rendyx

I just changed my front pads and rotors last week on my CQ. Put in ATE OEM rotors and Mintex redbox pads. I noticed a couple days ago, my fuel economy seemed to be dropping a bit - 5mpg under normal acceleration in 1st, and avg. of 18-19. Right after doing the job a week ago, the figures were roughly 4mpg higher each. I also noticed an increasingly strong pulling to the right (steering wheel turns to right by itself too). There has also oddly been an increase in brake squeal since the job, increasing over the past few days, from none, to every stop.

I ripped off the wheels today to try and find what could have gone wrong. I did hear a bit of pad scraping when they moved over specific locations on the rotors. I ripped it all apart, made sure everything appeared ok, and put it back together. Same problem!

I have no idea why they could have warped this fast. I took the time to break them in for about 100 miles of gentle, no stop driving with periodic slowing down. Since then, I have been relatively easy on them.

Any ideas? Oh, another thing, the outside pad (with the spring, not touching the pistons) on each side showed more wear in the direction closer to the hub, including a little rust.

Any thoughts?

cuatrokoop

Sounds like a caliper is hanging up for some reason. Changing the fluid will get fresh fluid in (I like Valvoline synthetic or Ford Truck HD DOT4 for low buck stuff, otherwise I'd use Motul 600). If your lines got kinked, it may keep the pistons from retracting fully or right away. Or, your pistons may have been corroded, and now that the corroded part has been pushed back inside the caliper body the pistons may be hanging up on something (dust seal?).

rendyx

FWIW, brake fluid looks like it wasn't changed too long before I bought the car. Still blue.

Also, I have noticed some bulging and very very trace amounts of dry rot in the lines. Sign that the lines could be clogged? On that note, who sells steel braided lines, and how many should I order?

MikTip

Calipers may have internal corrision? May need rebuilding?

cuatrokoop

That's what I suggested too (corrosion on the pistons when exposed for extended periods of time)...

MikTip

Especially if they are in wet/humid climates, and the brake fluid is not changed often. Sediment settles in the brake calipers, and begins to corrode. The rust will build up, not allowing the pistons to return inside the calipers. You cant bleed out the sediment, as the bleed screws are on top, and the water & sediment settles to the bottom section of the piston/calipers.

rendyx

To bite the bullet, and replace calipers and brake lines? The brake lines look pretty beat to me, and fmor the sounds of it, the calipers could be (or might in the future) too. I may also do the same to the rear, as I think it may be acting up since I fixed the parking brake cams, and there is one rotor that has warpage in the rear. Argghhh! :P

Just to be sure I didn't do anything stupid...anything wrong with this procedure?
-Remove wheel
-Remove caliper
-Remove rotor
-Grease slider pins
-Clean and install new rotor
-Install caliper carrier
-Install pads
-Press back caliper pistons and install caliper
-Wiggle caliper and adjust the bar/spring on the outside pad until slider pin bolts can easily go in, tighten
-Put on wheel, drive gently for 100 miles or so

Just want to make sure there's nothing wrong with how I've always worked on brakes if I go buy a few new goodies.

Thanks!

MikTip

You might be able to find some front caliper rebuild kits? But, you wont know how bad they are until you remove the pistons? Then you might be forced to buy new calipers, as they maybe too bad to rebuild? Or they may be rebuildable?

The rears usually always go bad.

Audi re-designed the parking brake lever, on later brake calipers, to prevent water from getting it.

You might be able to find rebuild kits for the rears? But you wont know how bad they are until their dismantled.

Some folks simply purchase new/rebuilt calipers, and avoid the hassles of rebuilding them. Especially the older they are. 14 years of service is pretty good! ;O)

rendyx

The rears I should probably replace. Their condition was questionable based on the loose feel of one parking brake cam, and the stiffness of the other!

The fronts I am not sure about. I do live in the rust belt, and the car has lived most its life in the NE. Might be worth just going for the 2 front calipers. They do have a good amount of rust on the outside, who knows whats inside... I find it a little odd that both calipers would be dragging almost equally as much (based on sound as I rotate each wheel).

Where do you get a rebuild kit?

These damn brake hoses are confusing me! I looked for standard all-rubber ones from GPR, and found one hose, 2 variations (build dates). Not being too familiar yet with the brake lines on these cars, do I just need 'x' amount of that single style of line?

boogs

could be pretty hefty.....calipers arent exactly the cheapest component of our cars..... =)

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/57297/dscn0342.jpg">