Dragging Brakes

[sacwac]

So, it looks like my front brakes are dragging. A neighbor said he heard it, from about 50 meters away. The car doesn't pull hard to either side, yet. I suspect the brake pistons are not retracting properly into the cylinders.

The manual says it could be the pistons not retracting properly, or several other things such as: booster push rod, brake line restricted, or the master cyclinder faulty.

Is there any way I can isolate each component, and determine the cause of the problem?

[2wagons]

Sacwac,
You can take the calipers apart, check the pistons and cylinders, buy a cheap rebuild kit and rebuild the calipers- easy to do. Most of the time, when I had problems with my calipers, I found that the pistons were corroded, cylinder walls were pitted and the rubber parts torn- so I just replaced the calipers. I wonder if it might be better/safer in the long run to just replace your calipers?

On my "new" wagon, my front calipers did the same thing- I smelled burning brakes and when I got home, the rims were too hot to touch- don't ask me how I know they were to hot to touch :blink: I did not know the history of the calipers and they got so hot, that instead of rebuilding the calipers, I just replaced all the calipers and decided to replace the rear at the same time. The cost of calipers and rear cylinders were relatively cheap. While the brakes were off I purged all lines to check for blockage. Just a few hours of work and I have a "new" brake system that I know the history of the component and my gas mileage improved! I still have to rebuild or replace the master cylinder though.

[GTSSportCoupe]

I would recommend the same as 2wagons did. I replaced the calipers/pistons/pads/rotors and flexable brake hoses on my tercel; it made a huge difference in the braking performance of the car. Definitely worth it for the money.

Also, keep in mind the reason braking systems get rusted internally is that brake fluid absorbs water into it over time. So it is a good habit to get your entire brake system flushed with new fluid every couple years or so. I have started using a synthetic brake fluid, not sure if there is really any difference, but thought it was worth a try.

[takza]

So, it looks like my front brakes are dragging. A neighbor said he heard it, from about 50 meters away. The car doesn't pull hard to either side, yet. I suspect the brake pistons are not retracting properly into the cylinders.

My guess is master cylinder...since usually(?) just one caliper would tend to stick at one time.

There's a writeup on replacing brake lines....this braking system is a doozy when things go wrong?

I'd try bleeding them..but I had to buy a vacuum bleeder to get mine right.

If you have air in the lines or calipers...when you drive awhile...the fluid gets hot and causes generally sticking brakes (all 4)...but you also need to know how the air got in.

[Typrus]

Where can you get a good price on replacements? Mine are kinda jumpy for some reason. Pads and rotors are fine, as are the shoes and drums, it just seems to be very very soft then suddenly it grabs and grabs hard. I just got this particular Tercel and haven't driven it much yet, aside from driveway and neighborhood runs, up to 30mph. Just so you know, I personally have not driven another Tercel so it could be normal for these cars. All I know is that in my 60 hours of driving experience thus far, neither the Ford Excursion or VW Passat do this.

Additionally, is the rear drum-to-disk brake conversion at all reputable? I've heard some good things about it, the only downside being the trouble finding an efficient parking brake system to replace the OE. On top of that, I misplaced the link to the site.

[russkiypenguin1]

I don't know about the rear drum-to-disc conversion kit. Let me know about it as I'm interested in installing this feature in the future. Not that I need additionaly braking power, it's just that I hate doing drum brakes.

What you are describing is NOT normal behaviour. I don't know where to begin troubleshooting, but it is not normal. I personally would expect bleeding the brakes to help. It sounds almost like you have sediment or rust in one line or more likely in the master cylinder. So the pressure builds up and finally shoves the blockage through.

[Typrus]

I just ran out and looked at my Terc's calipers a half hour ago and low and behold, my drivers side bleed valve is snapped off! Only about 1/4 inch of smooth, corroded tubing is exposed. How do I replace the bleed valve? Do I need to just do a whole redo? If so, how much is it going to set me back? If I DO have to do the brake system overhaul, can you just grab the front calipers and rotors from a newer Terc (vented system) and use them with OE mounts, lines, and master cylinder?

Now I doubt anyone else has, but who knows... Has anyone seen a plus-one brake system for the Tercels? I know they're supposed to have a great braking system already (as said per parents testimony and this sites word) but I intend to do a lot of highway driving (mostly between 60 and 180 mile trips each way) and need a braking system that is going to not even have a chance of failing me in Denver's T-Rex traffic (TONS of stop and go, including parking-lot-pavement and 0-40-0mph stretches) That would be one area that the vented disks would help a lot with, especially if they were the slotted variety.

Just an afterthought, does the stock braking system fight if the Terc is loaded down, and you have 1 inch larger diameter wheels/tires?

[takza]

Mine are kinda jumpy for some reason. Pads and rotors are fine, as are the shoes and drums, it just seems to be very very soft then suddenly it grabs and grabs hard. I just got this particular Tercel and haven't driven it much yet, aside from driveway and neighborhood runs, up to 30mph.

Could be just rust from sitting so long and from not being used much. Might be the vac booster?