Temporary Fix for Stuck Brake Caliper: What Should You Do?

Temporary fix for stuck brake caliper is not a complex process and allows you to stretch out the condition of your car brakes until you get it permanently fixed by a professional mechanic. You only need a basic know-how of how cars work to clean and fix your brakes, at least for the moment, and that knowledge should ideally be with anyone who has a car.

Keeping your brakes in optimal condition is essential to your vehicle as a whole because that is where your car’s safety and general reliability come in. Therefore, to learn how to unstick your brake caliper easily at home, study the following sections that we have compiled to help you achieve this result with maximum efficiency!

How Can You Find a Temporary Fix for the Stuck Brake Caliper?

You can find a temporary fix for a stuck brake caliper by first getting the equipment required and identifying the wheel where the issue occurs. Then lift the car with the jack to remove the wheel and clean it thoroughly. You need to clean the brake calipers too.

1. Getting the Necessary Equipment

To find a temporary fix for a brake caliper that is stuck, you must first get the necessary equipment. When you are working, you could suddenly need any tool, so it is best to have all the devices present. Once you have all the equipment, you can start working without stopping to find anything.

Now, the tools you will need to fix the sticking brake calipers of your car are a tire jack, rags, and a lug wrench. It is also essential to have a set of socket wrenches and calipers. For the brakes, you will need a brake greaser and cleaner.

2. Identifying the Problematic Wheels

Before you begin, knowing which wheels are causing you problems is essential. To find this out, you have to identify which of your car’s brakes are sticking. The wheels that are sticking are the ones that you have to get rid of, and you will have to pick them off from the ground.

3. Using the Jack To Lift the Car

To begin the process, you must take your car jack and put it underneath the car. If the instructions to the jack say that you must place it below the wheel, then you must do so. Just follow the instructions that are given for it.

Next, you have to place the chock behind the other wheels of the cars. Doing so will prevent the vehicle from rolling over when setting the brakes. It is important to remember that this will be for your safety, as it will keep you from being injured.

4. Removing the Wheel(s)

For the next step, you have to remove the car’s wheel. You can remove it by using the lug wrench. Ensure you remove all the bolts on the wheel and place them somewhere near you. The bolts should not roll away or get lost since they will be critical to fit the wheel back in.

Putting all the bolts into a small bow near you is best. Remember to remove the wheel by using your hand; once you do remove it, you must also place it in a safe location.

5. Cleaning the Brake Pads Thoroughly

Moving on, you have to get to cleaning your vehicle’s brake pads. Now, after you remove the wheels, you can reach the brakes. After that, you have to take your brake cleaner and ensure it is strong enough to work with. One of the brake cleaners that you can use is the CRC Brakleen Brake Part Cleaner.

It is the perfect cleaner to finish your work just as you want. Now, using the cleaner, you will have to spray onto the exposed parts of the brake pads and the linage. It is imperative to follow the instructions on the package of the cleaner so that you do not get anything done incorrectly.

Spraying will confiscate all of the oil, grease, and dirt that got onto your car’s brakes. Once the brake pad has been cleaned, the sticking and squealing will decrease. This will allow you to drive far more smoothly and safely than you did before.

6. Taking off the Caliper and Brake Pads

After the brakes are completely clean, you will have to move on. The next step is to remove the calipers and the pads of the vehicle. You can start by going over to the calipers and then unbolting them individually.

Once you do this, you must lift them far enough from the bracket to hold them in. By doing this, you can reach the brake pads and then remove them with your hands. It will be easy to remove the pieces by using this method.

7. Assessing the Pads for Possible Replacement

Once you see your brake pads, you carefully analyze them. Now, if you see that the pads are around three millimeters thick or a quarter inch thick, then it means that they have to be replaced at once. When you drive with thins brake pads, squealing occurs more than usual. This also causes the brakes to seize up.

8. Preparing To Clean the Stuck Caliper

Now, you have to clean up the brake calipers. To do so, you have to get any grease that is old. If not, you can also get some lubricants. These will help get rid of the dirt on the caliper.

After that, you have to get a brake cleaner and your rag. Using both items, you will have to scrub onto the caliper so that it cleans up quickly.

9. Cleaning the Calipers

It is important to remember that the bolts and the caliper pins both have a rubber boot on them. Ensure you do not tear them since if there is any damage to the rubber boot, it will enable dirt to build in your calipers. The rubber boots usually get damaged when mechanics change your car’s brake pads. If you notice the rubber boot to be torn, it is best to fix it immediately.

