Brake check-up

[RedArrow]

`Braking news` All calipers removed for cleaning... Wow, OUCH! SHAME on ME!! See picts... Brake hoses were in acceptable condition, rotors, pads were ok in general. Pistons looked amazingly covered, rusty, dirty. Luckily the rubber looks fine, for now.

Front calipers had a huge amount of rust&brake dust `petrified` on all brake parts. All screws in calipers were rusty, stuck, hard to remove but all got cleaned and lubricated
L rear: strong uneven wear, stuck piston.
R rear: loose dislocated caliper pin missing its tip `ring` ; nasty looking piston stuck


Results: Calipers wire-brushed, rotors, pads, pins all cleaned, moving parts lubricated. No more dragging brakes, no braking noise, easier and smooth balanced braking all around. Now the car starts rolling down much easier&freely even on the slightest `hill`by itself. Harder pedal, much better brakes! Maybe better mileage too. Nice weather, great time. Spare pads, shims, and 2 rotors, hoses are coming with 2 caliper rebuild kits for later. Fluid level checked, no air in system, tested, good to go...&stop.

[RedArrow]

That pin would have fallen out by itself if there was not that much of rust holding it there...I had to come up with an idea until the new brake kit arrives, including new parts for the calipers. I made a gap into the pin, on the opposite side of it, right around at the end of it, then put that thing on temporarily after clipping the corners off. If it holds for a few days, that`s fine.

how important is it to change that rear axle bump stop? The top part is cracked, ... the lower part is bad

[745 TurboGreasel]

When i got my car I noticed the rear pads were about gone, so I grabbed a new set from the junkyard.
They sat on a shelf 5 more years before it hit metal. I wasn't too worried about the rotors, I think they may have been original, and badly worn, Used a set from my parts car. Drove home and popped it together.

Amazing how long they last if you engine brake a lot.

[RedArrow]

I do engine brake a lot. Although occasionally I noticed that the car is not running on a perfectly straight line on a completely flat road so I started checking basic things like proper tire inflation pressures, wheel weights in place, front end bushings etc but I had to realize it has something to do with brakes as it happened mostly when I hit the brakes. It felt like the car was slowing down more effectively&quicker on the left side (felt on steering wheel) but then not adjusting back to normal so basically staying activated. I also checked brake fluid level, calipers for leaks. I thought it would be the rear left that causes it and voila I found a caliper that had its piston fairly stuck and unevenly worn brake pads in it. One of them almost completely gone. Since I wasn`t ready to see such a worn pad, I did not have spare ones so it got reused for now, put it back...The rear R side had a caliper pin dislocated (almost lost) which also acted crazy a couple of times. Now this issue seems to be over: no noises, no drag; there`s a nice balance and stability as I`m slowing down.

[RedArrow]

ouch! Same pad got eaten till I could hear the metal/metal sound.
A piston was stuck, freed up by WD40...
Installed new `springs`, caliper pins, stainless shims with new pads, both sides of car.
Let`s see what happens.