There's always something...

[Robert Wiles]

My Z hasn't been driven since I had to go into hospital a couple of months ago. Well, New Year's Day dawned dry bright and sunny so I thought it would be nice to take the old girl out for a blast. Wrapped up warm, installed a well insulated mrsw in the passenger seat and off we went. Everything was going swimmingly until I pulled up at at set of lights at the end of a quick (very quick...) section of rural dual carriageway. "What's that smell of burning?" I thought. Then I looked in the drivers side mirror only to see blue smoke wisping out of the rear wheelarch. Soon as I could I pulled over to check and the wheel was well warm to say the least and covered in brake dust. Stuck caliper . Fortunately not so bad that I couldn't get home safely.

Spent the afternoon Googling for new calipers. I have to say I was mildly surprised that the best price I could find was a Pagid one from Euro Car Parts at £119 less £27 on return of the old unit. Maybe my memories are stuck in a time when a set of pads for anything but the most exotic cost about seven quid....

 

[t-tony]

Sorry Rob, you're not mistaken in any way. Rear callipers are stupidly more expensive than front ones, why is anyone's guess. Mostly people buy a refurb kit (including new pistons) and rebuild the callipers themselves. If you know anywhere to get them shot blasted they can end up like new. One tip though, make sure the bleed screw will undo without snapping first.

Tony.

 

[Robert Wiles]

Sorry Rob, you're not mistaken in any way. Rear callipers are stupidly more expensive than front ones, why is anyone's guess. Mostly people buy a refurb kit (including new pistons) and rebuild the callipers themselves. If you know anywhere to get them shot blasted they can end up like new. One tip though, make sure the bleed screw will undo without snapping first.

Tony.

Thanks for the advice Tony, I think I'll look at a refurb.

 

[Lee]

Also very easy to do. The bits are normally around £40-50.

 

[Sean d]

Thanks for the advice Tony, I think I'll look at a refurb.

I have put a pair of Z4 rear calipers on the 2.8, I got them off ebay, fully reburbished and powder coated £80 for the pair, there is a small surprise though, took me weeks to sort it

 

[roadvoyager1]

Bought mine on-line from Brakes International, Rochdale (www.brakesint.co.uk) tel. 01706 666999. Much cheaper than ECP. I paid £60 on an exchange basis for calipers.

 

[Robert Wiles]

Thanks for that roadvoyager1.

 

[Tracy Dee]

Sounds familiar mind did that last year but on the front mine fully stuck couldn't move the car each time it was freed off it stuck solid again.
Lucky enough it was the front £60.00 plus fitting of course.
Hope you get it sorted especially at a better price for a rear caliper.

 

[Synclare]

I've found 'BigRedd' (or was it BiggRed) very good for refurb bits, they do refurbed calipers too if you cba doing it yourself.

 

[Mint]

Watching with interest as I have an intermittent sticking caliper on the front O/S and back N/S. I've tried the 'move the piston out and in a few times' but I think I need to bite the bullet and fit new fronts and refurb the backs...

 

[t-tony]

Watching with interest as I have an intermittent sticking caliper on the front O/S and back N/S. I've tried the 'move the piston out and in a few times' but I think I need to bite the bullet and fit new fronts and refurb the backs...

Why not refurb the fronts too Dave? As long as you fit new pistons they're just as good.

Tony.

 

[Tracy Dee]

Pity we couldn't refurb ours to save a few penny's
But front are not a bad price.

 

[Mint]

Why not refurb the fronts too Dave? As long as you fit new pistons they're just as good.

Tony.

Can get a pair of fronts for about £60, didn't think it worth refurbing for that.
But over £100 each for the rears... well that's a different matter

 

[roadvoyager1]

Can get a pair of fronts for about £60, didn't think it worth refurbing for that.
But over £100 each for the rears... well that's a different matter

Bought mine on-line from Brakes International, Rochdale (www.brakesint.co.uk) tel. 01706 666999. Much cheaper than ECP. I paid £60 on an exchange basis for calipers.

Rears for £60!! Job done!!

 

[Mint]

Rears for £60!! Job done!!

It's a good site but they're £72 per side now, so £144 for both sides. I think I'll still go down the refurb route for the rears.