My o/s rear calliper is binding slightly to the point where the wheel is noticeable hotter than the other 3. I had new pads and discs on the rear around 500 miles ago and the callipers wound back fine and sliders were free etc.

Im wondering if its easier to just replace the calliper from a scrapyard or try to refurb the current one

Is there a common issue with these? I do have handbrake return springs fitted and the handbrake mechanism releases fully to the stop on the calliper so I know thats not an issue.,

 

Just double check everything.

see if the piston still winds back ok, trying pumping it out and winding it back a few times.

 

check the brake pads move

on and off the disc ok and sent sticking.

 

As you said, check the calipers guide pins are nice and free. Make sure the flexi hose and brake pipe sent damaged, if you’ve checked all of that it’s got to be a new caliper really.

I will take it apart again and have a look at the sliders etc and wind back the piston again but i dont hold out much hope.

are there any other cars with the same rear calipers that i could get one off at the scrappy?

 

Also check how tight the pads are in the caliper as I had this problem before and after measuring with a micrometer found that the cheaper aftermarket pads are a few thou bigger than original pads, if they are tight then you would either need to grind a bit off or buy genuine pads.

Loads of calipers are the same, most earlier VWs with solid rear discs will probably work, Octavia, golf, ibiza etc

Have you got a sticky handbrake lever on that caliper?

Thanks for those suggestions. I dont think the pad thickness should be an issue given the other side is fine and I wound back the piston all the way and before the caliper adjusted there was plenty of clearance.

I will go to my local scrap yard and see what I can find.

I have already checked the handbrake mechanism as I explained in my first post

Let me know how you get on with this, I have the same issue, although I have been advised the sliders have been misthreaded into the hub, so I need a new hub.... hell of allot cheaper to get new callipers... Part of me thinks it is new callipers i need but they seam to be winding back fine...

 

both rear callipers have been replace really recently

Ive just been out and wound them back in and out a few times. All appears nice and free. Checked the sliders they are also fine

I did sand off the surface of the pads as they were wearing slightly enevenly.

Will take it for a drive later and see what its like after

I have bought an ir thermometer to check the temperatures between the 2 discs to see if one is hotter than the other.

As for @taylsy01I'm not sure what you mean about sliders being misthreaded as they are only pushed into the carrier on these brakes. The caliper is then bolted into the sliders. If you mean the carriers have been crossthreaded into the hub then that might make more sense.

Update: Been out for a drive round town and a few 40mph roads. Came back and measure temperature on the discs. 3 of them were 35 degrees and the one which was binding was 105 degrees so i think its time for a new calliper

Check for rough edges on the metal pad plate. If you have any just file them off to ensure the pads move freely. 

 

You never said when you last changed your brake fluid? 

"i think its time for a new calliper"  - Agreed.

 

When you come to fit it, it's not a bad idea to bleed it before mounting the caliper. Otherwise the flexible hose forms a potential air trap (see blue arrow) higher than the bleed nipple, making it tricky/time-consuming to bleed all the air out.  If you bleed it first you can straighten out that kink and make the bleed nipple the highest point.

 

 

 

Edited 17 October, 20178 yr by Wino

Thanks for that advice wino will make sure its done before I fit it.

I changed the brake fluid when I replaced the front brakes so maybe 3 months ago.

The pads move freely i'm sure i'ts the caliper piston not releasing as I cannot move the caliper back and forth at all like I can with the other side.

Would anyone be able to confirm which vehicles I could source a used caliper from. Hoping to go to local breakers tomorrow to find one. I know hutchysvrs said it would be most VW stuff with solid rear discs but if I know any specific vehicles that would help as most fabias there are all W reg 1.4mpi with drums on them.

If you put a pipe on the bleed nipple and release it, then try pushing the piston back in you can confirm it is the caliper/piston before you start changing it over. 

