mickey13

probably not but i'll ask.

is anyone rebuilding front calipers on this? my front passenger caliper is binding a bit. i get spin when the front end is up, but only about half the spin i get on drivers side.

i installed new hoses on all four wheels and did a flush as well. on front passenger, i pulled off the caliper and the drum spins nicely. i squeezed caliper open using two vices and reinstalled. everything spun nicely. i smashed down on brake pedal and free spin in that wheel gone.

guessing sooner or later it is going to seize up or cause other problems.

mickey13

i found this. these look like ours,,, can someone confirm?

http://www.brakewarehouse.com/catalo...arts/141.35103
and
http://www.brakewarehouse.com/catalo...arts/141.35104

eFifty5AMG

Do you know for sure it's the brake hanging up? Have you checked the hub bearings, if it's too tight it could bind up.

mickey13

i pulled the caliper off and the hub spins very nicely. i open the caliper with vice and reinstall. still spins freely at the point with pads and caliper installed. next i start the car and smash the brake down. wheel no longer spins.

DRBC43AMG

Looks very much like ours, but probably need closer investigation for ID# and measurements

cm60k

These calipers for "C43/Clk55/E55",,

also for "BMW/VW"..

-;ZAYED;-

nkctb7

I ordered new pistons and seals for the front and rear calipers as well as new pins for the rear. I was told by the dealer to never separate the calipers as they will never seal properly once separated.

mickey13

hey can you explain further?

nkctb7

Hey Mickey. I was going to separate my front calipers by loosening the round head Allen bolts in order to thoroughly clean and rebuild them with new pistons and seals. The MB dealer mechanic stated that they'll never seal the same way as they once did and will more than likely leak fluid where the join is. That in itself deterred me from separating mine. My father in-law is a retired lifelong mechanic and he also advised against separating due to the very same reason. After I removed the pistons and seals, they were much easier to clean. I'll post pics tomorrow.

mickey13

ok so im guessing you can somehow break the caliper down into two pieces (sorry i havent taken a really good look at them)

ive been driving around and while i can tell the caliper isnt functioning properly - just the slightest vibration when hard braking, (probably only because i know its acting up)

after a long drive with hard braking, i checked the temperature on both front wheels and both are the same temperature to the touch, not hot enough to burn my hand even if i hold it on there. so it seems that the caliper while just slightly dragging is performing acceptably.

and since there is no rush to replace, i also have the option to "upgrade"

i'd be interested in oem if they werent that expensive. 2 things i'd want is (1) at least equal stopping power and (2) weight savings.

i know there are actually tons of threads on this, but suggestions?


otherwise, $140 for the rebuilt calipers is probably a deal

nkctb7

Perhaps one of the pistons is badly pitted which is causing the vibration. It might be a good idea to remove the calipers to inspect the pistons.

fredtga

If you're interested in used C43 calipers, I have both fronts. No issues with them, I replaced the front brakes with a C36 setup. $80 + shipping

KJI3jflarryfe93

do stealership sell the front caliper pisstons and gasket seals individually for C43?

DRBC43AMG

They are listed under the #77 (repair kit) so it certainly does look like it.

mickey13

yeah i agree, definitely some dirt or grime, possibly pitting causing the problem. did you buy new pistons? what did they cost you?


sent PM

i saw the gasket kit pretty cheap but...

part 77 looks like its around $180 each

mickey13

found a great review of centric v a1 cardone rebuilt brakes on a different forum. the review speaks volumes about centrics' rebuild process.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/an...1-cardone.html

based on the review i pulled the trigger and bought two rebuilt centric front calipers from JC Whitney. i got them for $53/each plus $10 discount bringing price down to $48/each, free shipping, 1 year warranty. these also come with the bracket and the best part is that i can paint them out of the box without sanding or cleaning. probably silver... or maybe red

nkctb7

Centric supplies replacement pistons for the C43 front/rear calipers. ECSTuning offers the rebuild kits which includes the pistons and seals for $32.03 each for the front and $22.73 each for the rear. I just finished the prep work for painting. I'll be installing the new pistons and seals once the paint sets.

eFifty5AMG

Looking good! What color will you be going with? I'd just ceramic coat those

nkctb7

Thx Fifty! Ceramic coated would be nice but isn't that very expensive? I was going with G2 caliper paint in a custom color.

brad_c43

Theyre so clean! Overall, how would you say its been to rebuild the calipers?

eFifty5AMG

Yeah, ceramic coatings can get pretty pricey, but Cquartz is right around G2's price. Modesta BC-09 offers great protection as well but that'd be around $300.

cm60k

Looks great D..,

good job & Thanks for sharing info. & pics..

-;ZAYED;-

nkctb7

Rebuilding the calipers is a very simple and inexpensive process. The most time consuming part was the cleaning.

nkctb7

Thx Z! My pleasure!

nkctb7

There's no part# for new replacement pistons through the dealer. They only sell replacement seals. Centric sells replacement pistons for C43 calipers.