• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Caliper rebuilding

Share this page

Rut

Rut

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
I'm moving ahead with my caliper rebuild and need to know the orientation of the pistons within the caliper housing. What direction does the cutout on the lip of the piston go?
Thanks, Rut
 
If by cut out you mean the groove that the dust boot goes in it's the outter side. In other words, the open end of the piston should face the pad.
 
Thanks, on the edge of the open end of the piston there is about 1/3 that is cut back about 1/32. I'm wondering what position it goes in, up, down, left or right?
Thanks, Rut
 
It goes in the garbage as it sounds like someone has modified it. Both of them are like that?
 
The cut-away portion of the piston is positioned downwards according to the Sprite Midget workshop manual published by Leyland.
 
I position the cutaway part downward facing the direction of the rotor traveling under hard forward deceleration. I figured it was designed that way to apply most of the pressure from the middle of the pad to the back edge so that things would'nt bind. Maybe I'm all wet on that theory but the first set I did I did'nt read the stuctions [only when all else fails!!]. I positioned them with the cutout towards the axle if I remember right. Had trouble with brakes not wanting to release.

Kurt.
 
Thanks guys...looks like there are several different opinions regarding placement. The manual said note position of piston before you remove them and everybody knows what I did, read the manual after I removed them! My theory was to place the cut out toward the hub to give more force to the outside of the disc to help stopping power. My manual does not make a statement regarding position. I'm open to more thoughts.
Thanks, Rut
 
Rut, that was my idea as well till I tryed it and then had to find out otherwise. Now mine are all located with the cutout down. Seem to work great that way.

Kurt.
 
Kurt, when I said cutout face the hub I thought that would be down as well in relationship to the caliper. I'll look at mine and make sure I know what I'm looking at.
Thanks, Rut
 
Kellys guy, I bet they do if you look close.

Rut, I met the cut away should be toward the ground or more precisely exactly facing the center of the rotating part of the disc friction area. Though I don't think it is all that critical.
When you say 'hub' I take that to be the same as the axle center. Which I had one apart and a pic. [Worth a 1000 words]
Kurt.
 
that cut is for lead in it should face the rotor with the cut out on the in coming side of the rotor, if the caliper is behind the axle it should be down if it in front of the axle it should be up
 
Back
Top