Rebuilding brake calipers

[Brianmoooore]

Wobble under braking, that isn't disc related is usually control arm bushes.
Hoe do you know discs are OK? Had a dial gauge on them?
Electrolysis (see recent thread) will clean all the rusty metal up like new.
Rare to see an E30 calliper that needs new rubber, but if you insist, there aren't any problems you should encounter. Blow the piston out with compressed air, or, at a push, just pump it out with the brake pedal before you disconnect the hose.

[Andyboy]

Even better - don't waste your time, and chop them in for reconditioned ones. Give these two or three coats of aerosol laquer (Halfords) after degreasing with brake cleaner.

[Brianmoooore]

Even better - don't waste your time, and chop them in for reconditioned ones.

Was just going to add that to my last post as a PS.
IIRC, recon. callipers can be bought for not a great deal more than the seal kits.

[Grrrmachine]

However, if you DO want to go ahead and rebuild your calipers, there's a Wiki Guide:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... er_Rebuild

[maggspower]

My mechanic thinks its the caliper sticking.

I thought it would be cheaper to refurb mine, so how much would a set of reconditioned ones set me back and where from?

Be aware that many a sticking caliper, is actually a collapsed flexy brake pipe. They break down internaly and become a sort of one way valve, letting fluid through to apply the brakes and then trapping it.

Agreed on the exchange calipers though.

[maggspower]

Thanks magspower Z3I did say it could be the pipe, hmmmm so it might be an idea to replace these to braided hoses am I right?

Normal ones will do fine, but braided ones do look nice, and will give a slightly firmer pedal (it marginal).

[Brianmoooore]

Normal ones will do fine, but braided ones do look nice

As long as you buy ones with stainless fittings/ends, as well as stainless braid.
The downside of braided hoses, is that if they do fail, they tend to fail catastrophically, with no warning. Rubber hoses tend to give prior warning in the form of a soft pedal or a sticking calliper.

[DanThe]

A sticky brake caliper is easy to diagnose without buying a box full of new parts, just need a jack and some basic tools