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Haylands



Member Since: 04 Mar 2014
Location: East Yorkshire
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England 2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Loire Blue
How to - Recon front brake calipers, pictures reposted

Been having a sticky front caliper for a while, handy to warm your hands on the front wheel when out of the car but not much good for fuel consumption...!!!

Whilst I'm sorting the gearbox and the cars having a holiday from driving I thought I'd recondition them so took them off and set to....

The offending caliper, the dust seal has ripped and let in water which has rusted out the chrome on the piston... they do look a bit of a state having been on for 12 years.... One front flexi wasn't having it so I cut it through and got it out in the vice with a set of stillsons. Stick an airline in the flexi hole and force the piston out, make sure the caliper has it's back facing you, the piston will come out with a lot of force and will make a mess of your fingers if they are in the way. If you don't have an airline then get a friend to gently press the brake pedal whilst you have them unbolted, but still connected to the brake pipe. A few pumps should have the piston out, be ready for a fair amount of brake fluid to pour out. If your doing both side then top up the fluid level before you do the second side so you don't get air in the system, and don't forget to clamp the flexis to stop it draining out....





Hook out the piston seal...





Take all the other pieces off the caliper, push out the sliding pins, remove their rubber carriers, remove the bleed nipple.





Examine the pistons for damage....

The one on the left has damaged chrome and rust, it is not reusable, the one on the right, although it looks similar is just rust deposits off the caliper and would clean up for reuse... the sliding pins are stainless steel so should be alright with a good clean but if they show damage then change them as well...





Once you have them totally stripped you have two options..... Spend a few days with a wire brush and screwdriver, remove every last trace of rust, etch prime, and paint them. Or do what I did and drop them off at your local wheel refurbishment place, give them the sum of �15 a caliper, including the carrier, and get back a lovely caliper sandblasted and powder coated in Anthracite....





Ask them if they have done them before as you need it masked up correctly, all threads need masking and also the piston bore and recesses for the piston seal and dust cover...





I ordered overhaul kits including new pistons for both calipers, price for OEM was around �50 for both sets.
Kit comes with piston, piston seal and dust seal, new sliding pin rubbers, new bleed nipple cover, some assembly grease and some brake grease for the pads.





First job is to make sure the caliper is clean and has no traces of debris from the sandblasting or powder coating, then smear the piston seal with some assembly grease and insert it in it's groove, tease it in all the way round being careful not to damage it or get it twisted.


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge




Then grease up the entire piston dust seal on both sides to make it supple, insert it in it's groove and run your finger around to check it is properly seated, it can only go in one way, it should look like this...








Now the bit that can be tricky if you don't have an air line, you have to get the piston to go through the middle of the dust seal, coat the piston with some grease, the seal is smaller than the piston so it's a bit of a fiddle hooking it over, a smooth plastic hook works well but be careful you don't catch the seal and damage it.... or... if you have an airline use a piece of wood in the caliper, line up the piston loosely in front of the dust seal and use the airline into the caliper to blow the seal over the piston



Click image to enlarge




Line the piston up and slide it into the caliper, as its half way in locate the dust seal in it's groove on the piston. It should push in with your thumbs but make sure you push it squarely in, if it gets stuck or won't go in then it's probably dirt inside.


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge




Coat in grease and tease in the sliding pin guides.


Click image to enlarge



Push them fully home making sure they sit square


Click image to enlarge



I used the old sliding pins as they cleaned up OK





My bleed nipples were fine after a good clean, smear some grease on the threads and replace them..


Click image to enlarge



And there you have it, one reconditioned caliper that looks great, should last another 10years+ and cost about �40 each, cheaper than the cheapest recon ones you can buy and better quality than factory ones....


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Now do it all again with the other one...

It's pretty much the same process for most calipers, even multi piston ones...

Good luck. Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Last edited by Haylands on 31st May 2020 11:08am. Edited 3 times in total

Post #322187 11th Apr 2015 4:40pm
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northernmonkeyjones



Member Since: 24 Mar 2012
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Got a pair of brembos in the garage to go at...... It's a project! Am going to start stripping them down over the next couple of weeks.

