Sticking Rear Brakes - Driving me nuts!

[Multiades]

Summary:

• Left rear brake was replaced last summer because the caliper was old and seized
• No issues until the past few months, when the new caliper started sticking, resulting in HOT wheel and intermittent dragging
• I replaced it a week ago, noticed that parking brake cable seemed a little tight putting it on, resulting in brake dragging
• Loosened parking brake cable to the point where it baaaaarely engages at the top of the lever travel
• Left rear brake is still dragging

WTF!?!

Now I know Autozone rebuilt calipers are ****, but this is ridiculous. Something else must be going on here. My next step is going to be to remove the parking brake cable from the LR caliper entirely and see if that has any effect.

Does anyone have experience with this problem and know of a likely solution?


P.S. I just replaced the right rear brake as well. So far, no issues.

[jay92gt]

E brake cable

[Multiades]

Checked the e-brake cable and it was still pulling the tiniest amount on that side, however the cable is NOT sticking at all. I backed the 10mm adjusting nut on the brake handle out until the lever on that side was all the way back to its resting position.

Unless it's possible to adjust the length of each side independently (it was on my old BG proteges, does not appear to be the same on 3rd gen), the only way to keep the cable from pulling the lever when the handle is down, is to adjust the center cable to the point where the e-brake is useless. Any suggestions how to fix that?

[Multiades]

OK, I can verify that the lever on the caliper is fully returning to its default non-tensioned position, yet something is still dragging slightly after the brakes warm up a little. WTF?!

[brains]

did you do the thing where you disconnect the e-brake cable from that caliper completely? Can't help ya since i'm not sure what would be going on either... bad luck with calipers maybe.
...when i had trouble with my rear calipers (after the front had seized up once before)... i just switched out my stock ES brakes for a full set up from a 2007 mazda6- no trouble with that set up so far.

[Multiades]

I didn't disconnect it because I didn't want it whipping around not attached to anything. Was easier to adjust it so that it can't engage, and it still does stick occasionally. I think it sticks following hard brake application which would point to it being hydraulic and actual piston sticking.

What's the difference with the 2007 Mazda 6 brakes? Do the calipers fit stock rear rotors, or did you have to change out more parts? Pics?

[brains]

Mine are disconnected and attached to the tie rods in the back with some zip ties.
I love zip ties.

Still sticks huh? Hmmm, weird... sorry i can't help.

The 2007 on up (for the 1st gen) mazda6 brake calipers and rotors will fit onto our cars (provided you've already got 4 wheel disk brakes) with no modifications- I've got a 2001 ES as well and i had no problem putting front and rear calipers and rotors from a junkyard 2007 mazda6 on my car. I can't say how much better they are than the stock ES disc brakes... but if i was to say *something they at least look a lot cooler.
Okay... i'm not proud of saying that... but they do.

The calipers won't work with stock rear rotors-

One problem... so my e-brake cables are zip tied on right? Well, the protege e-brake cable isn't long enough to work with the mazda6 rear calipers- when you mount them on the protege they're at some weird angle and the cable won't reach where it needs to be.

My e-brake cable is broke anyways so i just sort of ignore it... not the best solution for everyone. There's a lot of information available about different brake set ups on the bj protege, best look for that before listening to anything i say though eh?

[MazdaNoob]

wonder if you can apply this http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/show...per-ebrake-mod

[XelderX]

Have you adjusted the set screw on the caliper? Under the bolt directly behind the piston on the back of the caliper is an allen head set screw that adjusts the piston. With the parking brake not engaged you tighten the allen screw until you can't spin the wheel and then back off the screw 1/4 turn.

[hacker]

When you replaced the rear caliper, did you also replace the caliper bracket/mount? If not, the new caliper could be seizing on the old caliper mount pin. Another clue would be to look at the brake pad wear pattern. Is the inboard pad wearing faster than the outboard pad, or vice versa? That will indicate what part of the caliper is seizing.

J.

[gswift]

I would almost bet that the wrong lube is being used during brake service.....