So my car is approaching 125k miles. I've been planning on doing a full brake rebuild for over a year now but life got in the way so I had to postpone it. About 35,000 miles ago the OEM factory installed pads wore out and began grinding into the rotors. At that point I was not ready to do my own brake job so I went down the street to a mediocre auto place and for $250 they slapped on new pads in the front and machined the rotors. I've been driving on that ever since and recently my brakes had gotten very loud. About 2 weeks ago I had a issue with the front right brake where the pads were somehow stuck against the rotor but like hard. As I was driving I felt a medium rumble from the front of the car, and when I would depress the brakes the rumble got louder and there was a strong vibration coming thru the steering wheel. Even though I had never had this issue before I knew it was something with the brakes. The constant rubbing of the pad against the rotor released so much brake dust that after washing my car and wheels and driving for just a little bit the front right wheel was very dark with brake dust. After parking the car at home, I would check the front wheels and the right front wheel was giving off a tremendous amount of heat, whereas the left front wheel gave off no heat. This is how I knew the pads were stuck against the rotor.

A few months ago I realized I did not order enough parts for my brake job. I made the same mistake on the engine mounts job I did earlier this year. I did not order enough parts. Perhaps I'm just a slow learner but I only ordered one pad bracket and one tension spring for each wheel, when it should have been 2. I misread the parts description at KIAPARTSNOW.COM, and I didn't realize that when looking at the parts diagram, it says FOUR NEEDED, because the website is quietly insisting that when you work on brakes, you do both front wheels, not just one wheel. Duh. Look man it's my first time ok. Meaning 2 per wheel, so 4 pad brackets and 4 tension springs for the front rotors, and 4 for the back rotors. The brake hardware for the back rotors is a bit smaller than the front rotors.

Today I realized that for someone who has NEVER worked on brakes before, to do a full brake rebuild (remove caliper, replace piston boot and seal, clean caliper, new pads, new rotors, bleed brake system) is relatively overwhelming. No matter how many youtube videos you watch, how many forums you read, and even with the ALLDATA service manual, none of this can prepare you to complete this project without running into issues that you did not study for.

Today I decided to take off the wheel and see if I can temporarily remedy this stuck pad issue. I took about 10 short videos throughout the job and will post them below.

As soon as I removed the caliper, I noticed a number of things. The guide rod bolts/boots were not moving very smoothly, they seemed almost stuck in place. I removed the guide rod bolts, cleaned them off, and put ceramix extreme lubricant on them, afterwards they seemed to move pretty well. Since I've never done this before, I have no comparison so I'm still not 100% sure if they are as smooth and lubed as they should be. I have decided, that when I order more brake hardware, I will also order the guide rod rubber boots as well in order to put on new ones. I did not like the way these old ones were behaving. I will also need to clean out that deep tube in the caliper where the guide rod bolts slide into.

I made a mistake removing my old brake pads. Not in a single video, or forum post, or ALLDATA service manual does it specifically tell you how to remove the brake pads from the brake pad brackets. You will see this in my videos but when I removed the pads, I ended up bending this little metal tab on the bracket, and when I tried to bend it back into place it broke off. I DID NOT KNOW, that you need like a flat head screwdriver to press down on this tab in order to slide out the pads. I am so happy that I did this brake job trial run today because I had only 2 new brackets which I was able to use. I did not work on the other front wheel today, I only did the front right one. Now that I know how to properly press down on that little metal tab to slide out the pad, I can confidently work on the other front wheel later this week.

Anyways, I got a wire brush for my drill and my initial intention was to polish the rust off the OLD pad brackets but once I broke off that tab I realized I cannot use them, so I had to use the new brake pad brackets I had, which I only had 2 of them.

Upon examining the old pads they were in bad shape. There was clearly some uneven wear, so I got a wire brush and cleaned them up as best I can.

I have Wurth brake cleaner. I've never used brake cleaner before, no joke lol. When I removed my throttle body to clean it last year, I did not use brake cleaner, I used throttle body cleaner.

I used the brake cleaner on the old brake pad brackets but still eventually I realized with that broken tab I cannot re-use them.

I polished the ears of the pads as best I could. The goal is to make the pads slide back and forth in the brackets as smooth as possible to ensure quiet brake operation.

