Sticky front caliper

[AndyR]

Had an eventful end to the week. Drove in to town to get some shopping and bits for car. Came out of car shop heading to supermarket,  when people start waving and flashing their lights at me pointing to the front of the car. As soon as I stopped,  the front caliper poured with smoke. So managed to get off the main road to find that caliper had seized on.  

So phone call to brother in law and car trailored home.

Managed to free off caliper, and get working again. Mainly as a temporary measure because of needing the car. 

Ordered new caliper from ebay, and it arrived  this morning, so tomorrow is the day for fitting, I was going to replace the flexy hoses anyway,  so I'm doing caliper as well. 

[AndyR]

Update on calliper change.

All sorted this morning. I was quite surprised not to lose hardly any fluid during the swap out. Dragged one of my daughters away from their computer to help blead up the brakes, and now have a car that stops safely without trying to catch fire. 

Always a bonus when things go so easily. Now enjoying a beer in celebration. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Quite an eventful weekend then Andy!
Seized calipers are unforgiving and fortunate you were local as it can generate huge amount of heat which can also be transferred to the fluid and boil that leaving you with no brakes. Trailering it home was the most sensible method in this case.

Maybe worth considering changing the other side if you think it may go the same way and just being pre-emptive and sorting it before it becomes an issue?

[AndyR]

Yes definitely an eye opening weekend. I must have caught it just in time, as the fluid still had some viscosity in it. I did change the fluid once I'd replaced the calliper. And it was a great improvement. 

What really annoyed me at the time, was the fact that I could drive it on to the trailer, and drive it off when we got home. But for safety reasons couldn't drive home. But its sorted now, so all good. And yes it was for the best, as you just don't know what could've happened.

I am going to be investing in a new calliper for the other side next pay day. That way I know that it is not going to have a repeat performance. I have a new flexi hose sitting here waiting.   

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Keep us updated on the progress Andy...not that I'm nagging you to get it done

 

[AndyR]

Oh I wouldn't say you were nagging Trevor. . 

Although there are times when I need a push. But yes, payday will be a R/H caliper ordered and then fitted. 

With all the paperwork that came with the car, and checking back on all its previous mot's. There is no sign of calipers being replaced. So they could well be original. If that's the case, they've done well, and now need replacing. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Thats the trouble with calipers, I had one lock up on my BMW Z3 on a motorway and although I could drive it (like it had the handbrake full on) when I got to a service station i let it cool down and could drive for a while longer.
Another factor is that if it has been driven for a distance like this then the pads will probably be overheated and start to show signs of crumbling on the friction lining material. They would then also need replacing with the caliper

[AndyR]

I had a spare set inthe garage that I'd had sitting for a while, so I put those in with the new caliper. I was more worried that with all that heat, that it could have warped the disc. But it seems ok. I might invest in new discs in the summer. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

The good thing (amongst many) is that Astra parts are cheap to buy

 

[AndyR]

And there are a lot of them about. And I have noticed that Vauxhall have used the same parts on other models too.

The old motto of "Don't fix what ain't broken" comes to mind.