Jump to content

Replacement Calipers?

Beamie
 Share

Recommended Posts

Beamie Enthusiast

Beamie

Posted
Posted (edited)

Are Raybestos calipers as good as AC Delco? Seeing various grades of AC Delco, I guess just to make things confusing for us.

The current winter road treatment around here has the bleeder screws disintegrating and I haven't seen any restoration services for the bleeders so it might mean new calipers.

Edited by Beamie
CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've used them all. Napa, O-reillys, Autozone etc etc. 80-90% of the stuff you are using are AC delco cores that are rebuilds with new pistons and seals. Same for all the other brands like ford/mopar.

 

Just the other day I bought a rear caliper from my dads 2012 Mazda 3. Guess what is stamped right on the caliper, a giant FORD logo because Ford/Mazda were still partners back then. The caliper I bought from Napa was a Ford part rebuilt to run on a Mazda.

 

If the part has a warranty, I don't even care for the most part. You could buy a reman AC delco part or the AC delco reman in a Napa box and the chances of either failing are the same.

Edited by CamGTP
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, CamGTP said:

I've used them all. Napa, O-reillys, Autozone etc etc. 80-90% of the stuff you are using are AC delco cores that are rebuilds with new pistons and seals. Same for all the other brands like ford/mopar.

 

Just the other day I bought a rear caliper from my dads 2012 Mazda 3. Guess what is stamped right on the caliper, a giant FORD logo because Ford/Mazda were still partners back then. The caliper I bought from Napa was a Ford part rebuilt to run on a Mazda.

 

If the part has a warranty, I don't even care for the most part. You could buy a reman AC delco part or the AC delco reman in a Napa box and the chances of either failing are the same.

Begs a question Cameron. GM has Advantage (good), Professional (better) and OEM Direct Replacement (best) for brake parts. Are you saying there is no difference? It honestly would not surprise me. 

 

Ex use to work for Hybertech in El Paso Texas. Company was the supplier for electronic ignitions for all OEM's. (Cira 1985).

They had a 90  day warranty, (good). A one year warranty (better) and a lifetime warranty part (best). The difference in the three was about $100 USA and the color of the plug so that the company could keep track of which warranty was to be enforced. 

 

Serious question sir. Please, a serious answer.  

CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

Posted
Posted

I'm just not sure how there can be such a big difference. If say we are talking about a brake caliper in this example. Like how can they make the boots, sliders, pistons so that is going to perform better? They aren't using a different material or things like that. It's all the same stuff because the piston can't rust away in one winter, can't be lower quality so that the fluid eats the rubber seals.

 

The better/best stuff from what I see comes down to the coatings and the warranty you want. I see lots of stuff where it may not be painted or has no corrosion protection on it but the "best" one will. Then you also pay the extra money for the warranty. I feel that these companies are banking on the fact that there is a low failure rate and because of that they get to make a little bit more on the part.

 

Other parts like electrical components I always steer clear of the "enter level or good" because they do tend to be made cheaper. Sometimes coming from different countries than the "better" parts. Even putting them side by side the quality can look different.

  • Like 1
Beamie Enthusiast

Beamie

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Title has been corrected to "Calipers". Not sure what I was thinking about writing rotors.

I've bought a few AC delco things that were less than optimum in QC. The latest was the oem grade AC Delco spark plug wires. Three of the wires had the boots misaligned, like someone having their head on backward. Obviously the plant worker was just that.

 

Thus the question Raybestos vs AC Delco on the calipers.

Edited by Beamie
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
39 minutes ago, CamGTP said:

I'm just not sure how there can be such a big difference. If say we are talking about a brake caliper in this example. Like how can they make the boots, sliders, pistons so that is going to perform better? They aren't using a different material or things like that. It's all the same stuff because the piston can't rust away in one winter, can't be lower quality so that the fluid eats the rubber seals.

 

The better/best stuff from what I see comes down to the coatings and the warranty you want. I see lots of stuff where it may not be painted or has no corrosion protection on it but the "best" one will. Then you also pay the extra money for the warranty. I feel that these companies are banking on the fact that there is a low failure rate and because of that they get to make a little bit more on the part.

 

Other parts like electrical components I always steer clear of the "enter level or good" because they do tend to be made cheaper. Sometimes coming from different countries than the "better" parts. Even putting them side by side the quality can look different.

Okay calipers I can see but rotors can be allot different. Right? 

CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

Posted
Posted

Rotors can be different. I know with the Napa products the Premium to the Ultra Premium there is a different in quality. The Premium rotors only have a top hat coating where as the UP's are fully polymer coated. The UP's also have a tighter tolerance for lateral run out than the regular Premium rotors. The warranty is also lifetime on the UP's.

