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Thread: How can I clean break pads and calipers?

  1. #1
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    Question How can I clean break pads and calipers?

    Hello,

    Have anybody clean the break pads and calipers? I am looking to do it myself.

    Any tutorial / instructions will be highly appreciated.

    Thank you.



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    Clean? Not sure why you would need to, but a good old hose is about all you need. Calipers can be scrubbed, and of course, you can lube the non friction components, can, and SHOULD, every second oil change. Takes about 10 minutes to pop em off and give them a quick service.

    But, why do we need to clean them? What do yours look like?

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    Well, a month ago, I took my micra to the dealership, because it was doing some grasping noise on the front-left wheel, so, they 'clean' the calipers and break pads. Now, the front-right wheel is doing the same noise, so I just want to do it myself.

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    Quote Originally Posted by joagar12 View Post
    Well, a month ago, I took my micra to the dealership, because it was doing some grasping noise on the front-left wheel, so, they 'clean' the calipers and break pads. Now, the front-right wheel is doing the same noise, so I just want to do it myself.
    Remove calipers and pads. Just wash em off on the friction points. Lube the backs of the pads and lube the glide pins (pins will have a little boot on em).

    They sell a glue stick style lube. Use the permatex liquid for the pins. Its branded for brakes. Both are, both permatex.

    Use medium sand paper (400) to remove any metal burrs on edge of rotors if present (where edge of pad meets untouched rotor lip).

    Real easy. Debris in the pad retaining clips can cause em to stick as well. It's a 10 min job if you know what you are doing.
    Last edited by nickels; 08-15-2019 at 02:15 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Micra SV manual: 6.8 L/100 km ... 41.8 mpg (Imp) ... 14.8 km/L ... 34.8 mpg (US) ...


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    dust shields behind the rotor are also notorious for rusting / sagging, making contact with brake bits. I had to bend mine back quite a bit because any time I hit a bump on of them made it sound like a pipe was hitting the ground

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra SV automatic: 7.1 L/100 km ... 39.9 mpg (Imp) ... 14.1 km/L ... 33.3 mpg (US) ...


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    Quote Originally Posted by nickels View Post
    Remove calipers and pads. Just wash em off on the friction points. Lube the backs of the pads and lube the glide pins (pins will have a little boot on em).

    They sell a glue stick style lube. Use the permatex liquid for the pins. Its branded for brakes. Both are, both permatex.

    Use medium sand paper (400) to remove any metal burrs on edge of rotors if present (where edge of pad meets untouched rotor lip).

    Real easy. Debris in the pad retaining clips can cause em to stick as well. It's a 10 min job if you know what you are doing.
    To piggyback off of this, its most likely a noise stemming from pad movement. Lube them accordingly and it'll be fine. Just make sure you don't get lubricant or grease on the rotors and pads faces. People even say to make sure you use brake cleaner to clean off oil from your skin/fingerprints. I've never been that ocd about it but it doesn't hurt.

    It takes a long time for calipers and braking components to get truly dirty, especially on a vehicle that is daily driven. If your pads and rotors are in good shape you should only need a lube and rust removal every 50k-ish.

    My go to for caliper cleaning has always been brass wire brushes, same thing you'd use on dirty batteries/terminals. Calipers are often porous (more so over time) and wire brushes are also easy to clean inside the caliper piston with as they start to accumulate rust there.



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