How did I damage a brand new caliper?

I've only changed probably 100 calipers, rotors, pads etc so far in my life, and I just put new calipers, rotors and stainless steel lines on my tacoma. I did a solo bleed with a hose into the bottle, but otherwise same old same old.

When I backed out of the driveway the brakes were immediately grinding. I drove back and forth about 50 feet on the road thinking it was just some surface rust, but was just getting worse. I never jammed the brakes, and really the damage I found was done immediately I think, perhaps even when torquing the lugs.

When I removed the caliper (this is the driver side) one of the bolts was solid, the other only snug but not torqued down (I had installed the calipers 2 weeks ago, then decided to do the lines, so ordered, messed with more rusty everything etc...) I think I just forgot to do a final torque on the one bolt. Nothing else seem wrong.

Both pins were somehow forced sideways out of the caliper. Any idea how this happened?

 

Hmmm , new caliper ? Maybe the wrong one ?...i dunno

 

Some weird seize...?

 

You put pads in wrong. One with the longer bottom bit goes outside. If not it scrapes on the rotor

 

Well crap, I didn't know they were different sizes, but if one hangs down and was on the inside (the wrong side) it would have pushed the rotor out of alignment. Then when I tightened the lugs, they would have pushed the rotor back, and forced the pins up and out of the caliper. That's got to be what happened. I don't even have to go outside and check, makes perfect sense.

I guess I got lucky on the other side and put them in the right way.

and I also guess I am an idiot.

Thanks devinzz1.

Now why the hell are the pads different sizes?

 

Huh...odd, on pads I've replaced on mine there wasn't an "inboard specific" pad, all 4 were the same IIRC...

 

Oem pads are like that. I think at a certain point it will touch rotor making a noise to let you know they need changing.

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/epa/MKD436/image/3/

 

******** one with longer bit goes on the inside ****** sorry

 

Yeah, I knew what you meant. the pad can extend past the "hub" of the rotor on the inner side since the hub is recessed, but it hits the hub on the outer side. These were the first pads I've replaced on a Tacoma, but I feel like less of an idiot if other brands are not different sizes. These are Raybestos.

 

Im speaking from experience by the way

I used same pads. The inner and outer were packed sepetately and i did one side at a time. Broke the casting same as you. I put a nice dab of jbweld over the pins to keep them in place. There arent many forces to the pin so you should be able to get some use out of the calipers but you wonf be able to change out the pads again.

 

Wow. Glad I stumbled on this tonight. I was planning on putting pads and rotors on this weekend. I must have gotten lucky the first time.

 

that caliper has quite a bit of rust on it for being new....

 

Even in the summer some states can get pretty nasty

 

Yep, It sat uncovered, wheel off on the truck for 2 weeks while I waited for new brake lines to arrive (Rockauto somehow messed up the shipping) plus a few more days waiting for me to get around to working on them again. Unpainted calipers seem to rust immediately regardless, but a couple rain days didn't help.

 

Calipers from the auto parts stores should be painted before install unless you like rust color.

 

Well, rust color matches everything else...

 

So true. Where are the calipers from, since theyre brand new, sounds like a warranty replacement is in the works. Throw some paint on the new ones.

 

I got them from Amazon (prime membership) and already had a return set up and the start of shipping a new one (all free) as I thought the caliper was defective somehow. After reading devinzz1's explanation I immediately realized it was my f-up so I canceled the (free!) replacement. Perhaps they would have denied me after receiving the original broken one back (or not), but I am fine with paying for my own mistakes. I sure won't make this one again.

A gobb of loctite metal epoxy is holding the pins in for now. They held for a trip around the bock, but I want to wait another 24 hours before testing them further.

 

Just exchange them, Amazon is awesome about that. Theyll take a horse head back.