Real Noob question about brake caliper boots

[8ball]

Hey My brake caliper brakes are torn should I replaced them what is the out come if I dont ? Is it tought to rebuild calipers?

[DJ metadelic]

Not sure about rebuilding the caliper assemblies, and/or if you can buy just the pistons with new boots attached, but you could just replace them as a whole. Or, at the least ask some parts stores if they carry new rubber dust boots.

[batever]

Are you talking about that little rubber boot on the caliper slide pin? If you don't replace those boots then the grease on the caliper slide pins will either dry out or get contaminated with water, water will get in the slide pin bore, the slide pin will rust, and the calipers won't open or close freely. I had one boot on my car that wasn't broken but just wasn't on correctly and the slide pin formed a rust ring on it that caused the slide pin to bind. Cleaned it off, regreased it (you need special synthetic brake grease, $2 a packet at autozone or a lifetime supply for $9.) and reseated the boot and have had no problems since.

I believe rebuild kits are available for the entire caliper. They will include the rubber parts for the brake piston and should include the caliper slide pin boot as well. I'm not sure if you can get a boot separately.

Might as well get the rebuild kit as the only reason to not rebuild your existing caliper would be if your piston or piston bore is damaged, which is doubtful but you don't really know till you pull it apart.

If you can't find a boot listed separately at a parts store, Mcmaster Carr might have a boot that would work. It's worth checking out. www.Mcmaster.com. You'll end up paying maybe $5 shipping.

Of course, you could instead get a remanufactured caliper, that's another, slightly more expensive, option, as has been mentioned.

[blackfoedoecb7]

For the price and hassle of rebuilding a caliper I would say spend the $45 on a new caliper. But if you dont have the $ you can just grease up the pin good and use it for the meantime till you can get the $ for a new caliper.

[batever]

For the price and hassle of rebuilding a caliper I would say spend the $45 on a new caliper. But if you dont have the $ you can just grease up the pin good and use it for the meantime till you can get the $ for a new caliper.

Good point, but as long as there's no brake fluid leaking at the caliper it really doesn't need a full rebuild, just that boot and cleaning and regreasing the pin. Of course you could say "it's an 18 year old caliper, might as well just get a new one or (again) do a full rebuild " if that's your thing. Personally to me the rebuild sounds pretty easy and it's cheaper.

[Tippey764]

Rebuilding a caliper is easy. All you do is get compressed air and blow into the brake line hole. The piston will blow out then you can clean and replace the seals. The hardest part is getting the piston back in. You need to blow compressed air in the brake line hole while hr caliper is in a vice. This will blow the piston seal outwards so you can drop the piston. After you get the pison in you press it all the way down then your good to go. A rebuild kit is cheap I will never buy another replacment caliper again.

[8ball]

Rebuilding a caliper is easy. All you do is get compressed air and blow into the brake line hole. The piston will blow out then you can clean and replace the seals. The hardest part is getting the piston back in. You need to blow compressed air in the brake line hole while hr caliper is in a vice. This will blow the piston seal outwards so you can drop the piston. After you get the pison in you press it all the way down then your good to go. A rebuild kit is cheap I will never buy another replacment caliper again.

i bought a new caliper once n ignorance. i say ignorance because it was not the nissin cali.I will do a rebuild and not worry about brakes till i 5 lug it.