So my brake pads were so low but with Christmas I wasn’t able to get them replaced right away. My husband and I went to a junk yard and just to be safe pulled four brake pads that were in amazing condition, two rotors, and two calipers. The cold began getting to me so I went to lie down.

My husband got them all changed AFTER having to go get Brake hose seals because of a leak. The leaking seemed to stop. The brakes however are still spongy. I personally think he pumped air up into the brake line but that’s beside the point. The real issue is we replaced all mentioned above and he went to test it and there was massive grinding. So I suggested at least changing back to the old calipers and see what happened. Well nada. So I suggested changing the rotors back too since the old ones were still in good condition. but my husband swore everything was the same. So he called his boss and his boss suggested changing back the rotors. Go figure huh?

By this time my husband had worked himself into a migraine and I took over. Changed the rotors. So everything was the same except for the new brake pads. The passenger side stopped grinding and I could see the wheel spin fine with no hinderance but the driver side he’d still need to give it some gas to actually get my van to move because the driver side tire was rubbing so much. I can see where it rubs on the inside of the rim and on the caliper.

It’s a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan and everything was working fine with the tire size we currently have. It’s just after changing them. The thing about it is that the two bolts pretty much require the caliper to be lined up just right for the bolt to fit properly so I don’t THINK it’s an issue with the caliper not being aligned properly.

From the start I put the rotor on. Bolted it with the lug nuts and slipped on the caliper. Then put the tire back on and tightened it up. What’s different now? We pulled these brake pads off of a grand caravan and there is no reason why the brake pads could be causing any issue like this. I have googled and can not find anything to help because their circumstances are always slightly different. I am not going to utilize spacers because with four kids and a busy lifestyle being a chauffeur I am not looking for a temporary fix. I am on my own with this tomorrow since my husband has to work and I would love nothing more than to figure this out as soon as possible!

 

First off, as cheap as they are, I never reuse brake pads. However, with several kids, I can understand if you want to save a buck or two. I'll bet the pads came off something where the previous owner waited until the last second and really hammered on the brakes. I'll bet if you look at them, they won't be flat from one end to the other but angled. I had a truck do this after towing a heavy load in some hills. The caliper is designed to float on the pins. When you really honk on the brakes, it wants to twist on the pins. Over time, it will wear at an angle. Every time I touched the brakes, the caliper would grind on the inside of the rim. When I removed the pads and placed them with the friction material to each other, there was a noticeable angle to the seam.

By brake hose seals, do you mean the copper banjo bolt washers? I've reused those in a pinch, but there again, they are so cheap I prefer to get new. On the calipers, it's possible one is dragging on one of the pistons. This would cause the rim to drag. However, the spongy pedal makes me want to ask, are the proper calipers on the correct side? The left caliper MUST be put on the left side. The same with the right. If you swap them, you will never get the air out. The bleeder valve goes at the very top. Otherwise there will be an air bubble every time.

Lastly, what size rims were on the van the calipers came off of? If it had larger wheels, it may hav ehad larger calipers.