New brakes and a new problem

[cookiemo]

Spent Saturday fitting new brakes, pads and hoses on all four corners. Definate improvement over the standard setup.

However I have an issue with drivers side rear caliper. When I jacked the rear end up I notice that that wheel still moved even though the handbrake was still on at this time. Checked the other side and that was held solidly.
Anyway pulled off the pad carrier and the disk and started to wind back the piston, it continue to wind back very easily, with no stop? I checked the handbrake cables action at all seemed to be moving correctly, but still no grip once it was reassembled. On completing the other side and starting the bleeding process I discovered the bleed nipples are different sizes, so I assume at some point one or other of the calipers has been replaced.

Does the winding back of the piston usually get to a stop point?
Is there a known problem with the rear calipers?
Can I take it off and replace seal to repair the existing one, or better to just swap it for a known good one?

 

[Rossy197]

when i did my rears on my 182 as described you wind the piston in but mine stopped once it was flush with the cylinder

Cant help with the rest im afraid

 

[cookiemo]

I recon that caliper if borked then.

The workshop

New Fronts

 

[Henry]

there's no stop as such for the pistons - they just wind back until they're flush with the caliper body

does sound odd that you've different bleed nipples; maybe one's snapped and someone has managed to replace it. the rear calipers are an ancient design and have been fitted to loads of Frenchies over the past 20+yrs, so could be that someone's fitted another from something else

they're not great TBH and have a rep for eventually causing all sorts of probs with sticky pistons (particularly as they're on the back, and therefore do little work), and the workings of the handbrake mechanism often cause probs after time as well

there's a bunch of stuff you can do to try and ressurect them though. failing that, don't think they're all that expensive to replace

 

[markblack172]

i had the same problem and it turned out to be stretched cables

 

[Da]

I'm having issues at the rear currently also, although I think mine is a sticking piston.

A new rear caliper is £170 +vat from Renault, I picked up a second hand one for about £40 and plan on fitting it this week.

 

[Henry]

£170!:dead:

might be worth looking at exchange units from the likes of ECP/GSF/etc, as i'm sure i've had Pug GTi calipers for about £60 (same caliper, different handbrake arm)

 

[markblack172]

the caliper arms wear out as well
i replaced one on my clio for around £60 not sure if the other side is on its way out now as the handbreak dont seem as good as it used to

 

[cookiemo]

I flinched as the handbrake adjustment, as I was running out of light and the heat shield looks like a pain to move. I think I'll get someone else to do that, and replace the cable if necessary first, then if it's still a problem, then look to change that caliper.
Should have checked if it's providing any normal braking force or not when I had it up on jacks.
£60 doesn't seem to back for a replacement exchange unit if it's been refurbed.