I popped in the new brake pad brackets, and then I popped in the brake pads. I used ceramic extreme everywhere the brake pad comes into contact with the bracket. I eventually realized that all these youtube videos I watched of properly lubricating the pad ears, but it wasn't the ears that were coming into contact with bracket. It was the area to the side of the ears that was coming into contact with the brackets. I did put some ceramic extreme lubricant there. Then I popped back in the tension springs, and I noticed that the pads fit very tight into the brackets, and did not move as freely as I had hoped they would.

Is this ok? Is this how the pads should be? Should they be more smooth, and be able to slide back and forth more freely, or should they be a little tight? There was a lot of friction between the bottoms and tops of the pads against the brake pad bracket.

I guess I'll never know until I try to drive.

So, the next step is to get the caliper back on.

This is where I ran into trouble. I was not able to push the piston back into the caliper. I did remove the cap from my brake fluid reservoir. And I had purchased a special tool to push the piston back in. I was not able to budge the piston. This is supposed to be a really good tool, but I couldn't move it. My neighbor saw me working and came over to check it out. He said that a C-clamp would work better, but my tool is basically a C clamp with just more features. I doubt a C clamp would have moved the piston back. Anyways, I was still able to get the caliper back on over the pads because these pads are already half worn. If I had put on brand new pads, the caliper likely would NOT have slid over the pads and I would've been screwed. That's why I'm glad I did a little trial run on the brake job today, because I now know I have to figure out how to get the piston to go back in. I was only able to slide the caliper over the pads because these pads were halfway worn anyways. I had thought to maybe polish off with the wire brush the area where the pads sit on the new brackets, but my neighbor said the brackets are coated black because it's likely a rust inhibitor coating, and that I shouldn't polish it off.

So I torqued the guide rod bolts. I put everything back together and went for a ride. Needless to say, the front right brake was working very well, and very quiet. I actually heard some squealing coming from my front left brake, which I will clean up sometime later this week, and I will be extra careful not to break those tabs on the pad brackets. The front right wheel braked very well, I went for a test drive and everything is working great, the pad is no longer rubbing against the rotor, it braked very quietly. I guess, that even though the pads seemed to fit TOO tightly into the pad brackets, it worked well while driving. It did not seem like the pads were stuck against the rotor. All in all, it was a success. It was a great learning experience, for my first time ever removing a caliper and looking at stuff. I just need to figure out, why was I not able to push the piston back in? I'm very lucky I was able to get the caliper back on.

 

 

I've been reading about what could cause a seized piston.

I wonder, that when I removed the caliper, I was attempting to hang it on a hook, I may have spun the caliper around a few times which may have caused a twist or kink in the brake line, which may have prevented fluid from moving back and forth?

Some people said to open the bleeder and then you can push the piston back in, but if the brake hose is the problem, once I put everything back on and drive and press the brake again, the piston will again seize?

Some mechanics suggest to press the brake pedal down once, and this will cause the piston to come out further, but will release the pressure inside the caliper drum, thus allowing you to push the piston back in.

I am worried that if I press the brake pedal, and the piston comes out further, that I still will not be able to push it back in, and if the piston came out even further I may not able to fit it over the pads to put it back together, in which case I won't be able to drive the car.

It's possible the piston seal and boot are just really worn? Which means I need a caliper rebuild, which was part of my original plan anyways.

Let me ask you this. I was able to get the caliper back on the old pads. If the piston is seized, is it still being compressed against the pads? I guess what I'm asking is, if I'm driving with a seized piston, is that piston still working and being pushed against the pads, and just not retracting, or am I driving on just one functional brake (front left one). If my front right piston is seized, is it only my front left brake that is actually braking? Does a seized piston simply not move at all even when pressing the brake pedal?

 

Let me ask you this. I was able to get the caliper back on the old pads. If the piston is seized, is it still being compressed against the pads? I guess what I'm asking is, if I'm driving with a seized piston, is that piston still working and being pushed against the pads, and just not retracting, or am I driving on just one functional brake (front left one). If my front right piston is seized, is it only my front left brake that is actually braking? Does a seized piston simply not move at all even when pressing the brake pedal?

All depends on when the caliper freezes. Typically, corrosion of the caliper occurs while the car is sitting for long periods. In this case the caliper is locked and useless.

If a caliper seizes while in use then the brake pad will be against the rotor (or drum) until wear occurs. Worst case is a bad brake line or heat problem where the piston is constantly being pushed against the pad/shoe. Hot brakes will result.

 

I've run across 3 things that caused frozen caliper pistons:

1. Most common - corrosion. Piston literally jammed.

2. Heat (combined with bad check valve in master cylinder). Owner had installed his own "modified" metal brake lines and had routed one too close to the exhaust manifold.

