Probably dumb caliper change/ brake bleed question

[BadHemi2014]

I replaced pads/ rotors all the way around on my Ram (1500, 4wd) and went back in to look at everything due to some brake noise and discovered one piston on front pass side caliper is just a little oozy.
So to play it safe I was thinking about replacing all 4 calipers (119k on truck).
I've actually never replaced calipers myself, I do understand the basic procedure.

Here's the dumb q: I don't have a lift so I do one wheel at a time. Can I replace one caliper, bleed it, go to the next, bleed etc.? Will I need to go back and bleed again if I do that? Or is it better to replace all 4 then go around and bleed?


Many thanks!

 

[WY.Ram]

I replaced pads/ rotors all the way around on my Ram (1500, 4wd) and went back in to look at everything due to some brake noise and discovered one piston on front pass side caliper is just a little oozy.
So to play it safe I was thinking about replacing all 4 calipers (119k on truck).
I've actually never replaced calipers myself, I do understand the basic procedure.

Here's the dumb q: I don't have a lift so I do one wheel at a time. Can I replace one caliper, bleed it, go to the next, bleed etc.? Will I need to go back and bleed again if I do that? Or is it better to replace all 4 then go around and bleed?


Many thanks!

Replace all 4, then bleed, starting with the caliper farthest from master cylinder, and then next farthest.

You might be able to pull off change and bleed, but if I tried I'd definitely end up bleeding more than once. Rather not risk that. Lol although after wrestling with the brake job the bleed was the best part.

If you change all four, you'll be adding quite a lot of brake fluid any way almost worth flushing anything in the lines out so you have fresh brake fluid throughout. (Don't suck air into the master by not adding fluid when bleeding/flushing, I'm sure you know, just sayin)

I just did mine, was very satisfying to bleed the air and old fluid out. I had 80kmi on 2500, two new calipers, four rotors and pads, and a flush. They never felt or worked as well as they do.

I think mine took 2qts to flush and be full.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

I replaced pads/ rotors all the way around on my Ram (1500, 4wd) and went back in to look at everything due to some brake noise and discovered one piston on front pass side caliper is just a little oozy.
So to play it safe I was thinking about replacing all 4 calipers (119k on truck).
I've actually never replaced calipers myself, I do understand the basic procedure.

Here's the dumb q: I don't have a lift so I do one wheel at a time. Can I replace one caliper, bleed it, go to the next, bleed etc.? Will I need to go back and bleed again if I do that? Or is it better to replace all 4 then go around and bleed?


Many thanks!

Personally I would only change 2 of them. Whichever it is the 2 fronts or the 2 rears. Always bleed the entire system out as brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it retains water. Starting with the rear passenger then rear driver then passenger front to drivers front. Keep the master cylinder topped off after each wheel. Replacing all 4 doesn't always mean youre doing preventive maintenance, you may end up introducing more problems with one of the new calipers being defective etc.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

i just had a guy in my shop do his own brakes and installed the calipers upside down. He bled them to no end and then put a new master cylinder in. He called us for a diagnosis and we figured he had an air pocket and sure enough he did. Sometimes the simple things turn into much bigger problems and you go chasing down rabbit holes trying to figure them out. I also dont like bleeding with the brake pedal. The piston in the master cylinder is over extended and when the pedal comes back up its pushing and pulling fluid and air.

 

[Sherman Bird]

i just had a guy in my shop do his own brakes and installed the calipers upside down. He bled them to no end and then put a new master cylinder in. He called us for a diagnosis and we figured he had an air pocket and sure enough he did. Sometimes the simple things turn into much bigger problems and you go chasing down rabbit holes trying to figure them out. I also dont like bleeding with the brake pedal. The piston in the master cylinder is over extended and when the pedal comes back up its pushing and pulling fluid and air.

Been there, done that.... in 1976, early in my career.... on a Ford LTD. THAT was a lesson I NEVER forgot..... and it cost only 2 gallons of brake fluid!

