Help. Fixed harsh sticking, but feel like car is slowing down/sluggish

[evanjp]

So I realized I needed anew caliper bracket for the passenger rear wheel and that sticking is fixed. Now, my car feels like it is slowing down quickly when in gear or rolling, and doesn't roll very easily. It feels like the car is extremely sluggish. Before I changed these brakes the car would feel like it wanted to jump when I hit the gas hard and now it takes a couple seconds to get going good. It takes more gas to keep at a constant speed, more gas to get up small hills, etc.

Are the 13.8 rotors thicker than the 11.8 inch? Maybe that is the problem.

If the small nub wasn't exactly lined up with the groove in the piston, would this sort of problem be happening?

Or is this a result of having the hawk 5.0 pads on the front and back and it will take a while for them to not be so sticky?

My car feels like it is running extremely shitty, and I brought it to the beach 3 hours away because I thought the caliper bracket solved the problem. I smell no more brake-burning smell.

Also going through the gears at normal speeds, and fast speeds, shifting is extremely weird and erratic because the car is slowing down slightly.....

Any advice, pointers, etc is appreciated. I am feeling like poop and sorta down about my car driving the way it is, not having access to tools, being so frickin far from home... I'm tempted to bring it to a shop here and have them check it.

 

[GBCoyote]

Wheels spin freely while on a lift/jackstands? Put in neutral and take e-brake off and try to spin the wheels. You can tell alot by this procedure.

 

[evanjp]

It's the rear wheels. It's actually drivers side rear. When I put it in neutral, the brake makes noise when rolling back. Sticking noise. Like the parking brake is slightly applied or something. When I pull up on the parking brake, it is extremely tight even with loosening the cable through the console. Maybe the nub on the pad isn't lined up flush with the piston? The car slows down more while coasting, engine braking, and doesn't pull like it did.

 

[basspro302]

Did you replace the calipers or just the brackets? Chances are you need a caliper on that side or a brake hose. Also check to make sure your parking brake cable is released at the caliper.

 

[evanjp]

I changed out the caliper brackets- the part that holds the pads. I have the same Pistons on each one. I did buy a kit though and have new Pistons at home.

How would I check if the parking brake is released at the caliper? What would it look like?

 

[evanjp]

Anyone?

 

[basspro302]

Look at the spring on the caliper figure out which way it pushes on the arm. If it's compressed then the parking brake cable is stuck or the arm is stuck or the piston could be stuck on. I wouldn't rebuild the calipers I would just go buy some.

There is a lot of info to type you should go on you tube and look for a video.

 

[evanjp]

I have rebuilt calipers from Napa at home. They honestly seem fine. They were not cheap.

I guess I'm going to install the actual piston part of the caliper when I get home from the beach. How do you bleed the brakes? Is it a fairly simple install?

 

[evanjp]

If I stop the car and turn it off without the parking brake on, in neutral, I can move the car back and forth with a decent amount of force and I can hear the rear pads rubbing. Normal?

 

[debit_free_2010]

If I stop the car and turn it off without the parking brake on, in neutral, I can move the car back and forth with a decent amount of force and I can hear the rear pads rubbing. Normal?

No, hearing rubbing sounds is not normal.

The first rule in troubleshooting something is, If it was working before you worked on it, recheck the installation.

Did you check to ensure the pad rivet is in the divot? And Yes, having the nub not in the slot will cause the pads to be engaged all the time.

Check that the slide pins aren't frozen also.

Easy test for that is with the wheel off, grab the caliper and see if it moves freely back and forth, if it doesn't, remove the bracket, clean and grease the pins, reinstall and check for free movement.

 

[evanjp]

I bought two new calipers and installed new brackets on both. So I know both of those are good. I will check the nub tomorrow, but I'm going to install both actual calipers, the part with the Pistons, tomorrow.

When I pull on the parking brake, it is STIFF. Like the moment it is free of excess travel because I've loosened the nut in the console, it is stiff as shit.

The car feels sluggish. Like something is holding it back. If I pull on the e brake while coasting, the car pulls HARD left.

I think it's the e brake cable or the nub???

 

[evanjp]

You know the noise the e brake makes when you don't put it on tight enough and you roll back a little? Well this one wheel sounds like that but a little quieter when I move the wheel back and forth in neutral, e brake off.

In between shifts the car slows down a little and causes it to not shift smoothly somehow. I mean it feels like shit. I drove it 150 miles to the beach and back and prob 75 miles while there.

I'm guessing I should sand the pads down before reinstalling?

Any other ideas?

 

[evanjp]

I might have fixed it. I took it apart the day after I got home from vacation and just pushed the piston back in as far as it goes or close to it. The car is driving better, but it still pulls left when I pull the e brake when moving. Kind of hard left still. When braking hard it will pull left still too but not as far left as when I pull the e brake.

 

[evanjp]

Anybody know what could be going on if the car pulls left hard? Also my brakes are starting to squeal during low speed braking? Sounds like the one that got hot that day

 

[evanjp]

Parking brake still pulls left, regular braking still pulls slight left too but once warmed up, seems even for the most part. Could I have a bad hose on the pass side rear?