3. Oddest - bad brake hose. The rubber brake hoses are not like a water hose. The fluid passageway in a rubber brake hose is VERY tiny. If the rubber is damaged (in my case the car I was working on had been in an accident and the brake hose had been stretched) it can cause the brake fluid to self-close when returning and maintain pressure on the caliper piston.

The term for internal damaged brake hoses is "delamination" - the loose rubber can create a blocking valve:

 

That is all great information. That will help me diagnose the issue.

Did you see my video on how tight the pads are sitting in the new brackets?

The new brackets are black, is that because it's a rust proof coating?

In the old brackets I tried polishing them clean and shiny. If there was any rust proof coating I may have polished it off.

If I were to install the old brackets, where I polished off the rust proof coating, would they end up rusting bad eventually?

The pads seemed really tight sitting in the new brackets, perhaps they're supposed to be like that.

 

That is all great information. That will help me diagnose the issue.

Did you see my video on how tight the pads are sitting in the new brackets?

The new brackets are black, is that because it's a rust proof coating?
Yes - it is "bluing": Bluing, sometimes spelled as blueing, is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating.

In the old brackets I tried polishing them clean and shiny. If there was any rust proof coating I may have polished it off.
I would not reuse them that way.

If I were to install the old brackets, where I polished off the rust proof coating, would they end up rusting bad eventually?
Probably will rust.

The pads seemed really tight sitting in the new brackets, perhaps they're supposed to be like that.
Your brakes have return springs - these move the pads AWAY from the rotor to reduce rolling resistance. The clips in the retainers is to keep the pads in place until you complete the caliper installation. The brake pads should be able to freely move away from the rotor when the brakes are not engaged.

At this point in your brake work (pictured) you should be able to push the pads in by hand and when you release the pads they should move away from the rotor freely:

 

That is all great information. That will help me diagnose the issue.

Did you see my video on how tight the pads are sitting in the new brackets?

The new brackets are black, is that because it's a rust proof coating?

In the old brackets I tried polishing them clean and shiny. If there was any rust proof coating I may have polished it off.

If I were to install the old brackets, where I polished off the rust proof coating, would they end up rusting bad eventually?

The pads seemed really tight sitting in the new brackets, perhaps they're supposed to be like that.

In your video the outer pad moves freely (1:13/1:57):

 

when you say outer, you mean just the outer one, not the inner one?

I simply did not see you move the inner pad - if it moves like the outer one you are good to go. You do not want a lot of play between the pad and retainer either.

I've never done this procedure before, so I have nothing to compare it to, so I'm not sure if the pad is moving as freely as it should. To me it seems a bit too snug, too tight, maybe over time it will wear in? I have heard of people having to file down their pad ears. And I'm using the correct lubricant, the ceramic extreme brake lubricant. I put the same on the guide pins. I have a feeling it will be ok. I will just have to keep an eye on it or occasionally remove the wheel to ensure the pad is wearing evenly. My bigger concern is that I may have a seized piston issue.

When you are done with the brakes simply jack each wheel up and have someone push the brake pedal while you turn the wheel by hand to insure the brake is working. If the wheel never stops you have a stuck piston...if the wheel won't turn (make sure tranny is in neutral) you have a problem...

 

When you are done with the brakes simply jack each wheel up and have someone push the brake pedal while you turn the wheel by hand to insure the brake is working. If the wheel never stops you have a stuck piston...if the wheel won't turn (make sure tranny is in neutral) you have a problem...

yes this thought crossed my mind. I may actually start the engine while jacked up and try the brakes like that, with the wheel off.

A few days ago, before I worked on my brake on this wheel, I had washed the car. Anytime I wash my car I put it on jack stands, because I'm really tall it makes it a lot easier on my back if the car is a foot off the ground, and it's easier to clean the wheel. I will usually release the parking brake, and put the car in neutral, so I can spin the wheels, this makes it a lot easier to clean them and dress them with a water based tire shine. When I did this a few days ago, I noticed the front right wheel was hard to move, while the front left wheel moved easily. This was another symptom I noticed of a stuck pad or seized piston, whichever. Yesterday, after I cleaned my pads, lubricated them and put in new pad brackets, the wheel then moved very easily, just like the other front wheel, so I knew my job was successful.

