VSII Caprice - front brakes halal

[Nick Scali]

Good evening, all,

Fired up the old shitbox and gave her a bit of love today (service).

Taking the RHF wheel off and having a bit of a goosy gander, we've spotted this:

Ignore me jocks being used as a rag for all you train spotters out there,

The RHF rotor is very loose inside the caliper assy, there's a shitload of play there allowing the caliper and rotor to slide around heaps.

Not sure if this is usual, the pads are still in good condition, probably 50% maybe more.

LHF - perfect, it doesn't move about what so ever:

If you push the brakes on the rotor obviously tightens up in the assembly, but then loosens off again.

Could it be the piston inside the caliper has recessed in and now has to travel further?

Pads are around 50-60% so they're not super low or anything.

The car brakes like **** too, it won't lock up the brakes and bring on the ABS, even with rubbish ecotyres on it, when I absolutely stand on the brakes it just slows down a bit and you lean a little out of your seat. It doesn't pull to one side.

The only way I've been able to bring the ABS on is go on a dirt road and stand on the brakes, its the only way I've been able to get them to lock up, we've got a problem but I'm at wits end here, the brakes have been typical shitty 1990s Australian car brakes, but never been this bad before.

Let me know your thoughts, is this a calipers off for reco job or is there something more sinister at play here?

Thanks all

 

[BlackVXGTS]

Not a good test. The rotors are held on by the wheel and wheel studs (lug nuts). If you want to test the rotors, you need to attach the nuts with the flat side towards the rotor, tighten, and then see if you have any movement. Also make sure that your caliper bolts are nice and tight. Workshop manual says 80-90nm plus 40-50 degrees turn angle.

 

[Nick Scali]

Not a good test. The rotors are held on by the wheel and wheel studs (lug nuts). If you want to test the rotors, you need to attach the nuts with the flat side towards the rotor, tighten, and then see if you have any movement. Also make sure that your caliper bolts are nice and tight. Workshop manual says 80-90nm plus 40-50 degrees turn angle.

Oh, I took the calipers off and reattached them, all the bolts are 'FT'

None were loose,

Will have to check that out, and see if we have movement, seems strange the passenger side doesn't move what so ever but the drivers side flops around like a cock in a sock.

 

[lmoengnr]

Oh, I took the calipers off and reattached them, all the bolts are 'FT'

None were loose,

Will have to check that out, and see if we have movement, seems strange the passenger side doesn't move what so ever but the drivers side flops around like a cock in a sock.

Passenger side rotor might be stuck to the hub.

 

[Nick Scali]

Passenger side rotor might be stuck to the hub.

You're on the money I reckon, the hub ring was rusty AF, was a bit of a **** to get the wheel off.

Requires further investigation, brakes are certainly the most shitful they've ever been.

Its got ceramic pads and DBA T2 rotors.

Also feels like I've got side wall of tyre touching body of shocks, get this nasty rubber burning smell when I jump on the brakes, also steering wheel stiffens up on certain corners/angles.

Steering rack, power steering pump, ALL the bushes in the entire car have been replaced, pushing on the wheel at the 9 and 3 positions and the 12 and 6 positions shows no movement in there of the hub so the bearing and ball joints seem good.

Master cylinder was replaced has about 5000km on it if that.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Good evening, all,

Fired up the old shitbox and gave her a bit of love today (service).

Taking the RHF wheel off and having a bit of a goosy gander, we've spotted this:

Ignore me jocks being used as a rag for all you train spotters out there,

The RHF rotor is very loose inside the caliper assy, there's a shitload of play there allowing the caliper and rotor to slide around heaps.

Not sure if this is usual, the pads are still in good condition, probably 50% maybe more.

LHF - perfect, it doesn't move about what so ever:

If you push the brakes on the rotor obviously tightens up in the assembly, but then loosens off again.

Could it be the piston inside the caliper has recessed in and now has to travel further?

Pads are around 50-60% so they're not super low or anything.

The car brakes like **** too, it won't lock up the brakes and bring on the ABS, even with rubbish ecotyres on it, when I absolutely stand on the brakes it just slows down a bit and you lean a little out of your seat. It doesn't pull to one side.

The only way I've been able to bring the ABS on is go on a dirt road and stand on the brakes, its the only way I've been able to get them to lock up, we've got a problem but I'm at wits end here, the brakes have been typical shitty 1990s Australian car brakes, but never been this bad before.

Let me know your thoughts, is this a calipers off for reco job or is there something more sinister at play here?

Thanks all

There’s a skid mark and it’s not on the driveway.

 

[Nick Scali]

Went to go wash it and I've now got virtually no brakes, super spongy pedal and it requires like half to 3/4 the pedal travel to pull up the car from about 20km/h.

I've bled the brakes including the ABS module by activating it lots, but I cant seem to get the pedal to stiffen up.

 

[Fu Manchu]

The ABS has to be bled with a scan tool. You can’t do it manually.

 

[Nick Scali]

The ABS has to be bled with a scan tool. You can’t do it manually.

Thats going to be a pain in the ass because you can't use a scan tool anymore - car has an aftermarket ECU, nor does the aftermarket ECU have an ABS bleed function.

I triggered the ABS a bunch of times by jamming on the brakes on a dirt road to cycle the pump heaps.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Thats going to be a pain in the ass because you can't use a scan tool anymore - car has an aftermarket ECU, nor does the aftermarket ECU have an ABS bleed function.

I triggered the ABS a bunch of times by jamming on the brakes on a dirt road to cycle the pump heaps.

Yes but that won’t work.