Loaded Brake Calipers - UCX Calipers - Home

1 Some technicians and partsprofessionals like Loaded andsemi- Loaded Calipers becausealmost everything they need comesin one box. They don t have toworry about mismatched partsfrom different suppliers and thecomplete assemblies are quick andeasy to importantly,they see fewer comebacks becauseofbrake noise or other , the assembled caliper cansave time and make difficult brakejobs more term Loaded caliper indi-cates a caliper that includes acaliper, hardware and friction. Thisassembly is ready to bolt on the ve-hicle in most cases. Some suppliersare even including the caliper brack-et for some applications. A semi- Loaded caliper is a caliper thatincludes just the hardware and nofriction.

2 This leaves the friction ma-terial selection up to the people in the industry nowrefer to a caliper that is sold alone as bare or naked. Loaded Calipers do provide avariety of benefits whendoing Brake jobs on cus-tomer s Brake suppliers have a loadedand semi- Loaded caliper programstoday so availability is seldom anissue. Price, in some shops minds, re-mains the main hurdle to buyingloaded Calipers , but one comebackcan change their of the main advantages forthe technician is that Loaded caliperassemblies help restore the brakesto like-new condition. Not only dothey get new friction,but also a newor professionally remanufacturedcaliper and properly matched hard-ware (shims,bushings,slides,etc.)

3 This significantly reduces the risk offuture leaks developing, and unevenbraking or pad wear caused bycalipers hanging up or technicians have learnedthe hard way that attempting to re-build old Calipers is often a wasteof time. In many instances, the oldcalipers are so badly corroded orworn, they can t be rebuilt or theyleak when they are put back on thevehicle. Disassembling a caliper toreplace the piston seal and dustboot is a messy job, and may be dif-ficult or impossible if the piston isstuck in place. Steel pistons oftencan t be reused because they re toobadly corroded, and scratches orpits in the caliper bore may causethe caliper to leak even after a newpiston and seal are swhy most technicians prefer to re-place old Calipers with new or re-manufactured piston seals don t last for-ever, and once they start to leak, it sSELLING SERVICESByLarry Carley, Technical EditorLoaded Brake Calipers :Can They Boost Productivity?

4 The end of the road for the caliperand the pads. Fluid leaks are dan-gerous because they can lead to aloss of hydraulic pressure in thebrake circuit that may cause thebrakes to fail. Brake fluid leakingfrom a caliper can also contaminatethe Brake linings and cause them tograb or caliper may also have to be re-placed if it is cor-rosion can cause pistons to jam orfreeze preventing the caliper fromworking normally or releasing com-pletely. Corrosion on the calipermounts, bushings or slides can alsocause problems by preventing afloating caliper from moving normal-ly when the brakes are applied. Theresult here may be uneven pad wear,uneven braking, dragging or a a Loaded caliper , the caliper isreplaced along with the the hardware is impor-tant, because old corroded hardwarecan cause braking problems.

5 We veheard of shims that have workedloose and caused a rotor to fail byrubbing and cutting through therotor hat! If a technician forgets toinstall an anti-rattle clip or installsone that doesn t fit properly, thenewly installed pads may be Calipers reduce these risksby providing the proper hardwareand replacing everything thatshould be type of friction materialthat s included with a Loaded caliperassembly is critical because it shouldbe the same,or better than the avoid a mismatch of frictionside-to-side,when installing loadedcalipers on a vehicle,both calipersshould be replaced at the same only one caliper is being replaced,be sure to use the same friction padson both SalesWhen a caliper is installed.

6 Thebrake system should always beflushed and refilled with clean, freshbrake fluid that meets the OEM re-quirements for the application (DOT3 or 4 fluid).Even if a caliper is Loaded , spe-cialized Brake greases and lubri-cants will be needed forinstallation. caliper slides andbushings should be lubricated witha high-temperature Brake grease,and related Brake components,such as hoses, lines, rear wheelcylinders and the master cylinder,should all be inspected to makesure these components are in goodworking condition and are IssuesWhen returning Brake calipercores, make sure everything is in thebox. If the manufacturer includednew brackets, make sure to includethe old part.

7 Rear Brake calipersshould also include and emergencybrake hardware that was replacedwith the new Loaded the Brake caliper is aluminum,like on the Chevrolet Malibu, makesure that you look at the core for cor-rosion around the inlet port wherethe banjo fitting makes contact. Thetwo dissimilar metals create galvan-ic corrosion that can lead to pitting ofthe surfaces. Make sure to checkwith your parts suppliers on the corepolicies for these types of , look for damaged threads in theinlet port installing an aluminumcaliper. Someone might have dam-aged the threads and not told theparts store before returning the and semi- Loaded calipersgenerally provide good value for themoney and can lower repair costswhen price is an issue.

8 If you chooseto install Loaded Calipers , look for asupplier that has a good reputationand stands behind its & FRONT END february Brake caliper assemblies help restore the brakes tolike-new corrosion can causepistons to jam or freeze pre-venting the caliper fromworking normally or releas-ing completely.