I still have to open up the front left brake and inspect it, and clean it out. I think I got the pad procedure down well. The next step is to figure out why I can't retract the piston. I have been reading about several ways to make this happen. I still have to order all the parts, like boots and seals. For now I've just been familiarizing myself with the parts and how everything works, and just practicing taking them on and off. It sounds like a lot of work but this is how I learn, by repetition. I've been driving today and the front right brake brakes well and quietly, however the front left one still makes really high squeals.

When you say retainer, exactly which part are you referring to?

 

Out of everything I've done on the car so far, I feel that working on the brakes is by far the most complex and troublesome. There's too many variables and moving parts. You have to properly clean everything, remove rust, dirt, dust, debris. You then need the right type of lubricant in several different places. You need the proper positioning of various components. I know you guys have been doing this for years but for a first timer like myself I find this area of the car requires a lot of expertise. I can't believe that I thought I could remove calipers, deep clean them, put in new boots and seals, put in new rotors and pads, and bleed the brake fluid all in one day. I mean it took me 4 hours just to work on one wheel today. However I did a better job on this wheel than the other one. I polished the pad with a wire brush. Cleaned it up as best I could. There was a ton of dust in the 2 lines/cuts on the pads.

This time around I was able to retract the piston a bit. After I finished placing the pads I went to put the car in neutral so I can spin the rotor to see of it's sticking. When putting it in neutral I pressed the brake and it fell to the floor kind of. I panicked and though what if the piston comes out substantially. I was luck though the piston moved just a little bit, and actually I was able to retract with my piston kit. Apparently by pressing the brake pedal the piston did move a little bit but it also released the pressure in the caliper and I was able to retract the piston enough to place the caliper over the bracket. I did not have to open the bleeder.

I also realized the pads aren't interchangeable. One of the pads has these 2 dots/bumps on it, like 2 bumps parallel to each other, and apparently that pad goes on the outside. I had to double check my other wheel to realized this. I guess the piston is supposed to press against the pad that does not have the 2 bumps on it? Also it was this pad that has an indent from the piston on it so it was easy to tell which pad sat where.

To make a long story short, I eventually concluded that the cheap pads the mechanic I went to about 30,000 miles ago are not quite up to OEM specs. By reading a few car forums I guess sometimes with cheap pads they are just a tiny bit too long, and you have to file or shave off like a millimeter from the top and bottom. I don't have the proper tool for this because I haven't yet come across this issue but I took an old nail file from my wife and it actually worked rather well. I filed down the tops and bottoms of each pad and it did improve how they move but it was minimal and I still need to file even more. My neighbor came over and suggested I buy a Dremel tool, which I've never had one before. He said get the metal attachment for it and it will work well to sand down the pads.

On this wheel I did a better job cleaning out the glide bolt tunnels. I used a lot of Qtips to clean out as much old grease as I could, including on the boots and then used the ceramic extreme paste on it. These glide bolts ended up moving a bit smoother than the ones I did on the other wheel.

I ordered these bore brushes, to eventually clean out the glide bolt tunnels really well. On this wheel, the bottom glide bolt moved substantially smoother than the top one. I noticed the TOP glide bolt has a little rubber neck on it towards the end. What is the purpose?

Anyways, it's been a terrific learning process, and I'm glad I spent over 6 months reading and gathering information on these parts. I drive so much and the car gets a lot of wear and tear, so being able to work on the brakes myself is a huge leap for me in being independent. I wonder though, all the brake lubricant I applied, will it wash off during heavy rain, or when washing the car? Which, living near Miami, we have quite a wet season, and I wash my car frequently.

I may consider re-applying the brake lubricant maybe every 90 days or so? After doing this a few times I'll be able to do it much quicker. The rotors have 125k miles on them, and the pads are super cheap, however after all the work I did the brakes are silent, even when braking hard, and seem to work very well. I went for a test drive and braked really hard a few times, when I came back I checked the rotors and they were a little hot not nearly as hot as they used to get. There was no heat emanating from the rotor or caliper. It does not seem like the pads are dragging across the rotor while I'm not braking. It's a massive improvement over how it was before and it's really improved the braking and driving experience. I'm looking forward to rebuilding the pistons and bleeding the fluid eventually.

 

 

Wow its one of the easiest jobs for me

 

taking stuff apart and putting it back together is easy, but this system has 125k miles on it, and everything is rusty. I had a lot of trouble trying to get the pads to move freely in the brackets.

 

We drove to the beach today and the brakes seemed okay but then after we left the beach and I started driving there was a very loud and rhythmic knocking noise coming from the front left brake. I'm not really sure what I did wrong. The knocking seemed so severe that I didn't even want to drive home slowly on it and had to get towed. I have failed.

