Rear brake caliper seized . . .

Guest · Jan 2, 2006

Just bought my an 88' 944 not 2 months ago with a full years MOT, I am very disappointed now to find that the drivers side rear brake caliper appears to be seized and this is after I had the front wheel bearing changed after 3 weeks. I have previously posted about my front brakes being eager to lock up and one of the return posts suggested that this could be due an issue with the performance of the rears . . . I have noticed after giving the brakes a good hiding that the fronts are reasonably well balanced and lock up at virtually the same. On getting back to the driveway the fronts are roasting and the NS rear is hot but the drivers side disk is cold, I have only done 500 miles ish since buying the car. Makes me wonder about the legitimacy of the MOT . . . (the pleasure of buying from a trader eh?)

The brakes do seem to be heavy, is this normal? I am wondering if a rear brake strip on both sides and a brake fluid change will help make them lighter - what do you boys think?

Has anyone done a rear brake strip / overhaul etc on an 88' 944 - is it very difficult? ( I 've done pads / disk's and shoe's on various fords) Although any advice would be great . . .

Guest · Jan 2, 2006

Well it looks like you've found the cause of your brake ballance problem then.

It can be a bit of a gamble buying from a trader. Some of them are a little bit less than scrupulous, which gives them all a bad name. Didn't the trader give you any sort of warranty? It's probably worth going and having a word with him at the very least. He might well tell you to take a hike, or he may be genuine, and offer some sort of compensation.

When buying cars like these, it's definitely worth buying from a specialist who has a good reputation to protect. That way you'll be more likely to get a good one to start with, and you're more likely to be treated well if there are any problems with the car a few weeks down the line.

Fen · Jan 2, 2006

More than likely it's calliper plate lift. Do a search on here and you'll get the info you need. It isn't the end of the world to fix.

sawood12 · Jan 2, 2006

Doesn't the caliper plate lift problem only effect the 4 pot Brembo brakes you get on the Turbo and S2's? From my understanding the way the sliding single pot calipers work they wont have the caliper plate feature??

In any case Siddus I see your from Nottingham. Have you heard of PH Sportscars? He's a breaker specialising in Porsches and MX5's and he has an aladin's cave of 2nd hand parts so if you end up going for a new caliper give him a call - i'm sure he's got plenty in stock. He will also fit for a reasonable £30 per hour labour rate. He's in Shardlow just off J24 of the M1 and his number is (01332) 799298.