2000 front caliper pins

[renooner]

I am replacing the complete front brakes. I need to know if the pin with the rubber inner seal goes on top or the bottom. The parts are from NAPA. The left caliper, the pin with the rubber sleeve is on the top, the right caliper did not have this rubber inner sleeve (2 smooth pins) and the bracket would not slide easily on the pins, I think it was dropped at the remanufacturer. The bracket was off the pins and had grime/ grit on the pins and in the guide tubes. It is going back tomorrow. Thanks, Reno

[Ed_Strong]

First of all- Welcome to the forums renooner...
All guide pins should have rubber boots on them, 2 on each caliper (4 total). I would suggest you don't install the calipers on your van and check the guide pins for binding and damage.
Take both calipers back to NAPA and get them Replaced especially if you suspect they've been dropped. I would get a different brand if possible. Who makes the ones you got by the way?
File a complaint thru NAPA to the manufacturer. You don't want to mess with damaged pins, very dangerous if the caliper guide pins seize on you. You could jam your brakes or worse loose braking power altogether!

I bought a CV Joint from Advance Auto Parts a few months back and and apparently had the wrong exciter ring installed. When I took the van for a test drive I could not get it to stop at low speeds because the ABS wheel speed sensor couldn't sense the one wheel with the wrong exciter ring slowing down on par with the other three wheels. Very scary, I could've gotten into an accident!
I took it back and they wrote a letter of complaint on my behalf, to this day I haven't heard from the manufacturer, but at least there's proof if something like this were to happen to someone else that could end up less fortunate than me. Hope you get it resolve without problems.

[renooner]

Thanks Ed. The brand is Raylock. I do have the 4 rubber boots, sorry if I wasn't clear on that, it's the guide pins themselves. There should be 1 pin that has a machined area that a thin rubber sleeve with molded grooves fits in. I have rebuilt the calipers once from a kit from NAPA Part # 83288 and I put the sleeved pins in the lower guide tubes. On the new left remanufactured caliper (on the van now and still up on jack stands) had the sleeved pin in the top guide tube and the non-sleeved pin in the lower tube and the caliper moves freely. The Remanufactured right caliper had both non-sleeve pins and after cleaning out the guide tube and the pins re-lubed the caliper would not slide freely, in fact when I did get it slid on I didn't think I was going to get the mounting bracket back off. Maybe I put the pins in wrong when I rebuilt them. So, I need some advice on pin placement... sleeved on top or bottom. Thanks, Reno

[renooner]

I talked to a Rayloc rep. today. Veryhelpful. He said that there SHOULD be one machined pin with a rubber sleeve on each caliper and it should be installed in the lower guide and a smooth pin in the upper guide.