I was checking my front brakes and the caliper on both sides are loose, is there supposed to be shims in there to keep them from moving around. one side moved around so much that it is rubbing on the rim. I took the calipers off and back on and still the same thing? Are there to be shims in there or what. thanks.
TomQuick
07-11-2007, 12:17 AM
They shouldn't be rubbing on the rims, that much is for sure.
hcmq
07-11-2007, 07:32 AM
no shims
the calipers should move some back and forth mainly or else they would be stuck
do you have aftermarket rims?
the clearance between the calipers and stock 15-16" steel rims is very close and things can get caught in-between and make it look like the caliper is hitting the rims
but if you are sure the calipers are hitting the rims then something is broken or not installed correctly.
more info would help-
suprahusker
07-11-2007, 10:48 AM
rims are 14 inch no after market rims
Rick99
07-11-2007, 11:32 AM
While the calipers do slide somewhat to allow them to pinch onto the rotors, they should not feel loose at all (you should not be able to wiggle them at all). If they are in fact loose, look for loose bolts. The calipers are mounted to brackets the bolt onto the steering knuckle, but they also have their own slide bolts holding them onto the bracket that you should check.
TomQuick
07-11-2007, 12:24 PM
I haven't had the front brakes on my Caravan apart yet, but on most vehicles, there are metal bushings between the caliper and the slide bolts. If the calipers were reinstalled without those metal bushings, or the bushings are very worn, that could allow the caliper to move more than it should. The calipers should be able to slide in and out on their slide bolts, but there should not be any wiggling, fore and aft motion, or up and down motion, they should only be able to slide inboard and outboard, and after you have put them together, and stepped on the brake pedal, the residual pressure should hold the pads tight to the rotors, and prevent you from moving the caliper much, if at all.
XDGT03
07-15-2007, 06:22 PM
If someone replaced your brakes without the glide pins then I would be breaking some noses for that. I bet the bolts have come loose. The bolts should have a bit of thread lock on them to keep them tight. They come with it from the factory and it is usually sufficient for a number of changes. However, i keep a tube of the green loctite thread lock around and use it on almost every bolt and nut I take off (unless it requires the blue or red stuff).
