sticky rear calipers

[yalan 0]

My new corrado's handbrake lever has rather alot of travel in it before it locks the car.

As far as I'm aware, this could be either cable slack or sticky calipers.

Before I go out and buy a new set of MkIII calipers, does anyone know of a quick & simple check to guage their efficiency?

 

Cheers Al.

Oh, and does anyone know if MKII and MKIII rear calipers use the same pads?

[exturbo2003 0]

take your car to a mot test centre and ask them to check them on the rolling brake tester :)

[dr_mat 0]

Even easier than that - go for a sprint down the motorway. If they're significantly hot when you get back, they're sticking!

[Henny 0]

stick MKIV calipers on instead... They use the same pads and are alloy and a different design (although they fit the same, the brake pipe is different) so they shouldn't seize up as easily... :)

[yalan 0]

motorway sprinting / going town to test centres aren't really an option - no tax / MOT / Insurance!

 

these MKIV calipers - do they need custom pipes or can they be sourced from a different model?

 

Was kinda hoping for a 'jack the car's arse up and see if you can spin the wheels with the handbrake off' type suggestion!

[dr_mat 0]

BTW - it's also possible that you've simply got a badly adjusted handbrake cable. If the calipers have been swapped in the past for slightly different designs, the handbrake cable has to be adjusted to compensate. If that's your only evidence that the calipers are sticky, I'd say it wasn't conclusive, and certainly not worth the £120 minimum to replace the rear calipers! I'd investigate some more, if I were you.

[coullstar 0]

The late Mk3 and Mk4 calipers have there handbrake maechanism contained internally and dont pick up the crap from the road which is where the Mk2 & Corrado calipers get a lot of thier probelms from.

Jack the car up and try spinning the wheel with the handbrake on and off. You could also spin it and get somebody to apply the brakes and spin the wheel again.

 

Just take the caliper off and try to move the piston. You have to wind the piston in and out, not simply push as on the front. Try this to free it off, grease then replace the seal.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

these MKIV calipers - do they need custom pipes or can they be sourced from a different model?!

 

They're custom and Goodridge supply them.

 

It's just a goodridge hose (about 8") with a MK4 banjo joint on one end and a MK2/3 threaded end on the other.

 

I think they're about £25 / pair.

 

I have the MK4s on mine and they make a big difference.

 

K

[Supercharged 2]

BTW - it's also possible that you've simply got a badly adjusted handbrake cable. If the calipers have been swapped in the past for slightly different designs, the handbrake cable has to be adjusted to compensate. If that's your only evidence that the calipers are sticky, I'd say it wasn't conclusive, and certainly not worth the £120 minimum to replace the rear calipers! I'd investigate some more, if I were you.

 

Agreed, If the calipers are working but not getting hot and are effectivly holding the car on the handbrake then you most likely just need to adjust the cable at the lever end.

[nogrille 0]

C&R do MK4 caliper kits with the correct braided hoses.

[stormseeker 0]

Just got out of the car to be greeted with the smell of over-heated brake pad :-( :cry: O/S rear wheel noticably warmer than the other side, so I'm guessing seized caliper.

 

Anyone who's already done the MkIII/MkIV conversion got any part numbers? Just want to price up the bits individually versus C&R's kit...

 

EDIT: (later) C&R's kit looks like it's just to replace the pre-92 Corrado's Mk2 style calipers with Mk3 items, but as I understood it post-92 Corrados already had the Mk3 Caliper anyway, so it's the Mk4's I want, inc. flexi hoses. - can't find mention of them on C&R's website...

[Henny 0]

phone 'em and ask 'em... I couldn't find any mention of them on the website either... :roll:

[stormseeker 0]

OK, the lowdown on the C&R MKII/III --> MkIV conversion kit is:

 

Goodridge Stainless Steel Braided conversion hoses - £24 a pair

Genuine VW MkIV calipers - £84.95 each

P&P on a complete kit £10.95

(all inc. VAT)

 

So roughly £205 for the whole lot. Oh, and this is an exchange price, I think there's an extra £50 surcharge if you don't send them your old calipers back...

 

Interestingly the calipers are actually sourced from VW USA and still work out cheaper than VW UK :roll:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I put Lucas MK4 calipers on mine, they were £50 each from Stealth.

[Supercharged 2]

Yeah, there only a bit more than that from VW exchange

[dr_mat 0]

I got Lucas reman calipers on mine too, Mkiii version - about £55 each, even from VW.

I suppose Stealth had enough brain cells to change the caliper guide pins at the same time, kev? Mine clunk about like b*ggery now, cos the guide pin is worn.. :(

[stormseeker 0]

120MPH m/way blast home from work + sticky rear caliper = big stink when you get out the car :-(

 

Really must get my arse in gear and sort this out!

[kvwloon 0]

How about just sticking Mk3 calipers on there, straight swap, no worries, or have you already lashed out for the Mk4 bits?

[stormseeker 0]

Mine's a '95 so already has (lucas) mk3 calipers - deffo going the mkiv route.... just need to sell some more tat on ebay to pay for 'em :lol:

[kvwloon 0]

'Sell more tat on Ebay',....would be funnier if it wasn't me buying it all! Seem to be spending a lot of time accumulating bits 'just in case' at the moment..... :lol:

[stormseeker 0]

Just cleared out my desk drawer at work - ebay won't know whats hit it when I list this crud tomorrow night :lol: :lol: ...

[bazgreener 0]

I got a pair of mkIV calipers with a few thousand miles on them for £80 the pair, they fit straight on to the existing carriers and with the goodridge hoses they work a treat, you need to squeeze up the bracket that holds the handbrake cable nipple as the mkIV cable has a bigger end :oops: Most vw & audi cars i have seen use the same rear calipers so there must be loads in the breakers by now.

 

Baz