Loose caliper on Integra?

95 Teg LS....

Did a complete brake job, including two new rear calipers (old ones were
binding up pretty good). About a month after I finished the job, I'm hearing
a pretty loud knocking from the rear when going slow over bumps. Noise goes
away when I depress brake pedal or pull on e-brake handle a few clicks. So I
dive underneath and start pulling on things to see what's loose. Get to the
calipers and when I pulled on them by the brake hose boss and giggle, they
deflect a good 1/8 -1/4 of an inch back and forth!

That's not right, is it? No car I've ever worked on had their calipers move
at all, even when retracted. I'm thinking the rebuilder did a lousy job and
used wrong hardware...surprising ,but I guess possible.

Thoughts?

 

After getting the front brake pads done on my 98 civic, I noticed a clunk
when I went over bumps as well. It ended up being the way the pads fit in
there, maybe honda changed manufacturers or something, cuz those pads just
don't fit in there properly.

I took it back to the dealership and they tried to make it better, (and
succeeded, I think by bending some of the shims a little). However, now its
about 30000kms later, and I notice a 'click' upon acceleration and another
pronounced 'click' when I decelerate. This only happens in 1st and 2nd gear,
i guess the other gears the deceleration is more gradual. The only thing I
can trace it down to is that the pads are shifting inside the caliper. I
checked my driveshafts, and the outer joints on both are super tight,
otherwise i would have suspected that. I have also replace a tie rod end on
the driver side, it was toast, but did not solve the clicking.

Thats what I came up with anyways. Any other thoughts out there?

 

This isn't the pad moving, its caliper itself. You can grab hold of it,
wiggle it back and forth and see it move.

The only thing I can think of is that the rebuilder user the incorrect size
slider pins.

 

Maybe missing anti-rattle clips for caliper slide if equipped?

Professor
Check out FlashAlert at www.telstar-electronics.com

 

Nope...they are there.

 

Well maybe your incorrect slider pins theory may be correct. There
should be very little slop in the caliper slide mechanism.

Professor
Check out FlashAlert at www.telstar-electronics.com

 

Do you mean "back and forth" as in to the front of the car and rearwards,
or to the left and right of the car?

Are you certain the pads are *completely free* on their mount bracket? That
the pistons are moving out properly on both sides?

When you remove the caliper, both pads ought to almost literally fall off
the mount bracket.

Once piston adjustment has been completed, it should be impossible to move
the caliper at all by hand without a hefty push.

 

And "back and forth" is what? Left to right relative to the car, or front-
to-back relative to the car?

This is important, as it means different problems.

 

Which way is "back and forth"? Front-to-back on the car, or left-to-right
on the car?

Those pins are only 3/8" in diameter where they go into the caliper mount
bracket. If you've got up to 1/4" of play, then you've got some *very*
serious issues here.

Once the pistons have extended fully, there ought to be NO play. I suspect
the pistons are not actually extending as they should. I wonder if the
adjusting screws are sticking in the piston and not rotating properly.

 

Front to back, left to right...all over the place.

Well, I solved the issue.

Took out a pin and replaced it with NEW one from Acura. The pin was very
loose in the bracket hole. So it appears that whoever did the rebuilt
"bored" out these holes and they are just plain too big. So I went with a
new set of calipers direct from Acura. So far, problem solved. Caliper can
still be moved around a bit...but its much much "tighter".

Thanks, everyone for your help.

 

Odd. One would think they'd match the pins to the caliper... I just
installed a reman caliper on my Civic, and the pins came with it, as I
assume they did with yours. Got mine OEM, and the pins fit perfectly.
Hope you can recoup the cost of the bad calipers.