calipers rebuild or replace?

[stu_m]

so my 1.9 tdi saloon failed its mot miserably!!

well I tell a lie it was actually only one set of brake pads why it failed but the list of advisories didnt help matters!!

anyway upon checking things out I opted to replace all disks and pads as the disks was an advisory too

one of the rear calipers was slightly seized

so I'm thinking whether to rebuild the lot or replace!

they have all seen better days and the car has a lot of miles on 250,000+

the only thing thats putting me off buying new calipers is the price!! I can get cheaper ones but are they really worth it!

anyone had any success with cheap calipers and where from?

I can get all the parts to rebuild for £140 posted thats for all 4 calipers with pistons too

any wise words welcome

 

[Jama665]

Strip the caliper down first. Clean it up remove any rust or anything that could be causing it to seize. Put it back together give it a try. If it works great if not not so great. Shouldnt take very long. Saved my self lots of money doing this over the years

 

[B5NUT]

At that mileage I replace all my callipers, as the seals were starting to go. I got my callipers from GSF car parts, and they were just refurbished Audi callipers with all the logo's & part numbers. There is a surcharge on each calliper, so I replaced all 4 at once and got a good chunk of my money back. have to say the brakes are so much better with replacements.

 

[Mollygoogle]

I went for replacements and it made a phenomenal difference (as you would expect)

 

[stu_m]

I can get two brand spankers for the front for little over £90 posted!!

the rears are £38 quid a go plus £5 post this to me sounds too cheap although they come with a two year warranty

im not interested in stripping and rebuilding just to see as the dust seals on one are shafted for a start and at the mileage I would want to at least replace all seals and pistons!

all the sliders are spot on though so dont need to touch them

I am swaying towards the new calipers route as it saves a lot of messing rebuilding just for the sake of £20 - £30 saving!

 

[spartacus 68]

Replace at that mileage. I've rebuilt over the years, but it's a thankless task. Lockheed red grease (for hydraulic application) is essential if you go down the rebuild route. Make sure sliders are spotless and lubricate. The rear handbrake mechanism on the rear calipers is prone to seizing, so check and lube.

New flexible hoses, brake nipples and brake fluid change works wonders too.

 

[stu_m]

I have done many brake rebuilds so its an easy task for me but no where as easy as bolting on new calipers lol

one of my fears is getting the bleed nipples undone too with a bit of heat and penetrating oil over a few days I think I will have no bother but is it really worth the risk

I'm even talking myself out of rebuilding them lol

the car isn't the best too look at but mechanically its been well looked after by me and previous owner so there is no saying how old the calipers actually are!

there is only one thats a real problem the rest work faultlessly none of them are actually binding either even the dodgy one! but I did give it a quick clean up on monday


I'm just thinking mileage with one dodgy caliper plus new disks and pads = me thinking of doing the lot while I'm at it