Time for new calipers.

[timsrv]

Mahleek,

When it comes to pads, shims, & fit kits I go Toyota. But for everything else brake related I've been pretty lucky with aftermarket (who can afford Toyota?). On average I replace calipers once every 3 or 4 sets of pads (unless I find something wrong sooner). Irregular wearing brake pads is an indication of binding slider pins. These can be disassembled & lubed, but I usually just replace with new aftermarket calipers. www.RockAuto.com is where I go. Just drill into their database using the prompts (year, make, model, etc) to direct you to the correct parts. Just be sure to apply a thin coat of antiseize compound or silicone paste to the pins upon assembly & make sure the protective boots over the pins are installed correctly. Good luck & have fun . Tim

[mahleek87]

Hey Tim,

What about for Rotors? Do you go to Toyota for that? I went to my local advanced auto parts store and they said they tried their hardest and could not get 86 LE Front Rotors. These are still reliably available online through Rock Auto correct?

[timsrv]

Yeah, I get mine from rock auto. I try to get the cheapest (with shipping). This usually means the ones that ship from the same warehouse as the rest of my order. Tim

[spacecruisers]

Curse you photo bucket!

I could really use this thread about now, doing this job myself.

From reading through it, its very well done so its a damn shame the pictures are broken!

[Wizardtom]

Curse you photo bucket!

I could really use this thread about now, doing this job myself.

From reading through it, its very well done so its a damn shame the pictures are broken!

Totally agree. I could use it too.

QUESTION: I just got a new caliper and when I tried to screw in the brake hose as far down as I could there is still all this threading! https://imgur.com/a/DsGfk

Does this need to sit down all the way like it did, and does on the other side?
do I need a new line? Do I try to grind off the extra length of the bolt on my old line?

[timsrv]

Totally agree. I could use it too.

QUESTION: I just got a new caliper and when I tried to screw in the brake hose as far down as I could there is still all this threading! https://imgur.com/a/DsGfk

Does this need to sit down all the way like it did, and does on the other side?
do I need a new line? Do I try to grind off the extra length of the bolt on my old line?

The seal is on the tip of the brake line (inverted flare). There is a matching machined surface at the bottom of the threaded hole and that's where the seal is made (it's metal to metal, so don't use any Teflon tape or other type sealants).

So no, it does not necessarily need to thread to the same depth as the old (as referenced from the exterior). Just make sure it's tight, then after it's all together and you've bled the brakes, have your helper push hard on the brake pedal while you do a final leak test. Tim

[originalkwyjibo]

The bore on the caliper should have an inverted flare to correspond with the flare on the end of the hose fitting. When you tighten the hose, you are tightening the two opposing flares against one another. The hex portion of the hose fitting should NOT tighten against the body of the caliper.

EDIT: Nevermind. Tim beat me to it.

[Wizardtom]

The seal is on the tip of the brake line (inverted flare). There is a matching machined surface at the bottom of the threaded hole and that's where the seal is made (it's metal to metal, so don't use any Teflon tape or other type sealants).

So no, it does not necessarily need to thread to the same depth as the old (as referenced from the exterior). Just make sure it's tight, then after it's all together and you've bled the brakes, have your helper push hard on the brake pedal while you do a final leak test. Tim

Tim for the win. I think if you made a T-shirt with that TVT logo and Tim for the Win written on it I'd buy it for $15.

On that same note, I made a small $10 donation to the site and of course will continue to support it as long as I keep coming back. But in addition to that I think there should be an option to donate to specific comments. Soon the lightning network protocol will make bitcoin cheap to send once again but other crypto currencies are easy to use to tip. It would make sense to me to have a tipping address in signatures that uses a smart contract to deliver X% to each participant in a thread that helped and Y% to the site. I would love to tip directly for my education

[timsrv]

Lol, no contest here and no monetary motivations, just fellow van owners helping each other out. We (TVT) very much appreciate the donations as it helps pay the bills incurred by hosting, domain registries, software, etc. I wish I could spend more time here but business is booming and that takes priority.

BTW, Original pretty much said the same thing I did, so if nothing else, it's good confirmation (you know it's gotta be right if 2 different posts come in at the same time saying the same thing).

I also want to give a big THANK YOU to the more experienced members like Original, Burntboot, and others filling in for me as I'm rarely available to post anymore. Most of the time I'm late to the party and it's nice to find good advice has already been provided. Tim

[Vanarama]

Hey guys,

Rookie question here.

I replaced brake line hose, calipers, and pads on my 87 toyota van. Although, I haven't bled the brake line yet, I Noticed the rotor won't spin freely with everything installed. Should I be concerned about this.

I had a mechanic replace pads a few months ago and noticed that the passenger side brakes were getting pretty hot. Thought the calipers were sticking so I went with a full replacement. Now, the rotor is still stuck...I fear I have a different problem.

Thanks guys!

[Burntboot]

If you haven't even bled the brakes and you can't turn the rotor then YES, something is wrong.

Are the "new" callipers correct, are the pads installed correctly, did you clean and repack the bearings? how did the bearings look? Is it 2WD or 4WD?
Did you have any problem getting the calliper on? What are the rotors like (do they have a deep ridge that the pads could be hanging up on...)

Start by pulling the caliper off, if the rotor spins you know the issue is related to the calliper fitment, if not the calliper itself.
If it still won't spin with the calliper off, then the problems are deeper (rotor making contact or bearings over tight/burnt/seizing?)

