Brake Trouble

[xintersecty]

Run the hub around and it if it rubs on/off then it's warped.
Take a bit and read up on how brakes work.
How Brakes Work - HowStuffWorks

[rgansaldi]

I've just removed my caliper and it seems the rotor is rough the spin, even with the loose pads. It seems the piston is indeed stuck, how do I know it will return? Right now after pressing on the brakes (and after various compressions with the piston compressor) the piston is not returning, or will it return once mounted with the pads?

[rgansaldi]

After some penetrating oil on the backside I was able to get it to loosen up. Not as much as I'd like but it will do.
Will apply lube on my disc pads and check again.

[petrified.rabbit]

have you ever changed brakes?

a caliper tool is like a C clamp you use to push in the piston so the new pads fit but its the actual tool you use.



DO not oil your brakes..


Is the car in gear? from rotors might not turn if the car is in gear.

[rgansaldi]

So, I've compressed the piston and it freed up. Pressed the brakes and now they're dragging again. Will the piston only return once I've bled my brakes to remove any possible bubbles in the line? Must my piston by compressed at the moment of bleeding the brakes?

[petrified.rabbit]

how bad are they dragging? there is not a forced return, just a release of pressure.

bleeding them may help. But you should be able to get the piston to travel so the rotor spins freely.

[rgansaldi]

ONCE I GET SOMEONE TO ASSIST ME WITH THE BLEEDING I'LL BE ABLE TO KNOW FOR SURE soryy for caps

[rgansaldi]

Ladies & gentlemen,

Thank you so much for the support you have given me here. I look forward to all the problems I will learn from in the future.

The problem was definitely that there was air in the brakes, also causing the piston to stick.
It started when I had disassembled the rear right drum brake to replace the shoes because of an extreme screeching noise as if grinding the rivets. I could not pull the drum off, weird. It took a hell lot of pulling and prying on the back plate to slowly get it off the mount. It turns out that the shoe wasn't worn out but the pin had come off so the shoe's edge was pressing the drum at an angle. When I thought I finally got it set up, I pressed on the brakes and heard the sound of liquid shooting out from the cylinder. The cylinder head had come off, I simply cleaned and replaced it, it created a tight seal. Oh, my face must have been priceless.
I finally got it set up and was very happy with my work but then noticed a weird noise from the front right brake, it took me a while to identify what was going on. Today I took apart the caliper and compressed the pistons several times, I had to put a socket inside of it to be able to push it down all the way. I borrowed assistance from 2 friends and we quickly went wheel by wheel jacking it up, the jack is too small to lift the car onto a strut, and bleeding the mildly dirty brake fluid. My friend assisted me with holding the hose and keeping it under the surface of the bucket.

What do I do with old brake fluid?

Drum Brakes
How to Replace Drum Brake Shoes (Full) - EricTheCarGuy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCpCkun2qxA

Calipers
How to Spot and Service a Stuck Rear Caliper - EricTheCarGuy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urK2EsZn4pQ
How to Unstick Frozen Brake Caliper Pistons - Mercedessource
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc4zlGaJgoA

Bleeding
How to do a Complete Brake Flush and Bleed - ChrisFix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1NvtUwfRJc

Tonight we worked in the night.
Now I have to deal with the electrical, some of my lights don't work. Where do I start to deal with a short circuit?

Thanks to petrified.rabbit and xintersecty for the advice. Good call on the piston!

I declare this thread closed.

[rgansaldi]

have you ever changed brakes?

a caliper tool is like a C clamp you use to push in the piston so the new pads fit but its the actual tool you use.



DO not oil your brakes..


Is the car in gear? from rotors might not turn if the car is in gear.

Hahaha, no I have never done brakes. I would consider this my first important car repair. Yes, I got the tool and it worked great for my needs. I did not oil my brakes, I was am aware that this could start a fire (?). No, the car was never in gear.

[xintersecty]

Congratulations. Rabbit is the dude when it comes to tricky stuff. That stuck caliper was difficult diagnoses.