in colours. They are expensive though. Unless your horsed out and do some serious braking, The stock caliper should be just fine, I put them on cost me 30? bucks each. You can get a rebuild kit for less but for the pain in the ass it is to rebuild buy new. SSBC also has a rear disc conversion.

www.stainlesssteelbrakes.com

of course all the big brake guys make em, brembo, baer, wilwood

For Disc's I do recommend NAPA premium coated rotors as they have omni directional slotting (dont have to worry about buying lefts and rights)

If you find you do brakes on average every two years, price out the wearables, pads, and rotors so forth as do you want to be paying that price every time you do brakes?? IE do you really want to be paying 100 dollars per rotor on your brake jobs?