When people consider brake repair, they usually think of the brake pads first. Another aspect of the brake system that needs to be addressed during maintenance is the caliper system. Even if you have good brake pads, having bad brake calipers can potentially put your life in danger in an emergency braking situation.
Below, you’ll find an overview of brake caliper service and why it’s necessary to perform regularly for the safety of your car.
Do Brake Calipers Need to Be Serviced?
If you need to get your brake pads replaced, it’s a good idea to look into whether you need your brake calipers serviced at the same time. You should also have all components of the brake system inspected during the disassembly to address any other maintenance issues.
Servicing your brake pads and calipers at the same time is economical. You’ll already have to have your brakes disassembled and your brakes bled regardless of which service you get, so doing them together can save you mechanical labor costs.
If you get the two components serviced at different times, you’ll have to pay for the labor twice.
How to Service Brake Calipers at Home
To service brake calipers at home, you’ll need to clean and lubricate the calipers after exposing them in the brake system.
Here’s a basic step-by-step overview of the methods you can use to take care of your calipers.
Remove the Caliper Guide Pin Bolts
The first step to servicing your brake calipers at home is removing the caliper guide pin bolts. If you’re unsure where the location of these bolts is on your caliper system, refer to the owner’s manual of your vehicle.
The guide pin bolts are responsible for holding your brake calipers to the braking system. That also goes for any other component mentioned in this overview.
Pull the Brake Caliper Loose from the Caliper Bracket
If you have a floating caliper system, you should be able to separate the brake caliper from the caliper bracket. Hold the brake caliper up slightly so that no extra pressure is put on the brake hose still attached to the caliper.
Use Brake Cleaner to Clean the Caliper
Using a toothbrush or a small wire brush and brake cleaner, coat the caliper down and scrub away any accumulated dirt or rust.
Once the caliper is clean, it’s a good idea to do a visual inspection to note any wear and tear of the caliper or visible damage/warping.
Use a Lubricant to Lubricate the Caliper
Silicone lubricant can help protect the caliper from heat build-up and metal-on-metal friction. Lubricate the calipers thoroughly but don’t lay it on so thick that it’s goopy.
Replace the Caliper
If you’re not doing a full brake job and only servicing the brake calipers, the brake caliper can be replaced in the caliper bracket and bolted back down with the guide pin bolts.
Most owner’s manuals feature a diagram of the braking system that will show you exactly where each component of your brake caliper system is located. An owner’s manual can be handy if you’re trying to learn how to service your car’s brake system on your own.
How Often Should Brake Calipers Be Serviced?
Now that you know how to service your brake calipers whether it be at home or in a shop, you may be wondering how often they should be serviced.
Brake calipers should be serviced every 24,000 miles or every two years, whichever comes first, while brake pads need to be replaced roughly every 40,000 miles.
You might not always need to replace your brake pads at the same time as you need your calipers serviced. However, skipping regular caliper maintenance on your brake system can eventually cause your brake pads to wear down faster than if you got the entire system maintained properly.
How to Know When to Service Brake Calipers
Now that you know about how often you should be servicing your brake calipers, you may be wondering how to know when to service them.
The best way to know when to service brake calipers is to keep your car on a preventative maintenance schedule, rather than waiting on your brake system to start acting up to look for a repair shop.
Benefits of Servicing Your Brake Calipers
There are several benefits to servicing your brake calipers before you start experiencing difficulties with your brake system. You can find them below.
Better Deals
You can take advantage of car repair shop promotions and parts sales if you source your car parts during a non-emergency situation. If you wait until your brakes fail to get your calipers replaced, you’ll usually get stuck paying a tremendous markup on the parts.
Less Financial Stress
Preparing to have your car maintained at regular intervals rather than waiting for it to break down can take a lot of the stress out of paying for car repairs. Knowing you have work scheduled allows you to save up money ahead of time for the service rather than having to pull it from savings or put it on credit.
Less Damage to the Brake System
If you wait until your brake calipers begin to fail before servicing or replacing them, chances are they will have already caused damage to other parts of the brake system (such as the brake pads) by that point.
Do-It-Yourself Experience
If you’re interested in learning how to maintain your own brakes outside of a mechanic’s shop, working on the brakes when they aren’t already damaged and when you aren’t in desperate need for your car for transport can take a lot of the pressure off when it comes to picking up the skill.
Whether you work on your own brakes or plan to take your car to an auto repair shop, getting your calipers maintained can help prevent you from having to replace them. With proper maintenance, your brake calipers should last for the lifetime of your car.
Conclusion
You might think that the most you need to do for your car’s brakes is to get the pads replaced every once in a while, but you’d be wrong. Getting your brake calipers regularly serviced can keep your car brakes safe and prevent excess damage to the braking system over time.
