Time for new calipers?

[littleg78]

Rear brakes started sticking on after car had been sitting for a few days so I followed How To guide to take callipers apart, clean and reassemble.

Good news is handbrake cables look good.

Bad news is paint’s flaking off all over the place! What are my options... will they be ok for a while, can they be refurbished, or do I need new ones???

 

[burrellbloke]

You can buy the internals like pistons and rubber seals for both rears for about £85 to refurbish them yourself.

Or you could send them away to be repainted and refurbished by someone else for about £160.

 

[Foxspeed]

wire brush clean & repaint them

 

[MarcB]

Rebuild

MS Custom Engineering

 

[DS197]

If they are working fine and the seals are in good condition, leave them be.

No need to do anything to them unless the aesthetics bother you, in which case clean and repaint them as Foxspeed said.

 

[littleg78]

Thanks all - I’ve ordered some red calliper paint to tidy up, and some calliper springs just in case they do anything useful.

If they still stick after the cleanup I’ll have a go at replacing the pistons/seals.

Is there anything I should lubricate/grease the next time I have them apart - just cleaned this time?

 

[littleg78]

As always the scope and budget crept and a tin of paint turned into new discs and pads... but all good because I saved money by not buying new callipers!

Sat on my arse on the freezing cold drive for best part of 3 hours today, but rear discs and pads on the car, and first coat of paint’s on the calipers - not a perfect job but will look a hell of a lot better than it did.

Will have to tackle the fronts next - calipers are fine, but I might wait until the weather warms up before attacking the pins to do the pads and discs.

Went for Mtec discs and brembo pads all round.

 

[burrellbloke]

Good effort in the snow.

Did you paint the callipers without taking them off?

 

[littleg78]

Yep - I bought some Ferrari Red calliper paint from eBay that can be hand painted.

Firet thing I did was strip flaking paint and corrosion with a powerdrill and wire brush attachment while they were on the car.

Then I played calliper Hokey Cokey changing the pads and discs - it would take me half the time if I did it again.

Also failed to use the calliper rewind tool correctly - after 30 minutes of getting nowhere I watched a YouTube video... it then took about 2 mins per side!

After all that I pretty much couldn’t feel my fingers from the cold, but used a small brush to apply the first coat of caliper paint over the areas I’d stripped.

I’ll probably do a proper refurb in the summer - plan for now is just to make them aesthetically passable.

Thumb up to the how to guide in the brakes section - brilliant and wouldn’t have attempted without it.

 

[littleg78]

So finished up yesterday and did the front discs and pads - caliper pins came out super easy, the right tools obviously help.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pin-Punch-Tool-Set-DESIGNED-to-use-on-Vehicle-Brake-Pads-/363087977589

The new pins I bought from Kamracing (not branded - only £12) were unfortunately not a good fit, bent one trying to insert. The old pins came out straight so just cleaned up, copper greased and reused.

Last thing on my list is fresh brake fluid - leaving that to the professionals, booked into local place on Saturday.

 

[Frank Perry]

So finished up yesterday and did the front discs and pads - caliper pins came out super easy, the right tools obviously help.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pin-Punch-Tool-Set-DESIGNED-to-use-on-Vehicle-Brake-Pads-/363087977589

The new pins I bought from Kamracing (not branded - only £12) were unfortunately not a good fit, bent one trying to insert. The old pins came out straight so just cleaned up, copper greased and reused.

Last thing on my list is fresh brake fluid - leaving that to the professionals, booked into local place on Saturday.

View attachment 144164

Can I just say thank you for sharing that pin removal tool.... I will be doing a refresh on my brakes when the weather gets a little better and I had such a nightmare last year when it came to the pins.

Great job on sorting yours out also, look super clean for a driveway job done in the snow!!

 

[Bomster]

Then I played calliper Hokey Cokey changing the pads and discs - it would take me half the time if I did it again.

Having my first go at this this weekend... any advice? Also is there any special tooling required beyond the obvious (I have torque wrench, regular socket, spanner sizes etc)?

I'm just changing rotors, then bleeding all callipers. Got myself a Sealey pressure bleeder, PlusGas to try and loosen the bleed nipples, and a calliper rewind tool (will watch a YouTube vid on how to use it as you said!).

Just wondering if there's anything else I might need? I read online you need a 36mm socket (for rears), and 12mm hex (for fronts)? Also did you order new calliper bolts, I read this is advisable?

Would really appreciate some advice mate

Front discs	Brembo HC	£65.00	https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MEGANE-M...800438?hash=item2af7219836:g:qpIAAOSwzl9frvJq
Rear discs	Renault	£169.84	https://renaultpartsdirect.co.uk/parts/brake-parts/renault-clio-197-200-rear-brake-discs/
Brake fluid (1L)	Motul RBF600	£25.00	https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTUL-RB...327360?hash=item2ef5065080:g:q4MAAOSwL~hbQASm
Brake bleeder	Sealey VS820	£55.00	https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-V...210066&hash=item1eed5656f9:g:zyAAAOSwT-Bbz6RE
Rewind tool	eBay special	£14.56	https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brake-Ca...845159?hash=item5b86dfe967:g:mWIAAOSwYxRgCo22
Penetrant oil	Plusgas	£8.75	https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001P02RK/?tag=clio197-21
36mm socket?
12mm hex key?

 

[PITA]

Yes you’ll need a 36mm socket for the rear discs and a 12mm allen socket bit (an allen key won’t touch them) for the front calipers.

 

[littleg78]

It feels like a lifetime a go since I did that, but you’re right - the only extra tools I needed were the 36mm socket (Amazon) and the 12mm hex (Halfords)

Im pretty sure I got some new bolts with either the pads or discs, but memories not that good.

My prep was reading the how to guides on here, and I found this video useful too:

I think I just ended up doing things in the wrong order which slowed me down - I’d say it was the cold but I’m probably just not that practically minded. I’m sure you’ll be fine!

 

[suj]

Also for bleed nipples, try getting a flare nut spanner, it stops you rounding them (or a good socket if properly stuck).
I think it was the 10/11mm (different size on each end).

 

[Bomster]

@PITA @suj @littleg78 Thanks gents.

Will grab a 12mm hex socket and a flare spanner as suggested. Managed to find a 36mm socket in my toolbox . Much appreciated!

I am a bit confused about the rear calliper bolts, are these a must change item? https://renaultpartsdirect.co.uk/parts/brake-parts/renault-rear-caliper-fixing-bolt-7703002714/

 

[PITA]

@PITA @suj @littleg78 Thanks gents.

Will grab a 12mm hex socket and a flare spanner as suggested. Managed to find a 36mm socket in my toolbox . Much appreciated!

I am a bit confused about the rear calliper bolts, are these a must change item? https://renaultpartsdirect.co.uk/parts/brake-parts/renault-rear-caliper-fixing-bolt-7703002714/

You’ll get some with the rear pads

 

[Bomster]

You’ll get some with the rear pads

I'm only doing discs themselves bud, then a fluid bleed. Still got some fairly new DS2500's (~4k miles, 2 trackdays) that I plan to reuse. Pretty sure I never got any bolts with them either when I had them fitted last year.

 

[PITA]

I'm only doing discs themselves bud, then a fluid bleed. Still got some fairly new DS2500's (~4k miles, 2 trackdays) that I plan to reuse. Pretty sure I never got any bolts with them either when I had them fitted last year.

Just re-use yours with some loctite then

 

[turkie172]

Do not wind the rear calipers back like your tightening a big nut it splits the mechanism inside for the handbrake adjustment and before you start make sure the boot has not got stuck on the piston and will rip and twist as you wind the piston back.