You can use a torn caliper boot or even a broken one to fix it. Replacing them is possible if they are too dirty for you to clean up. On the other hand, if the rubber boots are far too damaged, you might have to replace the complete brake caliper. You cannot keep them as they will not be used anymore.

10. Greasing the Calipers, Slides, and Pins

When you notice that the calipers look clean enough, you must grease them up again. To do so, you will have to use a caliper-specific lubricant. The mentioned lubricant will work very well on the hardware, the back of the brake pads, and the caliper pins.

It is just the correct item to use if you have to work with one of the mentioned things. Another thing that you can use is a generic lube, like white lithium grease. Home mechanics primarily uses it as it costs much less than caliper-specific lubricant.

It is essential to know that generic lubes are not precisely for calipers; however, you can still use them. During the process of greasing the brake calipers, make sure that you properly lubricate the slides and pistons. It is also essential to do the same for the pins and bolts of the brake calipers. There should be a light surface protecting each thing from any dirt that tries to enter.

11. Fitting the Cleaned Components Back Together

When you have cleaned the components, they must be put in their correct places again. The brake caliper will have to be placed back into its original bucket. All of the caliper bolts will have to be threaded into their positions, and after that, you will have to tighten them using your hands.

Since you won’t be able to tighten the bolts properly, it is best to use the wrench. Make sure that you do not pull the bolts too much. If you overtighten them, they could get cracked and damage your pads, brakes, calipers, or vehicle.

12. Securing and Installing the Brake Pads

Moving on, you have to reinstall the brake pads and be assured of the fact that they are secure. The next thing that you have to do is locate your tire on the top of the axle. After doing so, you have to tighten the lug nuts.

It is important to remember not to overtighten them since it can damage the wheel highly. If you want to know how tight the bolts have to be, it is best to check out your owner’s manual. Once you have done this and you notice that one of the brakes is still sticking, you will have to repeat all these steps for each wheel and brake caliper.

How Can You Unstick Brake Calipers if Cleaning Doesn’t Work?

If cleaning doesn’t work, you can unstick brake calipers by bringing your vehicle to a professional mechanic. You might also want to check the hose for any damage. Another thing that might also help would be replacing the emergency brake line.

– Going to a Mechanic

You can go over to the mechanic to unstick the brake calipers when the cleaning does not work. Usually, the brake calipers, pads, and pins must be cleaned meticulously for the problem to be ok. However, in some cases, the issue is solved slowly.

When this happens, you must take the brake calipers to a mechanic. It is best if you take them to a well-experienced mechanic. You might have to pay more, but your brakes will work perfectly afterward. You will see that the brake calipers will no longer be sticky, and neither will they squeal.

– Replacing the Emergency Brake Line

Another technique that you can use is by replacing the emergency brake line. Often, the emergency or parking brakes are linked to the rear brake calipers. When this happens, a damaged brake line may be the one that is pulling your calipers in the wrong way.

This can cause the brakes to stick to one another. Now, if you find out that this is the problem, the solution is to replace the emergency brake line. As soon as you return it, you will see that the brakes won’t stick any longer.

– Checking the Brake Hose for Damage

Whenever there is a breakage in your brake tube, then the fluid of the brake does not come out. On the other hand, the fluid goes inside the brakes themselves. Once the brakes work correctly, the liquid will automatically flow back out and find its way into the master cylinder.

If you are looking for ways to fix this, you must have an entire car jack to begin the procedure. Now, the first thing you must do is get all weight off the wheels. Once you remove the weight, you have to apply the brakes.

Most of the time, when you do this, it will reconfigure the hose for correct liquid flow. However, sometimes it may not work. If this does not work and the liquid does not flow, you must replace the brake hose. It is imperative to remember that the entire hose has to be substituted for the fluid to flow accurately.

Conclusion

A stuck brake caliper could mean a lot of trouble for your car’s internal system and its performance in the long run, which is why it is ideal for unsticking it as soon as possible. With some luck, you will remember that it is easy to do so,

as you can re-check the listed points here:

• To unstick the brake calipers, you need the proper equipment, after which you need to place your vehicle and clean the complex components thoroughly.
• You need to lift the car with the jack and then clean the brake pads, calipers, slides, and pins.
• Once everything has been greased and cleaned, you must install them back together.
• If cleaning doesn’t give you any results, it would be ideal to go to a professional who can provide a proper solution.

Maintenance is a big part of ensuring the longevity of your vehicle and the components it is made up of, and keeping the brakes in their best condition affirms the car’s security in any situation. When you want a temporary fix for unsticking the brake calipers at home, you will get all the help you need from our elaborate methods above!