Caliper seizes up?

Question

We replaced the front 2 calipers in my 1987 Chevy S10 4x4 when it started seizing up it worked for about 2 days and now it seized up again and but everything else works fine. What could be the promblem and a estimation of how much would it take for a mechanic to fix it?

Answer 1

Sounds like a hose is swollen nearly shut that feeds the caliper. Went through this on a couple of cars over the years. Seems to always happen on just one side and it's the tip of the hose where the metal thing is crimped to the rubber hose.

Otherwise, you might have bought a bum caliper. Just the slightest amount of rust left inside the caliper body with cause the stainless steel piston to stick.

Also, make sure that you use ONLY a silicone based grease (like "Silglide") on the caliper body o-rings that slide over the stainless steel caliper mounting pins/sleeves. Any molly based grease turns to a hard mud (from the hot brakes) and makes the calipers stick.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

No way in the world did 2 calipers go bad that fast, it's just impossible. It's one of four things. First thing I would do is jack up the fronts and take the wheels off. Start the truck and pump the brakes 20 times or so and get out. See if they are seized meaning they wont turn. Open the bleeder on one, leave the bleeder cracked open a turn and see if the wheel spins free. If it does, start the process again, pump them up and go to other side, do the same. If they break free, it's not the master cylinder but it is the brake hoses collapsed. Replace hoses and bleed it out. If you open the bleeder and they still stay locked, you need to grab ahold of the brake pedal with your hand and see if there is any play when you push it down gently. You need to make sure there is just a tiny bit of play before it actually activates the master cylinder. If there is no play, pull the master off and adjust the push rod. I bet one of those two things is causing this. The two other things, highly unlikely but possible, is a bad master cylinder or bad prop valve. I'd bet 99% it's the hoses or push rod.

Answer 3

did you flush the brake lines?  were the calipers new or remanufactured?  both are seizing up?

check the master cylinder and replace or rebuild, it may not be releasing the pressure on the calipers.

if you loosen the brake line and the calipers release, then you know that it is the master cylinder.

by seizing, i assume you mean that when you press the brake pedal, the pads contact the rotor and fail to release when the foot is removed from the pedal?

make sure to lubricate the slide pins when reattaching the calipers.

also look for a problem with the power assist on the master cylinder.

Answer 4

change the brake hoses on both sides and then bleed the front brakes.

Answer 5

when you compressed the cal. did you make sure it was even?while its still on the s-10 compress the cal. then put preasure on the pedal,watch the cal. to make sure its traveling straight.make sure the spindle is straight also.sounds like something is warped