Refurbishing calipers
Ed Evans explains the alternative to buying new brake calipers – rebuilding your own with stainless steel components
Don’t buy new brake calipers – rebuild your own with stainless steel components
Abrake caliper refurbishment kit containing new stainless steel pistons and a complete set of new seals costs around £58 and will give more stopping power and more reliable and equal braking when compared with old units. Provided the bores or the original caliper are unmarked, and the pad backing plates have not grooved the caliper seat, the calipers can be rebuilt to perform like new again. Fitting the kit not only gives you stainless steel pistons, it also means the original genuine caliper bodies are retained.
As an alternative to refurbishing the existing calipers, new aftermarket calipers are available from around £80 for the axle pair, and OEM calipers from around £250 a pair. A pair of genuine Land Rover
calipers costs around £1400 a pair. So refurbishing original genuine calipers with new seals and stainless steel pistons costing £58 makes sound sense, and more so on a DIY basis.
Refurbishment is also a way of preserving the existing calipers on a classic Land Rover that is being kept original. And, of course, it’s always so rewarding to refurbish any component ourselves and to see it working properly again on the vehicle. On the other hand, if the job is being entrusted to a garage, and preserving the original calipers is not important, then the cost of garage labour time to refurbish the calipers needs to be factored against the saving in parts costs, especially if considering the cheaper aftermarket versions.
Easing back
1 The brake pads are levered outward against the caliper pistons, pushing the pistons in to give easy clearance for removing the pads.
Easy out
2 After removing the pad securing pins and their clips, the pads should slide out. If stuck top and bottom, use a mole grip for purchase.
Fluid block
3 With the brake hose clamp fitted to prevent fluid loss, the hose is disconnected from the caliper and the steel brake pipe removed (11 and 13 mm AF).
12 points
4 The two caliper bolts need to be removed using a 12 point socket spanner (13 mm AF on this vehicle), then the caliper can be lifted off onto the bench.
The plan
5 The calipers will have each of the four pistons renewed with stainless steel versions, plus a complete set of new fluid and dust seals.
Initial cleaning
6 Blanking plugs are fitted to the hydraulic pipe connection holes, then dirt and rust scale is scraped off all the external surfaces of the calipers.
Blast it
7 Ideally, the calipers are cleaned in the sandblast cabinet and residual dust blown away using compressed air, leaving them clean and ready to be worked on.
De- contaminated
8 This impeccable cleanliness ensures no dirt or grit enters the hydraulic system when the pistons are removed. If it did, pistons and seals would be damaged.
Service check
9 At this stage, check these brake pad lower seating faces. Grooving here will restrict pad movement, so fit new calipers. Check this during service/pad renewal, too.
Getting a grip
10 With the caliper firmly and carefully held in the vice, a pair of grips is used to remove each piston, rotating back and forth while pulling upward.
Stay clean
11 As each piston comes out, remove any debris that might have dropped into the caliper. It’s important that the grips are also kept clean during this job.
Damage of time
12 The pistons are badly scored on their sides and are pitted around the top edges. This surface corrosion and marking hinders movement and damages the seals.
Seals out
13 Upper dust seals and metal retaining rings are prised out from each bore, followed by the lower rubber hydraulic seal. Pistons and seals are discarded.
Decision time
14 Bores and seal grooves need cleaning, then inspecting. Ours are good to rebuild, but surface damage in the bores would mean the calipers are scrap.
Kit of parts
15 This Britpart refurb kit includes stainless steel pistons, sets of dust seals and hydraulic seals, plus a tube of lubricant. Part number DA1165.
Test fit
16 Before starting the refurbishment, we check that every new piston in the kit will fit correctly into its respective bore in the caliper without the new seals fitted.
Fluid seals
17 Square section hydraulic seals are fitted (without twisting) into the inside groove of each piston bore in the calipers, applying a smear of rubber grease.
Dust seals
18 The dust seals have an internal groove that forms two wiping edges against the side of the piston. Squeeze into their metal retaining rings without grease.
Ready to fit
19 The dust seals with rings at top are fitted onto the pistons. In the calipers, the upper bores and hydraulic seals are lightly smeared with brake grease.
Careful positioning
20 The pistons are slid down into their bores before pressing the dust seal and retainer into the recess at the top of the bore with a suitably shaped former.
Optional kit
21 Alternatively, this mandrel from fitting kit DA1165 helps seat the upper dust seal and retainer ring in the caliper recess after the piston is entered into its bore.
Using the mandrel
22 Here, the mandrel has been fitted in the open top of the piston. When pressed down, it ensures the dust seal and retainer enters the recess perfectly level.
Equal force
23 The brake spreader tool, supplied in fitting kit, applies a steady and equal force on top of the mandrel, so it’s easier to press the piston and dust seal home.
Final cleaning
24 The newly refurbished calipers are ready to refit to the vehicle, but they deserve re-painting. First, they are cleaned off with a mild degreaser.
Finishing touch
25 Original Lockheed calipers refitted, and a spray coat of heat proof aluminium paint (fluid connections plugged) gets them looking new again.
The full job
26 The calipers have been fitted with new discs and pads. Renewing discs on early models involves dismantling the hub, which we’ll cover later.