I’ve done many brake jobs over the years, but this weekend I had a problem I’ve never encountered. Tried to do the rear disc brakes on a 98 accord. Put everything together and the wheel wont turn. I turned the piston in with the little square brake tool like always, did everything right as far as I know. Do I need to readjust the parking brake to compensate for the new thicker pads? I put the old pads back on and the wheel turned. So thats where I left it. Thanks for any help in advance.
Are you sure the pistons are completely rotated into the calipers? Did you clean/lube the caliper slides?
Tester
piston bottomed out, then I turned it back a little to match the pin on the pad. yes cleaned and lubed everything.
New rotors?
Tester
Tried both…no difference. Put old rotors back on with old pads. I’m probably missing something basic but Im stumped. I only “fixed” the right rear. Son’s car and it was a stormy wet day so we gave up.
might need to clear up that last comment. I tried the new pads on new rotors first, then new pads on old rotors. both ways the wheel would drag way to much. anyway i’m off to work for the night. I’ll check in tomorrow, thanks
Then put all the new stuff back on and take it for a drive. Start off slowly while appling the brakes on and off to break in the new brake pads onto the rotors. Then slowly build speed while doing the same. Then just drive the vehicle.
Because the only parking brake adjustment there is, is to pull up on the parking brake lever, which causes the caliper piston to rotate out slightly, which causes the brake pads to grab the rotors tighter.
Tester
Dont know about the Accord but I had a Taurus that would do this.
Those calipers had pins that floated or slid in the caliper bracket. The caliper bolted to these pins and allowed the caliper to move with pad wear. The bottom pin would freeze and when assembled you could not turn the wheel.
The brkt came off and with a torch and PB Blast I got the pin loose.
So with that said, does your car have a moving part that does not move?
Anytime after that when I did brakes on a Ford with this design (Taurus or Winstar) I bought loaded calipers and it was a piece of cake.
Is it the hub that doesn’t spin, or the rim and tire once installed? I’ve seen this a lot with aftermarket wheels with slightly incorrect wheel offset. Fresh pads squeeze the rim to the caliper, locking the wheel up. The cure is a wheel spacer to offset the rim from the hub for more clearance for the caliper.
I guess I’ll retry this wknd. I was just worried with that much drag I’d build up alot of heat in a hurry. And its the hub itself that wont turn. Tried turning by hand then put on the wheel for more leverage. Stock rims
I will agree that the slider pins need to be checked. These are the parts that the caliper bolts install into. They should move freely and be greased with brake parts lubricant whenever the brakes are replaced. It is common for them to be neglected and freeze up. If they are frozen, the caliper will likely present resistance (sometimes a lot) when installing and cause the brake to drag.
The local parts store I buy my parts from…I can either buy just the pads…or for $10 more buy the pads and hardware kit which includes new pins. I usually just pay the extra $10.
You might have the wrong pads or rotors, more likely pads. On the caliper there is a marking for Nissan or Akebono, it is located next to the inspection hole. The Akebono logo is small and located nearer the outboard end of the slot. the Nissan logo is longer and centered next to the slot. In either case the friction surface of the pads should be only 8.5 to 9.5 mm (0.33-0.37") thick.
Check the thickness of the rotor as well. there should be at least a small unworn area around the outside to use for comparison.
I’ll bet it’s the pins. If you did not clean and lube them then you need to do it now. If you find that one or more is frozen it might be time for new calipers. If you already cleaned and lubed them then try pulling the caliper open while cracking the seal on the rubber boot on the pin. Sometimes the suction created with new lube will keep the slide from allowing the caliper to open all the way. Twice I have had issues where cracking the seal on the boot allowed me to finish my brake job properly.
I did clean and lube the pins, all seemed well. I’ll get back at it sunday if all goes well. I drive a truck and sometimes between work and grandkids I don’t have much spare time. I’ll update on what I find. Thanks for the responses.