Alright so I was replacing the front brakes on my 99 Camaro. I got them on pretty good; kinda had problems with the driver side ones. So I got them done and started my car up and when I went to accelerate it felt like the emergency brake was up (but it wasnt). The car would slow down at a fast rate without me even having to press the brakes and it took way too much accelration just to go like 10 mph. Me and my brother took off the tire and messed with the calipers. We figured the pistons werent compressed all the way in. So we collasped the pistons as far as they would go and then put the everything back on. Started the car and the same problem still existed. So we took everything off again and found that when we would put the caliper on that it for some reason would lock the rotor. We took off the new brake pads we had installed and found that only a section of them were hitting the rotor (due to where it was wearing from when I had recently put on brakes). We messed with it for hours and came to the conclusion that either something is wrong with my rotor or the brake pads arent leveled (since only a section of it was wearing away). We said screw it and put everything back on and then when I went to move my car it was miracuously back to normal but then when I got down the road it started getting harder to accelerate and would slow down when I was trying to coast. Anyone have any conclusion of what the problem may be?

 

Sounds like one of the caliper pistons is sticking and not allowing the brake pad to release from the rotor or one of the pistons is stuck in and not pushing the pad to the rotor. Did you have any problems pushing the pistons back in when you compressed them? Might need a caliper rebuild kit or a new caliper if you don't want to mess with rebuilding it. I would raise the car, remove the wheel and rotate the rotor, see how easy it is to rotate and then have someone apply the brakes and release to see if you can tell where it is binding up.

 

Ehhhh...when you compressed the caliper pistons, did you have the cover/cap off the master cylinder reservoir so the pushed back fluid had somewhere to go? It sounds like maybe you didn't and you have excess pressure in the system. Try removing the reservoir cover, with a rag covering it just in case. Now would also have been a good time to bleed the brakes to get out the old crud.

 

mine got stuck on one side, got really hot and almost pulled me in the ditch. replaced the calipers and the rotors and it was fixed. if your rotors are messed up from running worn pads u need to replace or get them turned, doesnt cost that much.

 

Well whats funny is, that the side me and my dad did, we accidently took off the bolt to make the brakes bleed on the driver side (which is the side im having troubles with) and we quickly bolted it back on. We took the cap off the Master Cylinder cause we figured there was an air bubble in there. We got it out (I assume). And we did try the tire thing but it eventually got to where we couldnt even turn the rotor and there was a specific part before where it would spin easy then catch on one part. I think its the rotor. I think over time its gotten uneven, even though the old brake pads we pulled off were practically new. Cause we tried to straighten out the rotor by putting the lug nuts back on and then it would turn so easy but then we would try to put the caliper back on and the bottom bolt alignment wouldnt even line up with the hole on the frame of the plate thats connected to the rotor (the part of the caliper that doesnt come off and stays on the rotor). But when we took the lug nuts off and the rotor was kinda tilted then the caliper would go on so easy but even then you still couldnt turn the rotor. Its like when the caliper is on, it locks up the rotor.

 

I think your caliper may be hanging up on the slide bolt. Did you grease anything up when putting it back together?

 

No worries guys, it was a defective brake pads. Apparently very defective. The car still jolts when I put on brakes so I guess I need to get my rotors turned

 

good deal have her back on the road.