2002 Legacy brake repair question

[aspevak]

Please see attached file

 

 

Legacy brake repair question.doc

[gbhrps]

aspevac,

 

First off, next time, write your document using your word processor and then copy and paste it in the post. Its too messy and time consumming for others to move back and forth between the two in order to answer you. Most people would get frustrated and not reply, which I even came close to doing.

 

As for the brake issue, most mechanics will insist that brake pads, rotors, etc. be replaced in pairs, to ensure braking is consistent and will not pull the car to one side or the other. The only time that they would not insist and do only one side, would be when the parts are obviously new, or nearly. Doing your own brakes yourself, would give you other options, but you must be certain that you know what you are doing.

 

Mechanics will often insist on new parts being used, to stop the customer coming back in with a complaint of further brake issues just after having had work done on the system. New parts ensure no quick returns and complaints that hurt business.

 

The real problem is the lack of brake maintenance that people do. The fluid should be flushed out every 4 years. Some manufacturers want it done every two years. Really, someone should go over your brakes once if not twice a year. Lube the slide pins, clean up and lube the pads sliding surfaces, flushing the old fluid out to prevent rust inside the calipers, etc.

[keith3267]

Rear disc brakes are real complicated, unlike the old rear drum brakes.  There are so many variations on rear disc brakes, it is hard to judge without looking at them in person.

 

If your rear parking brake is a tiny drum brake inside the rotor, then the caliper is likely to be the problem.  If the outer pad was the only pad worn down, the the caliper pins got stuck and the caliper did not need to be replaced.  The caliper pins needed to be checked for straightness and if OK, then lubed.  If not true, then they would have been replaced and the new ones lubed.  The dust seals should also be replaced.

 

If the parking brake uses the disc and pads, then the issue could have been in the parking brake and replacing the caliper probably would not have been necessary either, but might have been the less expensive way to go.  The labor to repair the parking brake could go higher that the cost of a new caliper.

 

Once the damage is done, the pads and rotors on both sides have to be replaced.

[aspevak]

Thank you for your replies. In response to gphrps, I tried several times to copy and paste from my document and  nothing happened.

I was reluctant to send as an attachment for reasons you stated, but thought some would answer, as you did.

[porcupine73]

2002 Legacy brake repair question

 

I have a 2002 Subaru Legacy Wagon with about 205,000 miles - bought it new.

A little over a year ago I had the rear brake pads and rotors replaced. The mechanic insisted that

both right and left rear brake components be replaced even though only one side had damage. Cost was over $400. Calipers were not replaced.

 

About two weeks ago, shortly after driving off to work, there was a grinding noise from the right rear

wheel. Up until then, no brake problems. It got worse throughout the day until it was so loud I was afraid I'd need to stop and get a tow.

I took it to a mechanic after work(same company as before,but different town) and he said that the pad, rotor,and caliper needed replacing and the brake fluid flushed; he also insisted that both right and left rear brake components be replaced , even though only one was damaged. When I asked for the replaced parts back, he charged me $22 per caliper(core fee). Total cost was about $790.

There was only a warranty from the company on the pads; the rotor warranty was for 12 months, so had expired.

 

As I drove back home I began to wonder why I had the brake problem only 16 months after pad and rotor replacement.

Also if the caliper needed replacing(I read on the USMB that Subaru calipers almost never need replacing), and if it was really necessary to replace the components on the non-affected wheel.

 

If age and mileage warranted this,that's OK. But I would like another opinion.

Thanks.

The core charge is typical, actually $22 core charge for a caliper isn't too bad, usually the parts stores are around $50 (at least for calipers that include the mounting bracket).

 

I would say doing both sides is typical. The home mechanic could replace stuff on just one side, but it's usually best to do both sides so that they're 'matched', i.e. same types of pad on both sides, so that one side doesn't grab substantially harder than the other causing strange handling.

 

I've had many calipers sieze up, it's not uncommon on older soobs I would say in areas that use salt. A bit of water gets in around the caliper seals and starts to rust the piston and then it gets stuck a bit in the bore. Or the guide/lock pins get rusty or the grease dries out and makes the caliper 'hang up'. Also often the pads will get stuck in the little ears on the mounting bracket if the bracket gets much rust on it. I always file down the ears a bit so the pads have a slightly loose feel in the bracket (there was a bulletin from Subaru about this). Sometimes you'll get a click sound when you apply the brakes but it's better than them getting stuck.

[1 Lucky Texan]

a home DIYer will likely remember what brand/type pads are on the car and can 'match' those parts more easily. A shop that hasn't seem your car or know if someone else has worked on it after they did, would tend to do brakes in pairs as mentioned above.

 

as to what led to the problem - could have been rust, broken components, a defect in a pad or ?????

Edited October 14, 2014 by 1 Lucky Texan

[grimaceNMike]

Could have been that your dust gaurd was rubbing and if you brought it to les Schwab or Goodyear they will rip you off to the fullest.

 

I agree with the difficulty of copy paste or even typing on this app with a smart phone or my tablet. Can't upload or load images... ugh

Edited October 15, 2014 by grimaceNMike

[idosubaru]

generally replace pads as a set - that's just standard protocol.  but you definitely don't have to do it that way.

 

why didn't the shop just resurface the rotors since they were new?  technically speaking the rotors don't even need resurfaced, but most people prefer it.  you could have left them as-is - more texture = more braking!

 

A seized pad/caliper is one of these three things:

1. rusted/corroded brake pad clips - places never replace those and they degrade with time

2. seized caliper pin

3. seized caliper piston

 

# 1 and #2 are far more common than #3 and don't require replacement of the caliper.

 

#1 - replace the pad clips

#2 - clean and regrease the slide pin or replace the slide pins or caliper bracket

 

#3 a seized caliper can also be rebuilt - the rebuild kits are like $3 - $15 and really easy to do.  push out piston, clean up, reinstall piston with new seal/boot/clip.