 

You've angered the car gods

 

 

Check to see maybe you picked up something or something being dragged.

 

It took 5 hours for a tow truck to show up. My gf hates my guts. She's like just go to a mechanic and get the brakes done. I think my problem is that I keep trying to polish, and shave and clean up and lubricate the old pads and old rotors to make them run quiet when I should just throw them out and install the new ones sitting in my closet. Maybe the old pads are super cheap ones and are already like 60% worn. The problem may also be with my calipers. Is it possible both calipers are getting stuck or seized? What are the odds it's the same problem on both wheels? I don't get it. I spent so much time going over everything with wire wheels and wire brushes. I lubricated both sides of the brake pad bracket. I cleaned out the guide pin holes, I removed the guide pin boots and cleaned them, and then lubricated them. I don't think the issue is the guide pins. I have a feeling it's something with the piston not retracting, but what are the odds the brake hose on both wheels is bad? I just really wanted to see if I could make the old pads and rotors run quiet. I had figured it would be a good learning experience before I eventually put in the new pads and rotors. I even managed to retract the piston completely and sprayed it with a silicone lubricant. I got a fine grit sandpaper and sanded down the pads just a little bit to remove and hot spots or glazing. I may have removed too much metal off the top and bottom of the pads using a Dremel tool. Iwonder if that is somehow causing the pad to just slightly move up and down causing the knocking sound. There are so many variables that for someone like me with little experience working on brakes makes it difficult to troubleshoot and pinpoint the issue.

I think what I need to do is raise the car, and remove the wheels, then start the car and put it in drive, and let the wheels spin while pressing the brake. Then I can look at the caliper and rotor to see what is going on. If the piston is indeed not retracting or whatever, I'll be able to see it.

 

Yes, raise the vehicle & have an assistant be a the controls so you can see what exactly is going on with your brakes, brake calipers & or wheels.

Also, let your gf hate your guts cause there's nothing wrong with one wanting to learn about their vehicle or learn about cars. Yours & other's car pain helps the forteforums community

 

 

Abs and traction are engaging when I put the car in drive.

 

Maybe I somehow got air in the system, or due to rectracting the pistons it pushed some crud back into the valves? Maybe I just need to bleed they system.

 

Have you been able to determine what was causing the clunking?

...and stop fretting about the way the wheels are spinning - you do not have a positrac so the 2 front wheels will not turn at the same speed when the ABS is kicking in.

 

I swear, the guys who told me working on brakes is easy, I'm really starting to hate you.

So I called a local mechanic and he said that this is happening because the car is up in the air and the wheels are off. He said put the wheels back on and drive it.

So I put the wheels back on and the issue went away. While I was no longer having the ABS problem, as I was driving the car I noticed the front right pads are dragging on the rotor. When I got out I could tell that rotor was hotter than the other one. This is the issue I had with the old brakes. I'm positive it's not the caliper as I cleaned and lubricated it quite well. Perhaps it's just a bad piston or something. I'm certain the guide pins are not seizing. I also bled the system. I installed the speed bleeders. I guess they work well. I don't know. I would unscrew it slightly and attach a hose into a bucket and had my GF pump the brakes. I believe I got out all the bubbles. I went thru exactly 2 bottles of dot 4.

When driving at high speeds I can feel quite a rumble coming from this wheel. I'm getting really tired of working on these brakes. I have spent over 40 hours just on the front 2 wheels over the past few weeks. I think the issue is the piston is not retracting. I'm so tired of this.

if I drive like this for a few days, will it somehow damage or warp the rotor, or prematurely wear the pads/

 

Stupid question, I'm sure Walt, but did anyone recommend you replace the rubber brake hose? Sometimes, they wear out and when they do, you can't see it because it's from the inside. They will collapse and not reopen thus allowing the caliper to stay compressed and push the pads against the rotor. I'm too lazy to read back through 7 pages just to see if that was recommended. You can check the hose by manually squeezing it and feeling for a soft spot. If you find one, then replace that damned rubber hose.

 

I am certain that the issue is not with the guide pins. I've been thinking about the possibility of a bad brake hose.

Looking at the brake line here it seems to be in 2 separate pieces. There's the hose that goes from the caliper, and it goes about 6 to 8 inches to a little connector, and then the other end of that connector is another hose, that was a wired spring around it, which goes to another connector by the engine.

If I attempt to remove that hose it will leak a lot of fluid.

