Driver's side brake caliper freezes

[martx]

1) Helpful assistants added power steering fluid to my brake system (1999 Yukon) when changing front pads.

 

2) Brakes (front only) start to stick... hmmm.

 

3) Completely flush two quarts of brake fluid through both front lines

 

4) Replace both flex lines

 

5) Front driver side still sticks whenever I brake reasonably hard, but caliper releases when I open the bleed nut.

 

Question: what else could cause this caliper (driver's side only, not both sides) to stick? Antilock brake controller, master cylinder, booster pump? Seems like all these would make both sides stick simultaneously, right?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[anumber1]

The seal on the piston in that caliper has likely swelled due to the fluid mishap/mistake.

 

Either rebuild that caliper with a new seal or replace it.

[brucelimerick]

Re-bleed that side. Might still be a little air in there.

[Nanotech Environmental]

Sometimes the rubber flex hose can swell up inside, or delaminate, causing a buildup in fluid pressure at the caliper.

[martx]

okay... cool. I did immediately replace the flex hoses on both sides... there in no air, I bled the hell out of it...

 

I will either replace or rebuild the caliper and see if that works.

[anumber1]

okay... cool. I did immediately replace the flex hoses on both sides... there in no air, I bled the hell out of it...

 

I will either replace or rebuild the caliper and see if that works.

A few years ago I bought a truck that had motor oil poured into the master cylinder. Luckily it was an 80's k10 (no abs).

 

Every rubber line, wheel cylinder and caliper, and master cylinder seal was damaged . It had sat with oil in the brake fluid for a few weeks. Plenty of time to damage it all.

 

I bet a little love on that caliper and all will be right.

[martx]

yeah....maybe I should replace the master cylinder too, just in case.

 

Thanks!

[martx]

Well, folks, thought I would tell the rest of the story...

 

So, I bought new calipers and didn't have time to replace them. I just kept a 10mm wrench in the truck and when I hit the brakes hard enough to lock the driver's side caliper, I would pull over, crack the bleed nut, let the pressure off and get back on the road.

 

Heh... so.

 

Saturday was coming and I made plans to change the calipers and hope. But. On Friday I seemed to never lock up the caliper. So I got home and decided to try to figure out what was going on. I drove it around the block a couple times. I hit the brakes hard several times... I could not lock up that caliper.

 

What?

 

So... I still have not switched out the calipers... and the brakes function normally now.

 

I should probably still switch out the calipers and bleed the front lines again... but how do you like that?