DMPesso

I have an 01 gs430 and I noticed when the car was jacked up I spun both front wheels and I noticed the driver side wheel is much easier to spin and spins more free then the passenger side. The driver side actually keeps spinning for about half a rotation while the passenger side stops spinning almost as soon as your done moving it. Is this normal? Or should free movement be equal on both sides and I need to change something? Someone please explain... Thanks!

2GSKaizen

iTrader: (1)

There is a possibility that you could have a brake caliper hanging up a little on that passenger side. If you haven't noticed the car doing anything unusual I wouldn't worry about it. If it really bothers you, pop that passenger wheel off, take apart the brakes and make sure the piston isn't seized, and the slides are lubed up.

salimshah

Another possibility is that the fluid is not traveling back freely. You may like to replace the brake fluid, if you have not done so in the last 3 years.

Salim

DMPesso

I bled the brake fluid not too long ago so that was done.
I think it might be the caliper but one of the mechanics said somethig about it being normal because of cross axle? Something along those lines. Can anyone confirm this? I haven't been noticing anything but yet again I'm sure if i fixed it the car would feel much faster. And I did notice when the car was driven for a while I put my hands near the brakes and that side had a slight amount of more heat coming from it. Can it only be the brake caliper causing that? Or can it be the wheel bearing or knuckle? I just want to be sure before I change anything. Not looking to change anything for no reason

Sampak

Removing the brake calipers or at least getting them away from the rotor and inspecting the brake pads might tell you all you need to know IF the bad side is a piston(s) hanging or stuck slightly. If you notice the brake pads on the bad side are much more worn, or worn at a sharper angle instead of sort of flat across, when compared to the good side, then that might be the problem (rebuild the caliper). If the brake pads look good, then chances are something else *may* be the issue.

I have an idea you might want to try to see if this helps troubleshooting the stuck caliper theory. Take the pads out of the calipers or push them back away from the disc, and spin the wheel -- if it's loose and normal like the good side, you know it's likely the brake pad being stuck (or at least part of the issue). This might be due to a bad caliper piston OR the guide pin which the pads slide on (needs a swab of brake grease).

KeyKeeper

Could be a worn hub bearing as well. The rotor will be cocked one way or the other with the wheel off the ground. This makes the rotor set up against the pads causing extra friction. With the wheel off the ground, is there any play if you try and tilt the wheel from top to bottom?

DMPesso

There's no play basically everything in the front is new except for the hubs but I'm gonna try everything you guys are saying. How many of you had to change the calipers though?

newgsman

iTrader: (4)

I did both my front cailpers this summer. My car started having syptoms similar to yours. One wheel would not turn as freely as the other. After some time the caliper would become more seized. I did free it up a few times by working the piston in and out using a C-clamp to push it in and pressing on the brake pedal to bring it back out. Did this a few times and the caliper would free up for a couple of months but then it would seize again. The other thing that happens when it seizes is that your rotors getbadly warped from the heat. That's when I decided to change out the calipers. Big difference in the cars rolling friction with non-sticky calipers.

If your wheel is not binding too much it could be just the slider pins that are seized. Thats easy enough to check.

For the caliper itself, you will notice that if the pistons are seizing, one piston may not retract as easy as the other when you use the c-clamp on them or it might be really hard to push both of them back into the caliper housing. On a good caliper it doesn't take much effort to push the pistons into the housing.

DMPesso

You know something come to think about it your right I think my rotors are warping faster then they should because I just put them in not too long ago and I already feel the unevenness in the steering wheel when breaking certain situations. I'm going to go ahead and replace both front calipers and let you guys know what happens since that's most likely it. Does anyone have any bad things to say about autozone lifetime warranty calipers? Because that's what I was thinking of gettinf

Sampak

You can get a rebuild kit from autozone as well for much less, but that's if you want to mess with replacing the piston seals and boots. I'm in the same boat with my 91 fj80, bought a rebuild kit but haven't come around to doing it.

DMPesso

Na I'ma jus get their calipers since they're cheap anyway.

Riksgs808

iTrader: (2)

I was in this same prediciment about 4 months ago. My driver side caliper would engage when you press the brake, and when you let off the pedal the caliper releases but not fully (the driver side was also a little hotter than the passenger side as well). There was still pressure on the rotor. I changed both my calipers, and it spun a little more freely. But in your situation, don't forget to change your rotors as well since they are warped. Its kinda pointless to change calipers and leave warped rotors. Dont forget to grease your pin and shims. Pads slide easier and less noise and vibration. GL OP.

Sampak

Haha yeah if you can get 'em at a good price it's definitely simpler than messing with delicate seals and not marring the piston's surface wrestling them in and out etc. Good luck. Let us know how it works out after the swap.

DMPesso

Well my rotors are like only 10k miles old maybe even less. They're not warped bad enough to change them but warped enough to notice their not new like when they were new when I pressed the brakes the cars steering was nice and solid. Now sometimes the steering gets a little twitchy in certain surfaces but it doesn't vibrate like that when high speed braking so I know it's not warped bad enough to justify changing them again so soon I think ill be good doing the calipers for now

DMPesso

By the way do rear calipers ever go bad and start sticking like the front does ? I never really heard or anyone changing rears just wondering because its not exactly possible to freely spin the wheel so how can you even tell if the backs are sticking