damn calipers...

[cvega666]

well, today i drove the car for about 30 miles, and the right front wheel was smoking (literally) hot! Good thing I was on my way to Fensport to pick up some new calipers....

Damn MR2 brakes, I'm seriously considering one of the big brake kits...

[StevenstonWullie]

I feel your pain ive replaced the 2 front and ns rear on mine in the last 2 years touch wood the os rear is holding out well

[cvega666]

i've just bought 2 completely refurbished calipers...

[Ianboom]

As I'm a bit new to MR2's, does the caliper piston sieze, or the sliders??

Ian.

[cvega666]

both, in random intervals

[Ianboom]

Mmmmm, I've had my MR2 for 3 months, first thing I did was strip the brakes and copper grease the sliders, pad backs etc (had to replace 2 rubber covers over the sliders too). Noticed there's a caliper piston repair kit, are they expensive??

Found my rear pad friction material was coming away from the backing, so replaced them too!

Ian.

[jon_st205]

Ian, best strip the brakes down again and take that copper grease off. Lithium grease for the sliders a dab of copper on the slider bolts.

Jon

[RST]

Yea don't whatever you do use copperslip on the sliders. It'll bake in the heat and lock-up solid and just give you neverending greif. You need to use the type of grease which is supplied with calliper kits (I can't remember whether it's lithoum or not -just checked a tube and it doesn't say on this one). The forums got a few topics on overhauling brakes.

...similar thing happened to me week past Friday. Was driving home in the Aristo from the office in Aberdeen, made it to Elgin (about 65 miles) then the rear other side calliper just seize solid. Managed to find an ATS who were very helpful (I didn't have a jack with me) and we freed it off but the pads were almost down to the metal, the brake disc was fubared!

Crawled the last 35 miles home at 30mph with cruise control on. Got pulled by the BiB half way -someone reported me for drunk driving but after I explained I was limping home and was trying to pll over every few miles t let folk past they nodded me on my way.

Just replaced both rear cllipers, both rear discs and a set of pads today. Easy enough job. The brakes on the Aristo are just like SW20 ones except the hand brake uses shoes and combined drums/discs on the rear. I just did a full how to on the Aristo forum but It's a members only section so no use in posting the link I guess.

It's not just MR2's -I've had similar experience with every Toyota I've had, sometimes they just go on you. I serviced the Aristo not long ago and they were fine, the car's got that much poke I didn't even feel it until they started screetching and it was too late.

[abovetherim]

Last week i bought a rear caliper rebuild kit from biggred.co.uk for £36 inc p&p for the axle set ie both sides.
I think the front ones are a little cheaper. Not used the kit yet.
The guy on the phone immediately asked whether it was the early smaller disk or the larger disk size so he knows his stuff, also knowing straight away which nipples i needed (not part of the kit £1.90 each).

[cvega666]

that is a good deal, compared to 105 inc vat for a refurbished caliper, however, you need the time and space to do it. When it's a daily driven car parked on the street, it's a bit harder... hence me going for new calipers straight away.

[JDM-MAT]

i have all of them to replace and i have the feeling my hand brake cable will be next

[Steve-O 2007]

as said, DONT use Copper grease on the sliders!!! You want red caliper grease or you can use plumbers grease or this stuff from maplins (the tube form version) -

http://www.maplin.co.uk/multi-purpose-s ... code=RE90X

[jon_st205]

Copper grease also reacts with rubber (the dust seals), along with the fact it turns to glue.

[cvega666]

haha, so when I posted this thread, I replaced only the right hand front as it was smoking.

I didn't bother replacing the left thinking "NAAAAA IT WILL BE FINE"

guess what happened this morning

[g.lewarne]

at least its not raining mate

thats pretty sucky though, still you got the new caliper for it so your prepared

[toxo]

The guy on the phone immediately asked whether it was the early smaller disk or the larger disk size so he knows his stuff, also knowing straight away which nipples i needed (not part of the kit £1.90 each).

I think that's more due to the frequency with which MR2 owners rebuild their own calipers

I faffed about rebuilding mine a few years ago. I can't have done a very good job because they all needed doing again within 6 months to a year.

I got fed up with the rears and replaced them with pro refurbed ones via brakes international. That was ages ago and still good now - about to do the fronts as I noticed my passenger side caliper has 1 jammed piston and 1 jammed slider (won't even move when you take a hammer to it). Got new sliders and boots from Mr T in the boot of my car as we speak!

[willfinch36]

Doing my first caliper tonight!

Ordered one from camskill.

[cvega666]

genuine rebuild kit from toyota is what, 40 quid ? + the time you will need to do it (hoping it is right in my case)

new caliper = 105+vat... I can't be ar$ed nor have the time to do it.

[JohnnyC]

genuine rebuild kit from toyota is what, 40 quid ? + the time you will need to do it (hoping it is right in my case)

new caliper = 105+vat... I can't be ar$ed nor have the time to do it.

Agreed.
And refurbished calipers tend to have brand new pistons in them, which if you bought from Toyota are a further £10 each IIRC (for the fronts).

[cvega666]

just got it replaced - DAMN I HAVE BRAKES NOW WOOP :>