Brakes smoke after being changed. Ok or not?

HISSIN50 said:

For future reference, a C clamp is not a wise idea. If forced to use one, put a chunk of wood behind the rear of the caliper.

The piston retracting tools use the claw in the caliper housing (where the outer pad rests) as the means of leverage, which is better for the caliper if the piston is starting to seize (and hard to retract). I've had my share of seized calipers and rebuilt a few that were otherwise not easily found in the aftermarket (motorcycles, old Euro cars, etc).
I dont think any of that mattered - it was just info.

How did your slide pins look? If they are chewed up or resistive, it very much CAN make a caliper drag and cause issues. If they're cheap, it's often best to get new ones with each brake pad change. I used to clean them with #00 steel wool and grease them until I learned that many have a sacrificial coating to make them slippery. Once that's gone, it's like cookin with a teflon coated pot that has the teflon worn off (exact same principle).


If you're worried, I'd get ahold of her. I'd want to know the brakes didnt overheat and fail for peace of mind. Or drive by her place and make sure the car is there [if it's late]. Just a couple ideas there if it's buggin you.

Good luck.

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drakesdad said:

JT's first two "brake jobs"......replaced the 2x4 to pull against..........
Joke JT.....I love ya man..........couldn't resist.....

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