10 minutes ago, clarendon462 said:

Would anyone be able to confirm which vehicles I could source a used caliper from

If you know the part number, stick it in here and it should give you 'where used' on all the main VAG brands: https://vagpartsdb.com/

If you don't know the part number locate it here: https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/

7 minutes ago, Wino said:

If you know the part number, stick it in here and it should give you 'where used' on all the main VAG brands: https://vagpartsdb.com/

If you don't know the part number locate it here: https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/

I have just tried that and It comes up with part 6Y0 615 423 which seems to only show with the vw lupo/seat arosa vw polo

I thought a number of golfs and maybe the octavia may have shared this setup but maybe they have a different part number becuase they werent painted green

 

Edit: ignore that, ive just searched another part number and it shows a number of other cars now using the same part. Audi TT, A3, Seat Leon, toledo, ibiza, Vw Polo, beetle, golf, Skoda roomster so hopefully there will be one of those cars I can take it off.

 

@CWARD Not sure what else it could be other than the caliper/piston?

Edited 17 October, 20178 yr by clarendon462

 

Potentially very handy site that vagpartsdb.com

Air lock (hopefully not after you've recently bled the system) or kinked pipe stopping fluid and therefore piston returning freely. It's with saying that you had no problems prior to pad change and the piston retracted freely then.

Im guessing because the old discs and pads were worn to the point the piston was considerable further out than it is now. As I was winding it back in it got a lot stiffer as it reached the stop so Id expect thats the reason.

I bled it as well when I fitted new discs and pads on the rear and the pipes all seem fine.

5 hours ago, clarendon462 said:

snip snip -----

I have bought an ir thermometer to check the temperatures between the 2 discs to see if one is hotter than the other.

As for @taylsy01I'm not sure what you mean about sliders being misthreaded as they are only pushed into the carrier on these brakes. The caliper is then bolted into the sliders. If you mean the carriers have been crossthreaded into the hub then that might make more sense.

 

IR thermometer, oh yes, very handy for this sort of thing - and checking that your CAT is "alive".

 

Yes I agree with you on the other issue quoted above, more a front calliper issue I'd think.

 

I've never ever left pads too long before replacing them, probably due to me thinking that unless I was going to manage to polish the surface of the pistons back to as new, they might have trouble when these rusty  areas needed to move through the seals.

 

Good luck!

 

Edit:- one thing to remember in VW Group world, and maybe elsewhere, when a long time used part that is still being fitted to later cars is modified/improved, it normally loses its original "initial platform" group of numbers/letters and changes to the first "current platform" to use it at factory build state - which is what you have found.

Edited 17 October, 20178 yr by rum4mo

Thanks, yes the rear brakes get quite rusty anyway due to the lack of use. I only replaced the discs and pads because there was about 1/3rd of the disc actually shiny metal, the rest was thick rust and looked terrible.

The rear discs on my wife's August 2015 Polo, at 15K miles don't look very pretty - which is to be expected, but a bit annoying!

Such a common problem. Scabby discs due to lack of use. I'd have pics of my old ones to show (which looked terrible) if it wasn't for Photobucket! 

 

Even now, my last MOT had an advisory for the rear discs, they're not even that old! 

 

I have exactly the same symptoms, whole thing was stripped down and cleaned/greased which sorted it for about a month. Now it's back and I've resorted to not using the handbrake at all. Not the best solution, so a new caliper is on the cards. They ain't cheap though!

 

Something else to check is the threaded spindle behind the lever arm. See the nut in the middle of Wino's pic. That is common for rusting up and holding the handbrake on. There is a rubber seal under  there I think and water gets behind it. 

Edited 17 October, 20178 yr by del-gti

The handbrake IS NOT the issue as i know the lever releases fully

Edited 17 October, 20178 yr by clarendon462

So I went to my local scrapyard and found a rear calliper of a fabia estate. It looked mint and had 2015 dated on it and a 'remanufactured' sticker. It wound back in very easily with no resistance so I bought it.

Fitted to the car no issues and bled the system fully. Went for a test drive and it's exactly the same as before. Temperatures were 75 degrees on that disc vs 25 degrees on the rest after a short drive in traffic.

Not sure what else I can try now. The disc spun freely with plenty of clearance between pads before the calliper 'self adjusted' but once the handbrake has been applied and it adjusts the pads just seem to sit way too tight against the disc. Brake line seems clear and not damaged or in poor condition. 

Is there any other possible things I've missed. The handbrake mechanism releases fully all the way to its stop so im sure thats not an issue.