leaking rear brake caliper

[fondelli]

Just doing a few checks before going on a trip to north wales. I think I have a leak from the passenger side brake caliper- puddle on garage floor. I have read a few other posts and this seems to be an issue. Any tips? I have contacted the factory to see what they say- car is just on 3 mth warranty limit. It's a 2010 SV.

 

Better to find it now I suppose.

[classic1952]

Link to other thread

 

See my comments. Mine is a 2008 kit registered March 2009 with 3500 miles. Supposedly the iffy calipers were only around late 2008/early 2009, but mine has had 3 replacements, 2 in 2010 and one late 2012, which is now leaking again. They all appear to be badly reconditioned old Sierra calipers.

 

Let me know how you go on with Caterham. My thread has gone strangely quiet although hundreds of members have viewed it.

[wjblundell]

I had 5 leaky front calipers during my build in 2010 for the same reason of apparently being poorly reconditioned. Another club member locally I belief had 7 front calipers before finding 2 decent ones. I gave up on them finally and went to big brakes.

[myothercarsa2cv]

I had 2 sets of leaky fronts. Just nipped up the bolts holding the halves together, that's all it was. Just hadn't been torqued up.

 

My rears leaked too after I destroyed them using the wrong nipple...

 

Where is it leaking from? Brake pipe? Piston? Handbrake mech? Not many places it can leak. If it's still under warranty, make it known to CC sharpish. I'm sure they'll fix it for you

[wjblundell]

All mine leaked from the seals, had tried tightening the caliper halves

[classic1952]

Is it not about time that Caterham moved out of the dark ages and started supplying decent brakes as standard? Anyone spending anything from £20000 upwards on a car should be entitled to expect 100% perfect brakes from the outset, instead of which we are fobbed off with shoddy recons of parts that are 25 years old or more.

 

Decent and safe braking is fundamental to Caterham driving and I for one have lost my confidence in the brakes.

 

If one was to spend half the price of a Caterham on an every day car the brakes would not need attention, other than pads (or shoes) for years after purchase. I have run cars for 150000 miles over 6 years and have never needed anything except pads.

 

Why can't Caterham source their parts from a more modern car, thus offering safety and confidence in the system?

 

Caterham charge £108 for shoddy recons when better ones can be sourced for under £50. It is time we stood up and made our views known.

[elie boone]

Almost every modern caliper has only 1 big dia.piston, not really something you want in a light car. A Willwood or Hi-Spec 2 pot caliper would be ideal but quality controle and delivery would be a problem. It's the sign of the times, you want dirt cheap parts that perform faultlessly, it's like willing to win the lottery 2 weeks in a row.

Even if caterham would only build or sell kits with the big brakes, would AP be able to deliver on time?

 

 

[classic1952]

The rear calipers of some front wheel drive cars, such as the Golf, are apparently considered ideal for this sort of application and I think they share the bolt spacing, needing only a different thickness spacer.

 

regardless of anything else, how would Caterham's product liability insurers react if one of the current calipers causes a serious accident?

 

They need to find a better answer urgently.

[elie boone]

Agree about the VAG caliper, but CC would need to make a deal to buy the OEM part and that is another matter. it should be no worry with the under 50£ calipers, maybe CC is not aware of that manufactor

IMHO if there would be a Renault caliper that would fit without major surgery would be the best bet