Dirty rear wheels
 

'83 300D Turbo

I replaced the rear rubber brake lines and calipers. The calipers were used from the junkyard and the rubber hoses are new. I flushed and bled all 4 corners. Two months later or however long it has been the rear wheels are still getting dirty and when reversing the rear brakes squeak or sometimes when braking. The fronts are cleaner than the rears. I made sure the parking brake is not sticking, which it isn't.

Could the master cylinder be suspect? I'd like toot have to replace the calipers even though I have the originals on the shelf. I could rebuild those(replace cylinder seals) but they were not leaking.

Ideas?

I'm confused. What sort of dirt is there in the wheels? Isn't that usually brake dust? And how would the MC dirty up the rear wheels? I would think that if you had brake fluid leaking on to the wheels, the paint would be stripping... do you have dust shields properly mounted?

Do the rears squeak when reversing and on the brakes and sometimes when braking when going forward, too? Or do they squeak whenever the car moves backward regardless of where the brake pedal is? If they squeak primarily right after startup, that could just be accumulated condensation/surface rust/dirt. Our Corolla occasionally squeaks the brakes when I start driving -- nothing but accumulation of dirt and rust from sitting.

EDIT -- haha -- disregard the first paragraph -- rcurtis set me straight :)

It could be the master if the section that feeds the front brakes isn't developing any pressure, and the car is stopping on only the rear brakes.

Oh, I get it... and so he's talking about replacing the front calipers... oookay.

What kind of pads are you running with, front and rear?

My rears used to become dirty when I had ceramic Akebonos only on the front, obviously the OE pads on the rear generated more brake dust. Switched both to Akebonos and became a happy camper, after braking them in.

It might be possible the rear used calipers are also sticking. Do the brakes feel hot after a short drive?

I'd go on a spirited drive, and brake hard a few times, then get out and feel the hubs of all 4 wheels.
how do the brakes feel? smooth and quick stopping? any pulls to one side or the other?

I did that after replacing the calipers and it didn't pull or the wheels heat up.braking was pretty good, no major pulling in any direction. I have no idea what pads are on the car, I should probably check. The squeaking started after I replaced the calipers.

There is a good chance that you need to replace the pads on the rear. Try to find a set that is considered dust free. They are more expensive but worth it. Be sure to apply the membrane on the back of each pad before installation. This will cut way down on the squealing sound both going forward and in reverse. Hopefully your rotors are in good condition. Rotors are relatively cheap and if your current rotors have enough thickness left they can also be re-finished/turned. One final thought: spend the extra money to buy quality brake parts if you can.

I usually go with Pagid brake pads. The rear rotors should be good.

Personally, I used the OEM pads from the local dealer. The pads for all four wheels were only $110.

That's a bit spendy for pads in my opinion.

I suppose it depends on what you're accustomed to spending on things. Plus, I only do the job once. How much less would you expect them to cost? Do you really want to trust a $20 or $30 set of brakes? I don't.

More expensive doesn't always mean better.

I'll go with my pagids. Never has an issue from them

MBeige
 

How many miles do you get on your Akebono pads?

I know they are good pads, but wonder why they only guarantee them to last 12,000 miles.