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Brake caliper repair kit: replacement and selection

When and why a brake caliper repair kit needs replacement

The brake caliper has no specified lifetime limit. Repair is necessary in case some separate elements of the unit are damaged. Particularly, you’ll need a repair kit if the caliper guide sleeve is corroded. Moreover, if component dust boots have lost integrity due to abrasive damage, their replacement is also required. A new piston is needed if the old one got jammed.

Brake caliper components break down because they operate in the area of constant temperature changes. Moreover, they contact with dirt often, which causes abrasive damages. Water influence can cause corrosion of the guide sleeve. Such situation often takes place because of dust boot wear-out and appearance of breakages and microcracks on it.

A cause of piston defect can be loss of its hermeticity due to bad condition of seals which are responsible for tightness. Most often piston jamming happens because of corrosion.

Appearance of screeching and squeaking sounds in the wheel area while braking indicates the necessity of brake caliper repair. Moreover, stains of brake fluid are noticeable on wheels.

During repair you should grease the guides and anti-squeal shims. It is recommended to examine the brake pad condition when installing a brake caliper repair kit. Thickness of every pad should be equal. It is important that there are no shears, cracks and other defects on the surface of pads. Replace the brake pads if needed. Moreover, during repairs it is recommended to check the condition of brake caliper springs which press pads to it. If they are out of order, they are also replaced.

How to select brake caliper repair kit

The brake caliper repair kits differ by contents. Particularly, not all the kits include a piston. In many cases it is sold separately. The kit can include bolts, seals and two types of lubricants for different elements. Also, kit contents can differ depending on what caliper type they are intended for: with fixed or floating bracket. For example, for the latter you can buy a kit with bushings and boots for them. If a specific part of the brake caliper is out of order, then a separate kit is used for its repair, for example, there is a guide sleeve repair kit.

You should buy products of proven manufacturers in order to have new components providing correct caliper work for a long time. For example, high-quality repair kits are presented in the assortment of NK and ATE brands.

Buying components take into account your car characteristics: the make, model, production year, body type and type of the caliper itself, brake system brand. Parts can differ in technical parameters, piston diameter, in particular. Also, note that you can buy the front or rear brake caliper repair kit.