***Help Needed - Brake Lockup***

[5.0H]

Alright guys so today I worked on the car for a bit...checked the fitment of some new 1.25" wheel spacers on my passenger rear tire with my summer set and then replaced the clamp on my axleback since I had the car on jack stands. Everything went well and I had no issues. Tonight, I traveled across town to a holiday party. The trip included a few exits on the highway both there and back. The ride was fine and there were no issues. I stopped at my girlfriend's house for about two hours afterwards and then headed home. Home is only a mile away from her house and something didn't feel right while driving that short distance. It felt like I had a flat tire (or a locked up brake). I got home and got out of the car and into a garage now full of smoke. I look around and it's coming from my passenger rear brake. could I have nicked a brake line or done something to cause this while I was working on that wheel today or is it just a coincidence? I've done plenty of work on my car but it hasn't needed brakes yet so that's one thing I have yet to mess with on a car. That being said, I don't know what to look for. Also, and I'm sure this goes without saying, but my ebrake is currently loose until you pull it up more than 6-8 inches or so obviously the caliper is still stuck. Can someone please throw in their two cents (or ten) so I can hopefully get this straightened out in the morning? Car is currently sitting in the driveway chucked, in 1st and without the ebrake engaged.

 

[JeremyH]

Or the caliper good have just failed or got stuck and the pads drug the whole time and overheated. You will probably need new pads and a rotor at minimum. And if the claiper is shot that too. Good luck.

 

[skwerl]

e brake cable is probably frozen. Remove the cable from the caliper and see if that frees it up.

 

[JeremyH]

Good call I would check that too, been quite a few cases of the cable sticking in the cold. But the ebrake doesnt actually effect the caliper its a mechanical brake.

 

[5.0H]

Thanks guys. I'll let you know how it goes

 

[05stroker]

e brake cable is probably frozen. Remove the cable from the caliper and see if that frees it up.

My money would be on this ^^^.

 

[pmcferron]

my ebrake cable has frozen on me twice in the past 2 weeks, i would almost bet thats your case. i have now got into the habit of just leaving the car in 1st gear and not locking the ebrake at all now when its cold out.

 

[5.0H]

Alright the ebrake cable was fine. I have everything taken apart except I have not disconnected the brake lines. I started the car and pumped the brakes to see if the piston was locked up and it wasn't. It moved fine but now it won't go back in. How can I get it to go back? It won't budge. I had also noticed when I first took it all apart that the piston was sticking out just ever so slightly. I went to autozone and picked up a caliper but I'd really prefer not to use it since I'd much rather put the $150 towards a brake upgrade or something. Any hints or thoughts before I waste $150 on a generic caliper? If only this wasn't my dd...

 

[white05gt]

There is a special tool to push in and rotate the piston back. I take it you had the caliper off and pushed the brake pedal?

 

[JimC]

The rear brakes you have to have that tool to turn it back in - can't just push it back like the front brakes. You can "rent" the tool from autozone (assuming you can get over there) - pay your deposit, use the tool, and get your deposit back.

No easy way to put the piston back on the rear brake without that tool though. I have heard of guys using a set of needle nose pliers and working it back in, but it will take a long time.

 

[5.0H]

Alright so I returned the caliper at autozone and picked up some brake lube for the piston while I was there. I was able to use some needle nose pliers to work the piston back in. Got everything back together and the wheel now spins freely. Took the car out for a spin and there were no issues. Thanks for the input everyone. Got my dd back

My final diagnosis is that the ebrake cable was in fact frozen which is why the piston was sticking out slightly this morning. If I had known to just twist the piston back in after I freed the cable this would have been an hour job instead of a day project. Oh well. I'll know for next time now if it happens again.

Next project will be to repaint that caliper since it got pretty banged up today

 

[skwerl]

Good deal, glad you're back rolling again.

 

[amustangrocks]

Alright so I returned the caliper at autozone and picked up some brake lube for the piston while I was there. I was able to use some needle nose pliers to work the piston back in. Got everything back together and the wheel now spins freely. Took the car out for a spin and there were no issues. Thanks for the input everyone. Got my dd back

My final diagnosis is that the ebrake cable was in fact frozen which is why the piston was sticking out slightly this morning. If I had known to just twist the piston back in after I freed the cable this would have been an hour job instead of a day project. Oh well. I'll know for next time now if it happens again.

Next project will be to repaint that caliper since it got pretty banged up today

the e brake cable freezing is because the rubber boots at the calipers are cracked letting water get in. a band aid fix is spraying white grease into the cracked boots( with the straw on the can). that got me through a winter with no lock ups. the proper fix is replacing the cables. i had to replace the 05 and the 06 for that reason. they are around $100 for both rear cables, and a pretty easy job. i got the cables from tousley ford online( discount ford parts). it didnt take much to warp the rear rotor on the 06 either, had to replace them too.

 

[5.0H]

Hopefully there won't be a next time but if there is I'll be ready! Best $14 ever spent...needle nose were a PITA

 

[08torchred]

I use the same tool on mine but i had to modify the side with 4 prongs. I cut off two of the prongs that were diagonal from each other. For some reason none of the sides with two prongs were wide enough to sit in the holes on the face of the piston

 

[5.0H]

I use the same tool on mine but i had to modify the side with 4 prongs. I cut off two of the prongs that were diagonal from each other. For some reason none of the sides with two prongs were wide enough to sit in the holes on the face of the piston

hmmm interesting. I'll keep that in mind. Nothing a set of bolt cutters and a file can't fix

 

[drakefamily2]

I've been using a c clamp to push cylinders back into calipers for a long time. Their cheap and easy to find.

 

[Fallenauthority]

I've been using a c clamp to push cylinders back into calipers for a long time. Their cheap and easy to find.

You can't do that on these calipers you have to turn the piston back in you can't just push it in

 

[5.0H]

I've been using a c clamp to push cylinders back into calipers for a long time. Their cheap and easy to find.

that works for the fronts but not the backs. backs twist back in

 

[Wicked GT]

Glad I read through this post... I have always used "C" clamps to push the pistons back in on my calipers on previous cars. Had no idea the rears twisted in, learned something important today!