Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online!
Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! 
-
Latest | 0 Rplys
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Ford > Freestar
Reply Show Printable Version Show Printable Version | Email this Page Email this Page | Subscription Subscribe to this Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 09-28-2010, 09:42 PM   #1
strike300
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Posts: 5
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Rear brakes on 2005 Freestar (disk brakes)

About a year ago, I did a complete brake job on my Freestar. I started on the rear brakes about 18 hours before having to leave for a long trip. When I tried to compress the pistons on the rear calipers, they wouldn't compress. I had the tool to turn the piston, but it didn't work. I rushed to a parts house to get new calipers, put everything back together, bled the brakes and everything was fine.

As soon as the brakes started to wear down a bit, I started getting a "clunk" sound when I hit the brakes, coming from the rear. This turned into a rattle, which stopped when I stepped on the brake or pulled up the handbrake a couple of notches.

I took everything apart on the rear brakes and everything seemed to be normal. I replaced the 8 anti-rattle clips and it quieted down for a while. Then the rattle and clunk started again.

Now, a year later, the rattle is getting really bad.

I can reach under the car and move the rear calipers around. Everything is mounted properly and tight. But the pistons seem to be retracting when the brakes are off. It seems like the pressure should release when the brake is off, but not actually retract the piston to the point that the calipers float around 1/4". The brake pads are just sitting in the little mounts on the end and rattling around between the caliper and the brake disk.

I've bled the brakes multiple times, both the normal 2-person way and with a vacuum bleeder.

At this point, I don't know what to try next. Is it possible the calipers are defective? It's happening on the both the right and left sides. Is there something I'm missing here?
strike300 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2010, 02:20 AM   #2
Davescort97
Escort guy
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Garfield, Arkansas
Posts: 2,486
Thanks: 0
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Re: Rear brakes on 2005 Freestar (disk brakes)

Not that there's any similarity, but the rear brakes on an Escort with 4 wheel disc need to be adjusted up until the pads just barely touch the discs. There is an adjustment gear on the back of the caliper that moves the piston back and forth. I think the calipers need to be adjusted. You mentioned that you had bought a tool to do this but you couldn't get the piston in the calpers to retract. Whether or not you have the adjstment on the back side of the caliper or the type of pistons that screw in or screw out, you definately need to tighten up the calipers on the rotors.
Davescort97 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2010, 09:23 AM   #3
strike300
AF Newbie
Thread starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Posts: 5
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: Rear brakes on 2005 Freestar (disk brakes)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Davescort97 View Post
Not that there's any similarity, but the rear brakes on an Escort with 4 wheel disc need to be adjusted up until the pads just barely touch the discs. There is an adjustment gear on the back of the caliper that moves the piston back and forth. I think the calipers need to be adjusted. You mentioned that you had bought a tool to do this but you couldn't get the piston in the calpers to retract. Whether or not you have the adjstment on the back side of the caliper or the type of pistons that screw in or screw out, you definately need to tighten up the calipers on the rotors.
Sorry, no adjustment on the calipers. I did get a suggestion that the parking brake activates an adjuster inside the caliper.
strike300 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
rear brakes 2005 malibu CKENDZIORA Malibu 3 07-27-2010 04:37 PM
Rear brakes are driving me insane! carlos crayon Colorado 11 01-21-2010 02:06 PM
Rear disk brakes don't close after replacing Front Brakes blaisers99 Engineering/Technical 1 02-01-2009 09:57 PM
01 Complete rear brake job, now brake warning light is on. airboss20 Windstar 5 01-17-2009 06:32 PM
drum to disk rear brake conversion DOUG-O34 Monte Carlo 3 06-15-2004 12:41 PM

Reply

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD

Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Ford > Freestar

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:18 AM.

Community Participation Guidelines | How to use your User Control Panel

Powered by: vBulletin | Copyright Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
 
 
no new posts