Q&A for How to Change a Brake Caliper

The technician takes off the caliper bracket first, followed by the caliper hose. From there, they'll get the new caliper in, connect it back to the caliper hose, and put it all in place. Then, they'll crack the bleeder valve on the caliper and use a pump to get rid of any trapped air leftover from manufacturing or sitting on the shelf. They'll close the reservoir and make sure that the reservoir is topped off before going inside the car and pumping the brakes a few times to see if there's pressure. As a final touch, the technician will reopen the bleeder valve, hook up their pump, make sure there's no air in it, and close it back up.

You don't need to torque them to a specific level. Crank them down really good and tight. Make sure they are at least as tight as when you took them off.

Make absolutely sure that all brakes are purged of all air around the vehicle. If they are all perfect, and the brakes are still mushy, the issue more likely resides in the brake lines, master cylinder, or brake booster.

There`s very little that can go wrong specifically with calipers. All they are is two barely-moving parts, and normally the quality of your brakes is related to all the other parts you listed. The only thing that might go wrong is putting too much stress on the brake lines going into the caliper, and even then that would mean replacing the line itself.

If your brake light is on, it is most likely your emergency brake, not your regular brakes. Most of the time it just needs to be tightened from underneath the car, a fairly easy fix.

No. The only things in the way of removing your rotor are your wheel and your caliper. The axle doesn't connect to any part of the rotor.

Unless the hose is cracked or leaking, there should not be a need to replace it. If you still need to change it, I recommend that you change the whole brake line to save yourself some time later on.

The pads, not the calipers, cause the grind when worn down (though typically the pads would be replaced at the same time). If there is still a grinding, then the disc must also be replaced (but again, if the calipers are replaced, the pads and rotors or discs would be replaced, given low cost and high opportunity).

I've never encountered any that you didn't turn counterclockwise to loosen. If you can't get them to turn they may be seized.

One for each wheel, just like all consumer cars. Exotic cars/muscle cars sometimes have twin calipers on each wheel.

No, the fluid will bypass the piston and come out the bleeder valve. Ensure the caliper is mounted to the bracket on the vehicle with the brake pads installed if you're bleeding your brakes.

Yes, always replace them in pairs if you can. If one side is bad it is likely that the other side will be bad too.

The brake caliper is the assembly which houses the brake pads and pistons. The pistons are usually made of plastic, aluminum or chrome-plated steel. Calipers are of two types, floating or fixed. A fixed caliper does not move relative to the disc, and is thus less tolerant of disc imperfections.

Get some needle nose vice grips and clamp the pin in place. There's normally a nut on the pin itself.

You can bungee cord it to the vehicle. That's what I do. Or make a double zip tie and fasten it to something secure, that will also work.

If you changed your pads and/or your rotors, they need to be "bedded in," which does two things: it spreads a layer of brake pad material on the rotor to improve friction, and it smooths out the braking surfaces (pads/rotor) which can be gritty on brand new pads. This is what makes an audible dragging/rubbing noise. This is all assuming your rotor is installed flush and straight. If not, your brakes won't "sandwich" it properly, which can cause all kinds of noises and vibrations.

Your brake caliper will require replacing if the brake piston that pushes against the brake pads does not retract. When this happens, it is probably corroded from road salt or other corrosive elements.

If your brake caliper is frozen, you can either replace the whole caliper as a unit or you could buy a piston repair kit that works out cheaper. However, be aware that it is quite an involved job for the armature mechanic!