 

The better rotors should be made with a specific metallurgy in mind as well, they are application specific where as the cheaper rotors are going to meet just whatever the minimum spec is required to make a rotor. The better rotor will have a higher tensile strength and be higher on a hardness scale.

 

I'm sure if you dig hard enough you can get that information from various brands and I'm sure that is how AC Delco does their good, better, best too.

  • Thanks 1
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted (edited)

Wife got 75 K out of the OEM rotors on her Terrain. Then 15 K out of the replacement Power Stop. Warped. They warrantied those. She now has 30 K on this replacement set and we have a rapid stop pulse. She drives like she always has so nothing has changed there. We're going to turn on the vehicle and re-pad at next service. If that doesn't work then back to GM OEM Direct Replacement rotors. This stuff is to important to be chintzy with materials. Whatever happens from here on out, it's OEM direct replacement rotors and pads. 

 

Anyway, back to the OP. Thanks for the help Cameron. :) 

 

 

Edited by Grumpy Bear

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Aimatdeer
      Ac not keeping up

      By Aimatdeer · Posted

      I was using recirc/max air. Especially if it really hot i start out by lowering the front windows a little with regular ac the go to recirculation after a few and rolling windows up. And it does not have the newest refrigerant. It has per the info under the hood r134. Not the new r1234yf.  
    • Atlas
      AC diagnostic on a neo-classic Camaro

      By Atlas · Posted

      tldr; Shade tree mechanic stumped by variable displacement AC compressor.   Not Silverado related, but for my 2000 Camaro SS. I've never really used the AC since acquiring the car a good handful of years ago. I plan to take it on a trip this summer so I wanted to make sure the AC was in good shape. On an 73 degree day in the shop with the car idling I set the AC on "Max", temp set to cold, and fan on hi. The compressor turned on and air turned nice and cold.   I let it run for several minutes but noticed the compressor never cycled off. The engine was up to temperature enough that it began cycling the cooling fans on high. I had a set of manifold gauges hooked up and it was consistently at about 25 psi on the low side and between 200 and 225 psi (warm engine) on the high side. Per temperature charts, the low side is low (should be 30-35) and the high side is a little high (up to 170 per chart). I read the low pressure as potentially being under-charged underscored by a continually running compressor This was also underscored by temp readings of mid-20 degrees at the vents. Not just cold, freezing cold. Switching off the AC but leaving the HVAC fan on high produced a deluge of condensation underneath the vehicle. I was getting ice buildup on the evap core most likely.   The low reading (25psi) concerned me that the compressor wasn't switching off so I swapped out the pressure switch. No change in behavior, still ran constantly.   The AC clutch works fine as it engages/disengages with the HVAC switch on command. The compressor relay is good as I swapped it with two different known good relays just to be sure. Having eliminated that, and the pressure switch, I added refrigerant, thinking the constant run and low "low" pressure were signs of a slight undercharge. Makes sense, the car is 26 years old and it doesn't appear the AC system has ever been touched.   Adding some R134a didn't meaningfully change the low side pressure. And that's when a lightbulb flashed upstairs. While I consider the car "old", it's possibly "new" enough to have a variable displacement compressor. Did some reading and sure enough. Dangit. I don't work on these for this reason.   Adding refrigerant means the compressor will just compensate and won't really change pressures until it's severely overcharged or undercharged. But at least I wasn't getting ice/frost anymore, but instead high 30 degree temps out of the vents. That's more normal, but with variable displacement now I have no idea where my charge level is at. It's probably overcharged now. The high side even with the engine radiating serious heat was never really over about 225.   The static pressure at room temperature is dead on, before and after the charge. Both high/low equalize after some rest.   I'm thinking I'll need to take it to a shop. I want the proper charge level so I'm not working the compressor too hard. The only way to get an accurate charge is to evacuate and then re-charge with the exact amount specified for the system -- at least that's what I'm reading.   Anyone here with modern automotive AC knowledge?  
    • Byrds8
      Ac not keeping up

      By Byrds8 · Posted

      Mine is in the shop for the AC now. While it did get cold after a bit, it would take a while to even start to cool the air at all. Turns out the compressor was bad and cycling. 
    • KARNUT
      Ac not keeping up

      By KARNUT · Posted

      I call B.S. when I first moved to Texas my first house would only cool to 80 with the Texas heat. The AC tech said it was normal at 100 degrees outside. I remodeled the house put in a new AC. I could hang meat. My cars may need recirculating to start. Once moving it switches to regular AC and I could hang meat. Living in Texas no one would put up with only 20 degrees difference. 
    • Silverado4x4
      Ac not keeping up

      By Silverado4x4 · Posted

      AC in home or auto only cool down 15-25 degrees from outside temp, but what will help is to put the ac in recirc mode this will recirc the Inside cabin air rather then trying to cool down the outside hot air, I always have mine in recirc mode.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...