Inoperable Caliper

[Redbull14]

As I was rotating my tires I noticed the driver side brake pads to be almost gone, which was strange as they should not be that far gone. The passenger side lower caliper bolt was incredibly difficult to back out and refused to come out the entire way. I was able to rotate the caliper down to remove the pads to find out they were almost new. Obviously, the passenger side caliper is not functioning well. Any insights before I dig in? I’m guessing it’s a bad guide pin on the caliper due to the problem backing the bolt out. The ***** who did the last brake job (me) probably over torqued the bolt. ‍

 

[Redbull14]

Also, just ignore the weird sign at the end of my post. It was supposed to be the emoticon of the guy slapping his forehead.

 

[jman1200]

Guide pins need to be lubed regularly with caliper grease. I do it twice a year every time I switch tires, I also **** the area where the pads rest on the pad shims. Your caliper piston might be also seized by now due to the lack of movement.
You need to pull the pins out, clean and **** them , maybe sand them to a shine and smooth surface if needed. Some pins come with a rubber seal on the end, I don't recall if these have it. Check if those are still good.
Pin kits can be purchased separately, might be best to replace them.

Also, make sure the rubber boots are not torn, that will allow dirt/dust to get to the pins and seize them.

 

[AlexS925]

I had this happen to me on my 14 SEL. It the pin actually was stuck or rust welded on so bad I had to take the entire caliper off and torch it out. I ended up replacing all of the pins and rubber boots and lubing the pins well. They’re cheap to replace. After that the brakes worked perfect. If I were you I’d take them out and buy new pins and **** them well, or clean them if they’re not that bad.

 

[PaulTAutoX]

I had this happen to me on my 14 SEL. It the pin actually was stuck or rust welded on so bad I had to take the entire caliper off and torch it out. I ended up replacing all of the pins and rubber boots and lubing the pins well. They’re cheap to replace. After that the brakes worked perfect. If I were you I’d take them out and buy new pins and **** them well, or clean them if they’re not that bad.

What's everyone's favorite **** for caliper pins?
Any preference for basic CRC vs. Versalube vs. something else?

 

[Hebes10]

What's everyone's favorite **** for caliper pins?
Any preference for basic CRC vs. Versalube vs. something else?

I use the Permatex ceramic extreme and it works great. They have a new silicone ceramic extreme but I have not tried that yet.