 

[Sherman Bird]

I replaced pads/ rotors all the way around on my Ram (1500, 4wd) and went back in to look at everything due to some brake noise and discovered one piston on front pass side caliper is just a little oozy.

They do make triple antibiotic ointment for things that ooze!.




Many thanks!

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Been there, done that.... in 1976, early in my career.... on a Ford LTD. THAT was a lesson I NEVER forgot..... and it cost only 2 gallons of brake fluid!

Yeah as soon as I put the F-250 on the lift the owner was standing there telling me everything that he has done so far. I said most likely you have air somewhere in the lines, as I turned around I see the bleeder below the brake line and said yes 100% you have air in your lines. The guy was telling me there is no way I bled them. I turned back around and said you could put 30 gallons of fluid through this thing and never get the air out because your calipers are on the wrong sides which means they are mounted upside down.

 

[WY.Ram]

i just had a guy in my shop do his own brakes and installed the calipers upside down. He bled them to no end and then put a new master cylinder in. He called us for a diagnosis and we figured he had an air pocket and sure enough he did. Sometimes the simple things turn into much bigger problems and you go chasing down rabbit holes trying to figure them out. I also dont like bleeding with the brake pedal. The piston in the master cylinder is over extended and when the pedal comes back up its pushing and pulling fluid and air.

What is a better method / tool for bleeding?
I can imagine an air pocket getting inside the abs, or any where else, could turn frustrating, I always like better methods and better tools, Although if pressurizing a master this one is probably a couple grand or more, ya?

'16 Wagon Greene tune feed'n & fire'n 6.4L with 6spd • 5.13 AAM, 37" KM3, -12mm Fuels • Thuren Overland, DOR, Purple Cranium • CAI, ARH, Solo Mach44 • z36, EBC • Custom vinyl AVS, 4% tint • Morimoto, Rigid, Diode Dynamics • AlfaOBD, Diablo, Nanny Kill, Locker bypass •.................

 

[BadHemi2014]

i just had a guy in my shop do his own brakes and installed the calipers upside down. He bled them to no end and then put a new master cylinder in. He called us for a diagnosis and we figured he had an air pocket and sure enough he did. Sometimes the simple things turn into much bigger problems and you go chasing down rabbit holes trying to figure them out. I also dont like bleeding with the brake pedal. The piston in the master cylinder is over extended and when the pedal comes back up its pushing and pulling fluid and air.

Lol upside down? How in the world is that possible?

Edit: never mind I see where you said he switched sides.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

What is a better method / tool for bleeding?
I can imagine an air pocket getting inside the abs, or any where else, could turn frustrating, I always like better methods and better tools, Although if pressurizing a master this one is probably a couple grand or more, ya?

'16 Wagon Greene tune feed'n & fire'n 6.4L with 6spd • 5.13 AAM, 37" KM3, -12mm Fuels • Thuren Overland, DOR, Purple Cranium • CAI, ARH, Solo Mach44 • z36, EBC • Custom vinyl AVS, 4% tint • Morimoto, Rigid, Diode Dynamics • AlfaOBD, Diablo, Nanny Kill, Locker bypass •.................

this is the bleeder I use. Pressurizes the system then you bleed all around it holds fluid in it so it adds as needed

 

[BadHemi2014]

Honestly if you could see my rust belt brakes you'd know why I was thinking about replacing all the calipers! The bleeder screws are rusty enough im afraid I'll break the damn things. I just figured if one caliper goes the rest might not be far behind.
I also need to replace the parking brake shoes and hardware ooh what fun.

But I will take all the advice in consideration I don't want to make a situation worse.

 

[WY.Ram]

View attachment 216764
this is the bleeder I use. Pressurizes the system then you bleed all around it holds fluid in it so it adds as needed

Props Dude, this is rokn. Single person too, that's icing. I watched a tuber show a single person method, I clustered it, felt like I would have been guessing if the air was purged even had I done it well. I just had to wait 6 hours for someone to be around for 5 minutes.

