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front brake springs on calipers

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front brake springs on calipers
#1
jon baxter Avatar
jon baxter
Telford, Salop, UK   GBR
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1979 MG M-Type Midget
Good day all. I have a r/b 1976 midget, its been in storage by PO for at least 10 years and the front brake pads need replacing. The caliper bolts have rusted solid. I have got the old pads out but need to reset the calipers to fit the new pads in. Can i do this with the calipers in place or do i need to loosen or remove the offending bolts? Sorry if terminology wrong these are my first i have stripped and therefore first brakes to be broken by my endeavours! smiling smiley

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#2
73midget Avatar
73midget Chris Edwards
Garland, TX, USA   USA
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1973 MG Midget MkIII
if the pistons aren't seized, you can usually move them pistons back by *carefully* prying with a couple of screwdrivers. you probably want to get those bolts out eventually!

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#3
Floydinit Avatar
Floydinit Bob Rank
Waldorf, MD, USA   USA
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1972 MG Midget MkIII "Silver Ghost"
1994 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 "Blue Beast"
1995 Chevrolet Corvette "Babs Toy"
Brakes are just too important. Replace it all.....Bob

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#4
Jim Gruber Avatar
Jim Gruber
Apollo Beach, FL, USA   USA
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And the front and rear brake hoses as well. They collapse internally.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#5
jon baxter Avatar
jon baxter
Telford, Salop, UK   GBR
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1979 MG M-Type Midget
Full rebuild then. How do i tell if the discs need changing they look quite ok to me? Thanks for your help.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#6
mimssandi Avatar
mimssandi Roger & Sandra Hobart
Mims, Fla, USA   USA
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Discs need to have the thickness checked. Look for spider web size cracks. Look for any warps (not flat). Discs are fairly cheap. If you have the money, replace.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#7
AmishIndy Avatar
AmishIndy Seth Jones
Glendale Heights, IL, USA   USA
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1971 MG Midget MkIII "Guenevire"
2007 Mazda 3 "Porco Rosso"
replace discs dont recut them. Recutting often costs the same as buying new. As for retracting pistons, you can use a vise, visegrips or a retracting tool like this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disc-Brake-Pad-Installation-Spreader-Caliper-Piston-Compressor-CP131018E-/170998866984?hash=item27d053a428&item=170998866984&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr


Seth Jones

1971 MG Midget

www.SpridgetGuru.com

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#8
Jim Gruber Avatar
Jim Gruber
Apollo Beach, FL, USA   USA
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Someone just posted calipers available at $69.95 each. Not worth rebuilding assuming these are quality not generic Chinese junk. I keep repeating hoses,hoses.got to do it right. Stopping first, steering second on priority list.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#9
jon baxter Avatar
jon baxter
Telford, Salop, UK   GBR
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1979 MG M-Type Midget
Thankyou all. It honestly looks like the calipers have never been opened or removed, they are completely rusted into blocks. How on earth can the brakes not be changed in 40 bloomin years! More to the point how will i remove the blessed things?

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#10
66jalopy Avatar
66jalopy Phillip Jolliffe
Lake City, FL, USA   USA
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1956 Morris Minor
Only two bolts hold them on, don't try to split them in half.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#11
mimssandi Avatar
mimssandi Roger & Sandra Hobart
Mims, Fla, USA   USA
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Heat the bolts until bright red, then let cool 15 or 20 minutes. They will come right out.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#12
S1 Elan Kurt. Appley
Akron, Ia., USA   USA
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1964 Lotus Elan
1965 MG Midget MkII
Well, I'm going to be a contrarion and ask if the brakes work well, do they pull in one direction or another? Are the front pad's worn out? Are they leaking anywhere? I'm of the opinion that driving it to determine if they need a complete rebuild is OK. If you do a rebuild the stainless braided hose's are worth the extra dollars and the rotor's only need replacing if they are warped or very worn. You should be able to see the original thickness at the inner circumference. If you are going to get into the hydraulic's you may as well do everything that is hydraulic at once. Also if heat is required to get the calipers off try to localize that heat to where the threaded end of the bolt screw's into the housing and I would only apply enough heat to break thing's loose. Just my opinion!smiling smiley

Kurt.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#13
jon baxter Avatar
jon baxter
Telford, Salop, UK   GBR
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1979 MG M-Type Midget
Thankyou all. I had beeb heating the calipers not the bolts, hadnt thought of that! Bacon at the ready sir ; )

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#14
S1 Elan Kurt. Appley
Akron, Ia., USA   USA
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1964 Lotus Elan
1965 MG Midget MkII
Hopefully red heat isn't required to get things to give. Use "never seize" when you reassemble on everything exposed to the elements.

Kurt.

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Re: front brake springs on calipers
#15
jon baxter Avatar
jon baxter
Telford, Salop, UK   GBR
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1979 MG M-Type Midget
Thankyou all. Caliper removed new one to be ordered. However the biggest help was advice on how to remove a rusted on bolt, this was my greatest success, thankyou.

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