front brakes dragging

[tomw]

Drove my 2021 Ram Classic 54k. Was stopping fine. Put Powerstop z36 pads and 4 rotors. Npw the front wheels hardly spin. I took them off and found a messed up caliper. Checked everything put back together still drag. Not enough to turn the rotors red but still clearly dragging. I wondered if i messed up the ABS by using my tool to force pistons back in and i had forgot to take my mc cover off. I was super careful with hoses. Back is fine. Both fronts equal drag. Still totally confused how chunks got taken out of caliper piston. Slides are greased. thanks for any help.

 

[Burla]

I doubt you messed up abs, when you say your tool you mean caliper pressing tool or something else? I'd rebuild the caliper piston if it were me. Are the pins good? Those two things I would do first assuming you checked obvious stuff such as brake lines and fluid.

 

[tomw]

yes ...i pressed the calipers back with a little press tool with the cap still on the mc before i realized it it did build a bunch of pressure in the mc. I then took all the front brakes off and changed them with another set of rotors and drums thinking I was sent the wrong parts. Still did it...drags. Not enough to get red hot but enough to go like crap especially in the snow. The slides are all greased correctly. After i took it apart the second time i found a messed up caliper and i changed it and it made no difference. Just drags on front. Equal on both sides. Im stumped. Im really wondering if its like the mc or abs somehow.

 

[zrock]

those calipers are garbage now.. you did not force the piston back far enough to clear the little metal **** on the back of the brake pads and you forced the pads out ripping chunks out of your pistons, this is what is causing your drag now.. Made the same mistake the first time i changed the pads on my truck.. To me its not worth rebuilding calipers i just buy new and be done with it..

 

[tomw]

i used a press tool and a brake pad. I pressed it flush i thought.
I replaced that caliper and when i first bled it the wheel spun free as can be but now there both dragging again...not like enough to make it red or pull but when i jack it up and spin it it only goes around like a few revolutions. Im wicked frustarted.

 

[tomw]

one mistake i know i made was not taking the cover off the mc so i realized half way through thta the pistons were creeping right back out as i tried to get them over the rotor.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Looks like you need 2 rebuild calipers, those pistons are trashed, I would replace the brake hoses also.

 

[tomw]

oh no !! why the brake hoses too? I dont understand what you mean by not pressing the calipers back in far enough. What hit the piston and how did it wreck the hoses. Thank you for your help.

 

[BadHemi2014]

My recommendation is always have the bleeder screw open when pressing pistons in. You don't want old dirty brake fluid forced back into the system, you want it to flow out. Reduces the chance of dirt and debris causing damage.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

oh no !! why the brake hoses too?

You have 54,000 miles on your truck, no pushing the piston back into the caliper didn't damage them but they are going to have to be replaced soon down the road.

 

[tomw]

those calipers are garbage now.. you did not force the piston back far enough to clear the little metal **** on the back of the brake pads and you forced the pads out ripping chunks out of your pistons, this is what is causing your drag now.. Made the same mistake the first time i changed the pads on my truck.. To me its not worth rebuilding calipers i just buy new and be done with it..

I totally believe I did something wrong installing but I honestly dont understand what you mean. Mew caliper still drags a little. Im stumped.

 

[tomw]

My brake hardly allows wheel to spin. I loosen bleeder nothing changes. I take off the hose from caliper and it drips out of the line. Took a screwdriver and pried the pads back. Put line back on and pumped it up and its all bound up again and wont even hardly budge. Is ithe line or the caliper ...or what. Its a new oreilly caliper. Thank you all for any help.

 

[ThorsRams]

Ive had calipers come from advanced totally screwed from the get go. They replaced it for me when I brought it back. That was on a dodge stratus the dam caliper locked up and had my rotor looking like a cigarette lighter in a car. Hopefully olreilley will do the same if it’s a faulty caliper.

 

[ThorsRams]

I’ve always pushed the piston back without opening anything and never had an issue on any ride and that goes for a neon,stratus,Malibu,patriot,Sentra,trailblazer,ram .. never had it be an issue … used a c clamp and a piece of wood to press them back in slowly.

 

[tomw]

Ive had calipers come from advanced totally screwed from the get go. They replaced it for me when I brought it back. That was on a dodge stratus the dam caliper locked up and had my rotor looking like a cigarette lighter in a car. Hopefully olreilley will do the same if it’s a faulty caliper.

Thank you so much. Headed for a caliper.

 

[ThorsRams]

No problem sometimes stuff comes refurbished or even new with faults… good luck hope it’s a easy quick fix

 

[tomw]

I’ve always pushed the piston back without opening anything and never had an issue on any ride and that goes for a neon,stratus,Malibu,patriot,Sentra,trailblazer,ram .. never had it be an issue … used a c clamp and a piece of wood to press them back in slowly.

Thank you for reassuring me. Thats how I always did it. Thanks I still dont understand whats meant by not pushing the pistons back far enough and how I wrecked that original caliper. Started out as a simple project turning into a nightmare.

 

[ThorsRams]

Well if you didn’t go far enough in and the metal backing of the pad catches the lip of the piston the piston could chip and crack. I have not done that myself but I could see it happening but I think you would notice some debris falling as you assemble it back together unless it held togther till it heated up and then when you took it off it crumbled is a possibility… but I have had that one time a caliper just seize up and that was from advance auto

 

[ThorsRams]

Man brakes can be a nice 2 hr deal or a dam headache … exhaust work is fun as well bc everything heats and cools down ugh some
Nightmare days I’ve had

 

[tomw]

Learned a few hard lessons...brand new rebuilt calipers can fail. If you pump up the brake real hard and open the bleeder...if it trickles out and is still stuck on its the caliper. If it spurts out its the hose. Make sure the pistons are way back in the caliper before sliding down over the pads. Thanks for all the help everyone. Simple job turned into a pain.