I had my brakes done and the mechanic said that the dust boots around my pistons on the front calipers need to be replaced. He said they are supposed to last 100k but mine are shot and that if I dont replace them that dust could get into the brake fluid and eventually I wont be able to stop. Does this sound right to you guys??
Caliper Piston Dust Boots?!
- Thread starter J15BIG
- Start date
That's not right. Dust boots protect caliper pins and contain lubricant allowing caliper halves to slide in and out around rotor. No relation to brake fluid. They are worth replacing, but are not a necessity.
i belong to the socal svtoa club and most members have had there dust boots replaced a few times ... on my 04 cobra at 4000 miles i need to replaced mine ... not true about getting into the fluid and not stopping
How do you replace the dust boots? Do you have to take the pistons out? Mine are shot.
yes you need to remove the caliper piston ... i bought the caliper rebuild kit and cost was about 30.00 a side... comes with the dust boot ... so while you have it apart you might as well rebuild them
I just rebuilt a set. The rebuild kit cost me $12.99 each side from Advance Auto.
The boots are pretty important. If you get enough dust inside the boot and into the piston cylinder it will eventually score the walls of the cylinder. The caliper will be trash then, as the seals will not hold the brake fluid.
All you do is pop the pistons out with air, and take out eh old seals and pistons. Then slip in the new seals. The trick is getting a second pair of hands to push the bottom of the boot in between the cylinder wall and the piston as you push the piston back in. Very easy and too cheap to ignore and possible ruin a caliper.
Gary
The boots are pretty important. If you get enough dust inside the boot and into the piston cylinder it will eventually score the walls of the cylinder. The caliper will be trash then, as the seals will not hold the brake fluid.
All you do is pop the pistons out with air, and take out eh old seals and pistons. Then slip in the new seals. The trick is getting a second pair of hands to push the bottom of the boot in between the cylinder wall and the piston as you push the piston back in. Very easy and too cheap to ignore and possible ruin a caliper.
Gary
hey, yellow95, is that kit for the GT brakes, or the twin-piston PBR kit?
rebuild kit for the pbr is about $8 from carquest/pep boys/whatever. it comes with two piston seals, two dust boots, and a bleeder screw. should take you all of 5 minutes to rebuild the caliper.
last time i had dust boots was sometime before the end of the first road course lap i ran with the car three years ago....and my car is a salt belt bomber that gets used in all four seasons.
last time i had dust boots was sometime before the end of the first road course lap i ran with the car three years ago....and my car is a salt belt bomber that gets used in all four seasons.
so to bring back a dead thread. I just got back from my first open track day, and 3 of the dust boots are shot. I drive the car all year long. Do I really need to replace the dust boots, and how hard it is to do?
dental pick and a little brake fluid as lubricant and they slip into the groove on the piston.
my winter calipers (my snow tire wheels dont fit over the 00r brakes) dont have dust boots either
and they just rot in the garage 8 months a year. they work fine. i'd be more concerned if i lived in a very sandy/dusty area like the southwest. and i took the car offroading. but i dont.
if you replace them, you'll just end up burning them off again at your next track event
my winter calipers (my snow tire wheels dont fit over the 00r brakes) dont have dust boots either
and they just rot in the garage 8 months a year. they work fine. i'd be more concerned if i lived in a very sandy/dusty area like the southwest. and i took the car offroading. but i dont.if you replace them, you'll just end up burning them off again at your next track event
So john, in terms of upkeep, if I don't replace the dust boot, and just pull the torn ones off, is there anything that I need to do to keep the pistons in good shape?
i just keep drivin'
where are people getting these kits from? i have called all the local parts stores and nobody can get them. i am looking for the kit for the dual piston pbr's let me know if anyone has a part number or anything.
Also can anyone get the pistons? A friend is buying my old calipers and one of the pistons needs to be replaced.
Rebuild kits (seals-boots) are like $28 a side from FORD.
Rebuild kits (seals-boots) are like $28 a side from FORD.
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Double Post
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30 or so track days here. Rubbers burnt off on the 1'st one. Never replaced. No issue if you don't drive on dirt roads/salted roads.
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