I wonder if the service manual has a procedure for this hose.

I also successfully bled the system today. I went thru 2 full bottles of Moly dot 4. I wasn't planning on doing the bleeding today, because I wasn't ready for it. But when I saw how the anti-lock ABS was being thrown I figured I should bleed the system. Obviously bleeding the system didn't make a difference in that regard. When I put the wheels back on and drove that anti-lock ABS issue was not happening anymore. I believe I got all the bubbles out of the system. I had my GF pump the brakes many times for each wheel. I think I did it right LoL. I also installed the speed bleeders. I think they work well. Although I don't like how easily that rubber cap comes off. I bumped into it a few times and it came right off. I hope it doesn't come off while driving.

 

Yeah I feel like such an idiot because of how the brakes (ABS?) were working while the car was in drive and the wheels off. Although I thought this would be the right way to diagnose any caliper piston issues. I guess you can't run the car when it's on jacks and the wheels are off. It throws the anti lock system somehow.

 

Yeah, the sensors aren't picking up weight & resistance. You can still see if the caliper piston bore along with the pads are working correctly, releasing & contracting open & close onto the the rotor. You can unplug the ABS/traction control sensors to get less of the ABS braking from activating for a few a minutes long enough to get a better visual of caliper & brakes working. That what I do on my 1st gen when the front wheels do that. I just tell one of my kids to give it some gas & brake.

Do what Chuzz typed. Also, if you feel & see the rubber brake hose expands whenever the assistant steps on the brake pedal, they're not supposed to expand to where our eyes & fingers can detect expansion. Just teenie tiny barely ever so slightly it will happen. Check both sides.

 

 

Top slide pin are supposed to slide in & out like the bottom (non rubber tipped pin) the top one has either too much lube & or trapped air/suction that making it hesitant to slide as the bottom pin.

The squealing sounds like brake pad indicator rubbing on rotor, can be the bearing. There's meatl definitely rubbing on metal.

As for the piston bore, if the rubber seal has a hole, crack it may have allowed water to enter behind the bore & slowly rust may have gotten in there causing the caliper piston bore to stick & not allow it to do it's job.

From the videos, I'm really heading towards the piston bore, the rubber seal & rust. If the passenger front works, then there's really not many things left, the slide pins, the caliper piston bore, as for the squealing it can be the brake pad metal shims not seated securely tabs not bent enough, metal that vibrates rubbing onto rotor or the wheel hub bearing.

Spin/rotate by hand the rim & listen to see if you can pinpoint the area the squealing is coming from. See if bearing is still good.

At the caliper "window" have your helper apply the brakes & look to see if the bore & pad open & close freely, see if the pads are securely seated & not wiggling around. See if the pad open & close with the piston & when the brake pedal is depressed & released. Notice if the slide pins & caliper bracket slide open close freely with no binding, sticking. Can be done with engine off & check again with engine on

If you have to turn on the car put in drive & give it some gas, & brake. Do this a few times, look around behind the wheel.

 

 

I know I keep bothering you guys about the brakes. I'm just having a bit of a hard time getting this system perfect. I can't imagine ever having to work on something even more difficult than this. But if I have a seizing piston I need to diagnose it.

I have decided to go to this one really good car mechanic nearby. I'll be dropping my car off tomorrow morning. They are very busy and it may take them 2 days to diagnose and then work on the problem. I will have to rent a car for 2 days in order to be able to go to work.

It is what it is. This has been a struggle and maybe I need a professional shop to take a look at my brakes.

Depending on the diagnosis they give me, I may decide to fix it myself, if it's something I think I can do.

Like if they say I need a new caliper, I may just buy a new piston, boot, and seal, and recondition the caliper myself. A new caliper is like $300.

Or if they say it needs a new brake hose, I can probably do that myself too.

Hopefully it's something simple. This has been very stressful for me. When you're inexperienced it's a struggle to have to diagnose issues that you've never diagnosed before.

 

new calipers are much cheaper if you get the non kia branded one. See link below. Could they be Hyundai upgrades?

https://www.forteforums.com/threads/2019-2022-forte-gt-forte-mods-and-performance-upgrades-tuning-first-page-for-links.105291/page-66#replies

Per rock auto they are the OEM parts.

More Information for HL MANDO 16A5165

200 bucks for a whole new set of 4.

 

Interesting these come as one whole piece. I thought it was 2 separate pieces. So this is the rubber hose that goes from the caliper to the metal brake line by the engine.

58731F2000 - Kia Parts Now