25 replies to this topic

[navx]

My car has flunked its mot due to a stuck rear brake caliper. I am too poor to fork out £500 for new one so have bought a refurbing kit from EP. Does anyone have a how to or any useful advice before I jump in clueless and make matters worse? Any advice welcome.

[BlueVX52]

Speak to someone like this would be my advice. Wouldn't want to mess about where brakes are concerned

http://www.brake-cal...ml#.Ul7agIdwbbU

Dan

[techieboy]

Closest thing I've seen to a guide is the SELOC Tech Wiki.

[navx]

Will check out the refurb people and have a nosey at the SELOC wiki. Thanks.

[BlueVX52]

I have never used those people just googled brake caliper refurbs just fyi. Be interested if you do go refurb route I want to get all 4 of mine refurbed over winter. Dan

[peteslag]

I've just used this lot, I'll post  the results when I get my caliper back in a few days.

 

They are very reasonable.

 

http://www.brake-caliper-painting.com/

 

Edited by peteslag, 16 October 2013 - 07:01 PM.

[nicollow]

I've just used this lot, I'll post  the results when I get my caliper back in a few days.

 

They are very reasonable.

 

http://www.brake-caliper-painting.com/

 

 

Would be interested in seeing your results. Mine need a refresh...
 

[techieboy]

I've got two pairs of old rear calipers and a set of fronts here that could all do with a full refurb (and not just tarting up) but nobody I've ever spoken to (including the people you're using) would touch the Brembo's with a bargepole.

[peteslag]

I've got two pairs of old rear calipers and a set of fronts here that could all do with a full refurb (and not just tarting up) but nobody I've ever spoken to (including the people you're using) would touch the Brembo's with a bargepole.

 

 

That's interesting, especially as I got a phone call today to say it is finished and ready for dispatch!

 

It should be back with me by Friday and back on the car Saturday.  The proof will be in the pudding I suppose.

[navx]

Are there any reasonably priced upgrdes or alternatives to the brembos? They do not seem to last very long long. The breaks on my mazda which has done more than 3 times the distnce of the vx seem to hold up a lot better despite being punished on track and seeing some winter action. I do not use the vx for tracking (still learning to drive it properly) so cannot justify the top end break upgrades, but I would rather not be refurbing them every 30k odd miles.

[peteslag]

My brembos have done 80000 miles over a 10 year period. They didn't really need done that urgently, they worked fine.  The only issue was that the piston dust seal had split.  Usually callper sliders have seized because some body used copper slip on them.

Edited by peteslag, 16 October 2013 - 08:07 PM.

[Gedi]

The fronts are so easy to do, it barely warrants a guide

[nicollow]

I got a set of unused front Lotus calipers for £180. Not really worth the faff at that price

[FLD]

Chris Neils do refurb calipers.  MUCH cheaper than 500 quid too.

[techieboy]

I've got two pairs of old rear calipers and a set of fronts here that could all do with a full refurb (and not just tarting up) but nobody I've ever spoken to (including the people you're using) would touch the Brembo's with a bargepole.

    That's interesting, especially as I got a phone call today to say it is finished and ready for dispatch!   It should be back with me by Friday and back on the car Saturday.  The proof will be in the pudding I suppose.

Yeah, fingers crossed as it'll be good to find somewhere that will do them properly. When I was trying, it was a couple of years ago and I must have spoken to at least 6 different companies, none of them wanted would either touch them in the first place or do anything more than replace the piston dust seal and/or paint them (that said, BiggRed wouldn't even touch the front AP's for some reason despite claiming to do Elise AP's ). To me that's not a refurb and I could do that. I wanted pistons replacing and handbrake mechanism overhauled. Luckily Robin was selling off a job lot of them at sensible prices so didn't have to bother at all.

[peteslag]

 

 

I've got two pairs of old rear calipers and a set of fronts here that could all do with a full refurb (and not just tarting up) but nobody I've ever spoken to (including the people you're using) would touch the Brembo's with a bargepole.

    That's interesting, especially as I got a phone call today to say it is finished and ready for dispatch!   It should be back with me by Friday and back on the car Saturday.  The proof will be in the pudding I suppose.

 

Yeah, fingers crossed as it'll be good to find somewhere that will do them properly. When I was trying, it was a couple of years ago and I must have spoken to at least 6 different companies, none of them wanted would either touch them in the first place or do anything more than replace the piston dust seal and/or paint them (that said, BiggRed wouldn't even touch the front AP's for some reason despite claiming to do Elise AP's ). To me that's not a refurb and I could do that. I wanted pistons replacing and handbrake mechanism overhauled. Luckily Robin was selling off a job lot of them at sensible prices so didn't have to bother at all.

 

 

 

My situation was this.  I had a go at refurbing the calipers myself, how hard can it be.........right?

 

As it turns out I was wrong and made a right pigs ear of it. I couldn't work out how the inner workings went back together so gave up and shoved all the bits back in then hoped for the best.  The foot brake worked fine but the auto adjust became very temperamental.   I emailed the company I mentioned earlier and they knew straight away about the crappy auto adjust mechanism. They have fully dismantled the caliper and rebuilt it using a seal kit I provided for 30 quid.  I'll post the results when I fit it back on the car but so far, I am very impressed with this company.

 

While there is a hole in my arse I will never attempt to refurb a caliper again in my life.  Thinking about it, even if said hole closes up I still won't refurb a caliper again in my life.

[Pidgeon]

Are there any reasonably priced upgrdes or alternatives to the brembos? They do not seem to last very long long. The breaks on my mazda which has done more than 3 times the distnce of the vx seem to hold up a lot better despite being punished on track and seeing some winter action. I do not use the vx for tracking (still learning to drive it properly) so cannot justify the top end break upgrades, but I would rather not be refurbing them every 30k odd miles.

 

Lack of use kills calipers.  Use them regularly, keep the fluid in good condition and look after the dust seals and they will last the life of the car.

 

Which side has failed?  I've a pair at home I kept meaning to strip to learn about them.  I think it was my offside that had failed.

[garyk220]

Eric (oblomov) posted a really good picture guide of a rear caliper refurb on here many years ago. Not sure if the pictures will still be available, but I'll see if I can find it.

 

ETA.  here it is, in the guides and tutorials section after all...

 

http://www.vx220.org...er-service-kit/

 

 

Edited by garyk220, 17 October 2013 - 01:41 PM.

[D3YMO]

I got a quote from the company in the link a few weeks ago

 

approx £300 to do the fronts and £300 to do the rears (thats to have them coloured too)

 

*prices based on AP 2 pots

[LazyDonkey]

From memory a refurb was £20 less than a new set of rears via robin on here when i looked into it. Not sure where he got them from but most people i spoke to (inc local friendly lotus dealer) said it wasnt worth the bother refurbing the rears.