Never once through through the research was such a device even hinted towards, not an exhaustive search but plenty of different sources for info and protocol that it could have been mentioned, especially for $260.

Anyway, thank you!


@BadHemi2014 - my parking brake maintenance was by far the worst of the job. I really struggled turning the little "thumb wheel" to pull the shoes in away from the drum, I was with an instrument screwdriver but a small tool made for the task would surely have made it a little better. If I had a link I'd post it, Amazon, already eyeballed one last time, I want to say $7 ish. I'll look and find what I'm spitn, Quick Shifter knows fo sho, ( or just uses his finger).lol

 

[ImaginThat]

I just got done with this fun filled job. I have an ex Canuck truck and it showed There was so much rust in the rotors you could hardly see down inside the cooling vanes. Every time I washed the wheels chunks would break loose, that hastened my decision to replace everything. Even the calipers were so corroded I wanted to paint them, but they were just to freakin ugly to put that much time into cleaning them up.

And yep had to beat the crud out of rotors to get them off. Pulled all four calipers and used the Napa Adaptive One that are coated in black, didn't want to deal with two trips for a $200 core charge. Used some Detroit axle rotors and Wagner OEX pads. Used a lot of scotchbrite and wire wheels to clean up the rusty junk and sprayed some rust converter and satin black on dust shield and backing plate. Put a thin layer of the high temp break grease on the mating surfaces hoping to keep things somewhate freed up. To bleed I have the little vacuum kit, you just have to keep up with filling the master once you start.

I have everything for the parking brakes including some new actuator arms, but i weanied out it was hot and I was tired and didn't want that aggravation at the end of the day

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Honestly if you could see my rust belt brakes you'd know why I was thinking about replacing all the calipers! The bleeder screws are rusty enough im afraid I'll break the damn things. I just figured if one caliper goes the rest might not be far behind.
I also need to replace the parking brake shoes and hardware ooh what fun.

But I will take all the advice in consideration I don't want to make a situation worse.

I’m in the same rust belt you are. They sell bleeder replacement kits we often use because the rust clogs them up. My recommendation would be to do the fronts first then drive it before doing the rears. That way if a problem is introduced you can narrow it down

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Props Dude, this is rokn. Single person too, that's icing. I watched a tuber show a single person method, I clustered it, felt like I would have been guessing if the air was purged even had I done it well. I just had to wait 6 hours for someone to be around for 5 minutes.

Never once through through the research was such a device even hinted towards, not an exhaustive search but plenty of different sources for info and protocol that it could have been mentioned, especially for $260.

Anyway, thank you!

It’s worth every penny to buy a bleeder kit like that. Especially with today’s abs systems. It’s that added confidence that no air is trapped and you’re not destroying the master cylinder pushing the brake pedal to the floor

 

[BadHemi2014]

I really struggled turning the little "thumb wheel" to pull the shoes in away from the drum, I was with an instrument screwdriver but a small tool made for the task would surely have made it a little better. If I had a link I'd post it, Amazon, already eyeballed one last time, I want to say $7 ish. I'll look and find what I'm spitn, Quick Shifter knows fo sho, ( or just uses his finger).lol

Yes, mine was frozen with rust! My brake cable was sagging too. With plenty of Blaster and a little persuasion I was able to move stuff a little bit but I suspect that's what I'm hearing, the shoes dragging on the new rotor a bit, the leaky caliper was an incidental find (front pass.).

I confess part of the reason I was thinking of replacing all 4 calipers is so I can paint them first, vain right lol.
Also just because I'll be taking everything apart again anyway ugh.
But I have a couple places that won't charge me an arm and a leg to do it. I just love working on this truck myself.

You guys are awesome as always I love wrenching and learning stuff.