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How serious is a stuck caliper?

L

lookingfora944

New member
I finally got round to changing the front brake pads a couple of weeks ago.
The left caliper however is sticking on the right side, which explains why only the left, left pad was worn. All the noise from the binding has gone as I thoroughly cleaned the discs and calipers etc when doing the job. The car is also braking well and handling better (it seems) but I know the front lef tis still binding.
My question is, how dangerous is this? I aim to get it fixed when I have some money, but I have to drive down to Wales in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anyone had any advise as to potential dangers?


Thanks

Mike
 
It's not particularly good but you could be lucky or unlucky depending on severity. Alasdair (sulzeruk) once set his Lotus on fire as a result of a stuck caliper and he was only returning from the MOT station, and then stating the obvious braking performance will be below par and uneven and likely cause the car to veer under braking, more so at motorway speeds. Could also cause unplanned lockups of the offending wheel/caliper location.

I wouldn't be happy going a long journey with a stuck or binding caliper. Just my tuppence worth!

Stuart
 
Aside from the obvious safety issues already identified, a dragging brake is going to generate a LOT of heat in that wheel/hub which can cause other problems like boiling brake fluid and over heated wheel bearings. Too much risk of warped rotors, seized calipers, general brake failure and/or a seized wheel bearing IMHO.
 
Cheers guys, I shall get it fixed asap as it doesn't sound like it is worth the risk at all. I guess I should take it into Jaz in Wembley. I assume they will have will be able to rebuild the front caliper at not too great a cost as new ones seem quite pricey!
 
The cost of refurbing my calipers wasn't too bad; about 1 hour's labour per corner is the basic price RPM put on the bill. What adds up is all the sundries, such as seals, welding to remove seized screws, fluid etc.

Because I'd left mine a long time (they weren't bad until the car was laid up over the bad weather and they seized totally) I also needed all new discs and pads, and did all the brake hoses as well. [&o]
 
Yep. It all depends how bad they are. Getting the things apart in the first place is frequently the main battleground.
 
Just got a pretty reasonable quote from Tower Porsche in South London for this.
They recommend doing both calipers and it will cost between £100 and £250 to sort out both of them, refurbishing them if required.
 
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