Tore down a seized brake caliper at a shop in Tucson and found a simple fix

Last month I was working at a buddy's shop in Tucson when a 2005 Camry came in with a dragging rear brake. The caliper was completely seized, piston wouldn't budge. Instead of just telling the customer to buy a new one for $150, I tried pulling the dust boot and hitting it with penetrating oil and a c-clamp. Managed to free it up in about 20 minutes. Has anyone else had success rebuilding these old calipers instead of swapping them?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.wesley14d ago

Man that's the kind of stuff that makes you realize how much we just throw things away instead of actually fixing them lol. I've noticed the same thing with old appliances and tools, people don't even try to take them apart before buying new ones. It's like we forgot that a little patience and oil can save a lot of money and waste.

shane_williams14d ago

Had to read that twice because I couldn't believe you actually got a seized piston to budge with just oil and a c-clamp on an 05 Camry lol. @black.wesley is right though, most shops would have just upsold a whole new caliper without even trying. That's a solid save, probably saved the guy like $120 and kept a perfectly good part out of the trash.