Frozen Rear Caliper

[dulcimerbob]

I took my 76 ( Titanic) to a Fiat guy and he said my rear calipers are frozen. The parking brake works fine so would this be the case if the calipers were badly frozen ? I intend to remove them today and have a look.

[ventura ace]

How knowledgeable is the Fiat guy? And why did he say that the calipers were frozen? Was he trying to bleed the brakes, and have problems, did he notice problems while driving, was he replacing the pads and not able to collapse the piston, or other reason?

Alvon

[eddy314]

You could have one caliper frozen and the park cable could still brake the opposite side. Maybe he only checked one side and gave up.

[Fiat1980spyder]

Maybe he diden't know its a screw in piston, not a push in

[brunorahl]

If they didn't drag before you took the car in, then i assume his reason to play with them, was to change pads. The Fiat rears screw in, and they look odd. Nobody sells a special tool for them as they are just a big slot. Also, they must be turned so that they align correctly, or you'll have an air pocket when you're finished. With the air pocket, the rears will work poorly, if at all, under normal use. Combine all those minor issues, and the mechanic probably just decided they are frozen as opposed to having to work or think.

[manoa matt]

Whats the history of the car? When were the rubber brake hoses replaced, when were the calipers rebuilt, both should be every 4 years. Fluid flushed and replaced every 2 years. It could be the rear calipers frozen, but a more likely culprit would be the rear brake compensator is frozen up and needs replaced. You might as well do it all at once.

[dulcimerbob]

Thanks for the replies. I pulled the rear wheels and the calipers do indeed work . I suspect the pads need changing . The car guy works on a lot of high end restorations and I believe a rusty old Fiat was not something he wanted to mess with . Nice guy though . He loaded me down with all his Fiat manuals and said he would call me if he ever needed them again. My Fiat funds have dried up for a while so I'll do the brakes when $ permit. Thanks again.

[ventura ace]

The question still bugs me, in that your mechanic informed you that the calipers were frozen. Was there any indication of problems while braking, pulling to the right or left, or problems while attempting to bleed, or other? The rear pads don't have much material on them in the first place, even when brand new. So, your pads may be OK as is. I'm just curious as to why the rear brakes need attention. Maybe you have a very good reason, but I wouldn't change the pads merely because the friction material is thinner than that of the front brake pads.

Alvon

[dulcimerbob]

I have had no problems with the brakes. Having never had a Spider I really don't know how good the brakes are supposed to be . The mechanic said " They should stand you on your head" . The brakes seem adequate but not "standing me on my head"
The wheels won't lock but it tracks fine with no pull. So I guess my question is how should my brakes perform and what should I do if they are not right ?

[ga.spyder]

Bob,
The Fiat brakes are adequate but will never,ever stand you on your head.If it is stopping well w/o fade and not pulling...they are probably fine.When I got my first Fiat ,I had the same concerns about the brakes.They were good for the 70's and 80's,but dont stack up with the newer systems.