I finally got to do the fix on Vyvyan’s calliper. The near-side brake would bind and slow me down. The fuel consumption was also much higher, so it was a job that I needed to get done. I found that it was proof that ‘doing’ will teach you more than you realise.
I had looked up the service that was needed and gathered the correct bits. For this job, I needed:
- Brake Piston Spreader
- Copper Grease
- Silicon Grease
- 13mm Socket
- Lug Wrench
- Jack
- Axle Stand
Once I had jacked the corner up, I placed the axle stand under and took the wheel off. I turned the wheels to the left so I could get to the fixings, easier. Undoing the top and bottom 13mm bolts, the front came off. I was able to hold it up by hanging it on to the suspension spring. First, I greased up the back of the pads with copper grease, I then lubricated the top and bottom pins with silicon grease. The lower pin was dry and stiff, so this was the likely culprit of the binding. The pins need to run free so the calliper can squeeze the pads against the disc. Using silicon grease is important on these parts as it won’t degrade the rubber boots that cover the pins.
I used the spreader to push the pistons back in so the top would fit back on without trouble. Once it was all put back together, I realised what I had learned. Callipers had always flummoxed me; it’s not because they are complicated, it’s just that I hadn’t worked on them, before, and my own imagination made them more difficult to deal with. I always wondered how the pads went in or how they stayed where they should. Doing this job has made it obvious and I am more than happy to change my own pads, from now on.