Top Job Thumbs Up Thumbs Up There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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Last edited by northernmonkeyjones on 11th Apr 2015 5:35pm. Edited 1 time in total

Post #322199 11th Apr 2015 5:34pm
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Joe90



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Top job Haylands Thumbs Up

Links to suppliers for parts ? (if not Duckworths Dan) .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember Wink
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Post #322200 11th Apr 2015 5:34pm
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Haylands



Member Since: 04 Mar 2014
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Cheers

Joe, they were from a local motor factors, plenty on ebay though... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Post #322215 11th Apr 2015 7:18pm
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Cam-Tech-Craig



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Proper job sir Bow down Bow down Bow down Thumbs Up

Post #322217 11th Apr 2015 7:35pm
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Rangeyman



Member Since: 03 Feb 2015
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United Kingdom 2004 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 V8 Java Black
Re: How to - Recondition front brake calipers

Unnecessary quote removed
If it is awkward getting the pistons through the dust seal can you not put the dust seal over the piston afterwards.Have done this sort of thing before on cars and trapped the seal so ended up putting it on after!

Post #322233 11th Apr 2015 8:48pm
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Haylands



Member Since: 04 Mar 2014
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England 2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Loire Blue

The edge of the dust seal is held in place by the piston, it's virtually impossible to get the return through the gap around the piston and the piston won't go in far enough to get to it that way.... not saying it can't be done but it certainly isn't easier....

If you have an airline it takes about 1/2 second to get it blown over the piston, doing it the other way doesn't take long you just have to be careful you don't trap it... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Post #322238 11th Apr 2015 10:14pm
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vaz



Member Since: 15 Jun 2014
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United Kingdom 2007 Range Rover Vogue TDV8 Java Black

Excellent job.
Makes a change seeing a good colour on those calipers rather than the yellow, blue and green paint jobs you see on some cars. Red is acceptable if you have Brembos.

Steve. 1968 Series IIA Pastel Green, nearly there project

Post #322255 12th Apr 2015 9:56am
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Mikey



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I resent that remark



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Post #322265 12th Apr 2015 10:55am
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Haylands



Member Since: 04 Mar 2014
Location: East Yorkshire
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England 2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Loire Blue
Re: How to - Recondition front brake calipers

Thanks for the comments guys, mine are usually mud coloured anyway so thought I'd go for the stealth look, they should be a lot easier to keep clean with a quick wash though...

As for yellow....... Shocked Laughing

Rangeyman wrote:
If it is awkward getting the pistons through the dust seal can you not put the dust seal over the piston afterwards.Have done this sort of thing before on cars and trapped the seal so ended up putting it on after!


Took a few pics of the other caliper to show that with these ones you can't really fit the dust seal afterwards, dare say it's possible with some but these have a lip that prevents it...

This is the piston in it's bore, this is the space where the dust seal has to sit, it is held in place, in a groove in the caliper, by the piston..


Click image to enlarge



The red oblong is the part of the seal that has to go in and up where the arrow is...


Click image to enlarge



This is the profile of the seal


Click image to enlarge



Don't get me wrong I'm not having a go, I've never tried, on any caliper, doing it afterwards as I've always had success with the airline method... Had a go with this one and the lip won't fit through the gap, it really has to go in before the piston...!!! Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-


Last edited by Haylands on 31st May 2020 11:05am. Edited 1 time in total

Post #322281 12th Apr 2015 11:52am
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ebajema



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Brilliant job Pete and brilliant write up! Thanks Bow down MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Post #322329 12th Apr 2015 2:47pm
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Rangeyman



Member Since: 03 Feb 2015
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United Kingdom 2004 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 V8 Java Black

Thanks Haylands,some cars ive worked on have a steel ring that holds the seal on an outer grove,this is not that type so thanks for that tip.

Post #322369 12th Apr 2015 7:07pm
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Rangeyman



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United Kingdom 2004 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 V8 Java Black

Mikey wrote:
I resent that remark



Thumbs Up
I guess the yellow is not everyones cup of tea but I must say these are great stoppers and why would you choose 'Genuine' whey you can get these!!!

Post #322370 12th Apr 2015 7:10pm
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verydisco



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Post #322390 13th Apr 2015 7:36am
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RCusden



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Wales 

Great write up Pete, I did mine last night after reading this.
Ffrr forum to the rescue again Bow down
Roger

Post #325431 1st May 2015 7:39pm
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