For what its worth, this is exactly what happens when we make assumptions about the cause of a problem.
And to be fair, callipers do cause lots of problems so its an easy assumption to make, but bearings can cause all sorts of problem that, at least at first blush, can mimic seized callipers.
And don't get discouraged as even professionals who do this stuff all day long, can often fall into the same trap, assumptions are SO much easier to make and being in a hurry (flat rate), doesn't help matters at all.
That is why it is SO important to actually diagnose the issue before hand, it often seems like a waste of time but it in reality it is much kinder to the wallet in the long run
and always results in a better repair experience.

[Vanarama]

Thanks!
I ended up reinstalling the caliper but and added a washer to the slide pin before tightening down and it solved the issue. Simple fix...just took a whole day for me to solve. Now...is it normal to brakes to smell hot the first few drives...as they wear in?

Thanks again!

If you haven't even bled the brakes and you can't turn the rotor then YES, something is wrong.

Are the "new" callipers correct, are the pads installed correctly, did you clean and repack the bearings? how did the bearings look? Is it 2WD or 4WD?
Did you have any problem getting the calliper on? What are the rotors like (do they have a deep ridge that the pads could be hanging up on...)

Start by pulling the caliper off, if the rotor spins you know the issue is related to the calliper fitment, if not the calliper itself.
If it still won't spin with the calliper off, then the problems are deeper (rotor making contact or bearings over tight/burnt/seizing?)

For what its worth, this is exactly what happens when we make assumptions about the cause of a problem.
And to be fair, callipers do cause lots of problems so its an easy assumption to make, but bearings can cause all sorts of problem that, at least at first blush, can mimic seized callipers.
And don't get discouraged as even professionals who do this stuff all day long, can often fall into the same trap, assumptions are SO much easier to make and being in a hurry (flat rate), doesn't help matters at all.
That is why it is SO important to actually diagnose the issue before hand, it often seems like a waste of time but it in reality it is much kinder to the wallet in the long run
and always results in a better repair experience.

[Burntboot]

No, they shouldn't smell "hot" and there should be NO shims anywhere on the callipers.
The fact that you "solved" the issue with washers, only points to something else being wrong.

Did you inspect the bearings?

[Vanarama]

I haven't and I need to. I was hoping it was just the so-called "brake in period" of 500 miles. Drove it today about 40 miles and smell was almost gone. I need to figure this out soon as I've got a big out of state drive coming up. Thanks for you help!

No, they shouldn't smell "hot" and there should be NO shims anywhere on the callipers.
The fact that you "solved" the issue with washers, only points to something else being wrong.

Did you inspect the bearings?

[Burntboot]

Umm.
What kind pads did you install?
There is only one thing I can think of that would explain a break-in period and a dissipating hot smell.

Back in the "olden" days, pads were made with organic materials, there was indeed a smell and proper break-in procedures were required to avoid "glazing" the pads.

Sadly, these types of pads are still readily available as they are quite inexpensive.
It isn't always obvious, because "Organic" sounds SO much healthier than "Made with Asbestos"

Aside from the obvious health issues involved, those types of pads should not be used on a vehicle designed for metallic pads.
Reason being, stopping distance will be greatly increased, though the rotors will last forever.
Furthermore, the harder one brakes, the more heat is generated, if organic pads overheat, the term "brake fade" will no longer be a mystery to you.

Not sure if that is at play here, but worth being aware of, just in case.
BB

[Vanarama]

I went with a MONROE TOTALSOLUTION™ brake pads. Says ceramic. hmm

Umm.
What kind pads did you install?
There is only one thing I can think of that would explain a break-in period and a dissipating hot smell.

Back in the "olden" days, pads were made with organic materials, there was indeed a smell and proper break-in procedures were required to avoid "glazing" the pads.

Sadly, these types of pads are still readily available as they are quite inexpensive.
It isn't always obvious, because "Organic" sounds SO much healthier than "Made with Asbestos"

Aside from the obvious health issues involved, those types of pads should not be used on a vehicle designed for metallic pads.
Reason being, stopping distance will be greatly increased, though the rotors will last forever.
Furthermore, the harder one brakes, the more heat is generated, if organic pads overheat, the term "brake fade" will no longer be a mystery to you.

Not sure if that is at play here, but worth being aware of, just in case.
BB

[Burntboot]

Not familiar with that particular product, but being that they are ceramic, eliminates the asbestos argument.

[bubbagump1977]

I am having trouble locating driver side calipers for my 86 2wd. My question is this can I buy a passenger side and change the fittings for the bolt and slider? It appears like I should. I originally bought a seal rebuild kit but the piston had rust on the brake side of the channel. Or I can just pull the piston and use it on the original caliper. That would work If there is nothing wrong with the same area that the piston rusted.

[kcg795]

So yeah. Funny story. After replacing the calipers and the pads, I barely drove the Van at all and ended up calling a wrecker to come get it a couple years ago. I miss it, but had to move on. Ended up buying a brand new '21 Subaru Legacy.

[timsrv]

I am having trouble locating driver side calipers for my 86 2wd. My question is this can I buy a passenger side and change the fittings for the bolt and slider? It appears like I should. I originally bought a seal rebuild kit but the piston had rust on the brake side of the channel. Or I can just pull the piston and use it on the original caliper. That would work If there is nothing wrong with the same area that the piston rusted.

If I recall correctly, you can interchange 87 calipers onto 86 vans (I've switched these back and forth). The only difference is the connection to the flexible brake hose, so you'll need to also use the hose for an 87. The bracket on the other end of that hose (where it connects to the metal brake line) is also just a little different, so you may also need to slightly modify the hole where the end of the brake line goes through it. Tim

PS: You cannot swap left for right (they are a mirror image of each other) but I think you can swap the pistons.