Front caliper sticking but releases after stopping

PullMeOverRed · April 8

I have a 2017 Silverado 1500. The driver's front caliper will get stuck after I brake hard at highway speeds, 70 plus. The caliper will release when I come to a complete stop and fully depress the brake pedal. It is only the driver's side. I have checked the rotors with a temp gun and only one is abnormally hot when this happens. I can drive for months without the issue showing up. I removed the caliper and both pistons seem to move ok I am trying not to change unnecessary parts chasing the problem and I am hoping someone here will have some insight.

rav3 · April 8

Your truck is 8-9 years old now with ****** miles. Lots of things can co wrong. If you haven't bled tge brakes moisture can get into the the piston area and corrode it, causing this issue. A pinched or internal collapse of brake line case cause it.

No silver bullet. I'd remove caliper & remove piston & check bore & piston for crusty. Also how is the seal on it?

PullMeOverRed · April 8

5 minutes ago, rav3 said:

Your truck is 8-9 years old now with ****** miles. Lots of things can co wrong. If you haven't bled tge brakes moisture can get into the the piston area and corrode it, causing this issue. A pinched or internal collapse of brake line case cause it.

No silver bullet. I'd remove caliper & remove piston & check bore & piston for crusty. Also how is the seal on it?

Thanks for the reply. I did not remove the pistons and inspect them, the seal is fine though. I will disassemble the caliper and look for corrosion this weekend. I read somewhere that the master cylinder seals could be an issue but I would expect that would affect more than one wheel. Thanks again

KARNUT · April 8

I had trouble with the front rubber lines in older trucks swelling restricting the return flow of brake fluid.

newdude · April 8

Replace the caliper.

Just because the pistons push back okay doesn't mean the caliper is good. Per your description of what's happening, its not retracting properly after a stop.

Edited April 8 by newdude

mikeyk101 · April 8

Are you absolutely sure it is the caliper sticking and not the pad binding in the bracket? I had a problem several years ago when I tried replacing the pads with aftermarket ones I bought from O'Reilly's. The pads fit too tightly in the bracket. When braking, the pads were getting stuck against the rotor but would eventually release. I picked up some OEM AC Delco pads and changed out the aftermarket pads and the problem was gone.