brokebill Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 86 GL wagon, 5spd , front wheel dr., carb. have new pads and rotors. its lined up right (notch in caliper & back of pad) right front caliper rubber around piston is bunched up. brakes work, but get a grinding noise at times when stopping. suspect the caliper piston is not working correctly causing the noise. can also "feel it" in the brake pedal when i hear the noise. new calipers are outrageous so wondering if the $5-$10 kits to repair them might help and how hard it would be to do. never had a caliper apart so appreciate any input on the subject. thanks, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 May not be brake related at all. Could be a wheel bearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokebill Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 yeah, i'm sure the wheel bearings probably need attention also. everything on the car needs attention. i go to fix 1 thing and in the process find several things in need. if i could afford it i'd put new axles, carb, alternator,etc.... have to just patch as best i can though as it is my breadwinner and like my name implies......i'm broke. reason i'm thinking its the caliper is my cheapo pads on that side lasted about 2 months (1 month with old turned rotors way below specs) and noticed the pads were starting to crack. rode them a couple weeks with my new rotors and exchanged them. rode fine a couple days and then started again. took them back off and noticed caliper notch and "pin" on back of pad were not lined up any more. turned piston in till lined up and rode better than ever for a couple more days, then same thing. its not a loud right now and caliper & pad is still lined up (today) but it will probably be unaligned the next time i look. sorry so long , but trying to be detailed so yall know where things stand. thanks, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azsubaru Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Just another couple items that can cause that - 1) loose hub nut 2) the washer under the hub nut either worn or installed backwards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 cheap pads wear fast, but that's too fast. i've rebuilt a number of subaru calipers, it's very easy to do. i say go for it. they're so cheap that i like to go ahead and order two sets in case i accidentally rip the seal or boot (did that once). but of course if you're trying to save money that's not a good plan. if the caliper is causing these issues and noises, it may not be rebuildable. depends how scored, rusted and pitted the caliper bores are. might want to find a used one suitable to rebuild and then it'll be swappable outright with no down time? if i had an EA82 caliper i'd send it to you for cost of shipping but i think i tossed them in the trash. try a post in the parts wanted forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokebill Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 thanks, yeah i've had occasional trouble with the axle nut on the other side (caused by no grease/wrong grease) and it made it make a variety of strange noises so i'm gonna pull them apart tomorrow and double check that. seems like this noise started around the time i noticed the rubber around the caliper (boot?seal? not sure what is called what) was twisting & bunching but as i keep finding out , nothing is for sure with a subaru. i've had trouble out of one side before but the noise was coming from the other side.(hub stripped) so cant rule anything out. is there a definitive thread on rebuilding the caliper? i've found a few, but they sometimes conflict each other. appreciate all the help and advice. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 definitive thread on rebuilding the caliper in what way? definitive about what? i'm familiar with EA82 stuff, not sure about EA81. but on the EA82's it's very simple. remove caliper and keep pressing the brake pedal until the piston pushes all the way out. have a bucket handy as lots of fluid comes out too. piston will probably be caught by the boot if there's enough of it left. remove boots and piston and take note of the clips holding the boot in place. real simple. it's really easy. clean everything up, make sure the piston/caliper bore isn't damaged beyond repair and reinstall. there's just one seal around the piston, slide it back in and start compressing it (requires turning while pushing in). then install the boot and clip. that's it - one rubber seal, a boot and clip. very easy. good luck brokebill! Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokebill Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 thanks, your advice helps give a pretty good mental picture of whats in there and how to go about it. like anything , its not really clear until you do it yourself. as far as "definitive thread", some said it was a pain to do and some say its easy. some say its a good fix and some say its a waste of time. i guess it depends on the condition of the piston & bore, but $5 compared to $100, its surely worth a shot especially considering the questionable overall shape of the car. may run for years or may not start the next time i turn the key. sincerely appreciate the advice, as with all the other problems yall have helped me to fix and or comprehend. thank you all, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 no problem bill. you could post in the parts wanted forum and see if anyone has anything. if EA82 calipers work and i happen to have one it's yours for free. which side is it - although i don't think i still have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokebill Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 yall sure have squashed all my ingrained southern beliefs about rude Yankees ! LOL! i thought mine was an EA82. thats whats stamped on the motor, although i have no idea if its the original motor for the car. thanks again for all the help and generosity. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 is that why you fled town the day before i got down to TN last month!?!??! yall sure have squashed all my ingrained southern beliefs about rude Yankees ! LOL! i'm born and raised in MD, which is south of the mason dixon line. go to the northeast and there's plenty of rudeness to go around, i guess it's not appropriate to say here but between you and me going northeast of Philly is something I try to avoid at all costs. of course i'm close and know that my attitude isn't as southern as i wish. i lived in Georgia for 8 years in college and while my experience in maryland was exceptional growing up in rural farm land i can still tell you from living so close to the northeast that the difference in people is very noticeable....keeping in mind there are huge individual variations here - this is just a gross, unfair generalization. to quote a friend that came to visit me in south Georgia "are these people for real?" if my family wasn't all from maryland i'd live in Georgia, my experience there can not be put into words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Hre's a source for used parts that's not too far from you: http://www.pullapart.com/Locations/LocationDetail.aspx?locationId=10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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