Thanks Tegger for your hard work on that website and input.

So I replaced the Brake Caliper again.  Got it from Partsource.  I know this
is not a preferred source, but thats where the original replacement came from,
and they asked me to try this before they would refund my money.

This time, the clips and hardware that came with the caliper actually worked.
As I mentioned earlier, I figured that would be one of the biggest reasons
why the brake was hanging in the first place.  Sure enough, upon disassembly
of the caliper bracket, the old clips were in very sorry shape.

Got it all installed, lubed her up as you indicated (careful not to get any
on the rotor surface or surrounding areas).

On another topic, as I indicated earlier, I have now confirmed that the front
wheel bearing is bad on the same side the caliper was dragging.  Since the
caliper was defective, do you think Partsource will help me out on the
bearing?  Pretty sure the reason it failed was due to heat buildup from the
bad caliper.  I guess there is a margin for installation error, but is it
worth a shot?

So then I bled out the new caliper.  Took it for a short spin to try some low
speed braking to check for pulling left or right, performance, all seemed
fine.  Tried a couple higher speed stops, no problem.

On the highway at 80 km/h I hit the brakes pretty hard.  The car suddenly
went all squirrelly on me, got away from me, and I ended up in the ditch.

So now I have other issues.  I am OK by the way.  The car is mostly undamaged.
It definitely needs an alignment now, along with a few suspension components.
I noticed my rear upper suspension mounts are now both loose.  Will replace
those tomorrow.  Here's what I checked over:

1. Both lower ball joints are under a year old.  They seem fine using the
'reef on the tire while on the ground' method.

2.  Both Upper ball joints - no extra play.  Tried moving the steering
knuckle back and forth to test this.

3.  Tie rods - no extra play.  Just grabbed one and tried moving back and
forth.  There is a small amount of play due to a worn steering u-joint, but
the tie rods and rack seem OK.

4.  Springs all around. - no problems apparent.  Visual inspection in the
areas Tegger indicated.

5.  Rear upper control arms - both are shot.  Once again, the 'reef on the
tire' method.  LOTS of play here.  They are definitely shot.  The Rear Upper
arm does come with both bushings (inner and outer) so I am hoping this will
fix that.

6.  Rear Lower control arms - no noticeable play.  Wasn't quite sure how to
test these, but everything appeared tight.

Did I miss anything?

The car doesn't feel safe at highway speeds right now, though the steering
seems fine.  I'm thinking its the play from the rear upper arms that is
causing the problem here.

So, to anybody reading this, when doing your own brake work, BE CAREFUL when
you road test your vehicle.  I was EXTREMELY lucky.  and probably stupid.  OK
definitely stupid.  :)

Any input on the suspension inspection is appreciated.  Once the car is road
worthy, she goes in for a final inspection and alignment at the dealer.

Glad I can smile about it now.
Terry in Winnipeg.
 

Check -- according to the instructions on my Web site -- in order:
1) Pads seized on mount bracket,
2) Slide pins seized in bores,
3) Caliper piston seized in bore.

You need to pull the brakes apart completely and do a thorough
investigation. The usual suspect in the case of a disc brake not
releasing is a seized caliper piston (the big one that presses on the
pads), but often the rest of the caliper system is in need of care as
well.

Wear like this CAN be due to worn suspension components, but is usually
badly mounted tire or suspension misalignment, with poor tire mounting
covering about 90% of the occurrences.

That's the cupping you hear.

You can rebuild your own front calipers. The dealership sells the seals,
and some Sil-Glyde silicone-based grease can be used as an assembly
lube. (DON'T use brake fluid to lube the hydraulic seal).

See above.

BLEED and FILL only! Do not use flushig compounds!

And if you've not been in the habit of changing the fluid every few
years, do not use the "pedal press" method of bleeding. Beware of seized
bleed nipples. Crack one of those off and you need a complete rebuild.

Unlikely unless the hub is getting red ot on you.

Spend some time here:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/rustybrakes/brakes1.html

Good evening,

As indicated in another post the other day, the fuel mileage in my 98 civic
is lacking.  I've had it since new, it now has 282000kms on it.  It has been
somewhat neglected over the past year or so, as we've had a kid and my spare
time is now dedicated to that.  I know I know, I need to keep the jalopy safe
enough to drive.  Explain that to my wife.  :)

Decided to check the brakes today, (front side).  Sure enough, the front
driverside is dragging.  I put the car up on jacks, started it and put it in
second.  Until I hit the gas, only the passenger side wheel would turn.

Other symptoms, which may or may not be related, are that I am getting
abnormal tire wear on the passenger side.  That tire is cupped beyond what I
have ever seen, and is now through the wear bars.  The tire on the driver
side is fine with about 2-3mm before the wear bars.

Also noticed a hum coming from the front of the vehicle which becomes
apparent upon moving.

Note that I have replaced the caliper with a rebuilt to solve almost the same
problem a year or so ago.  However, the rebuild was not from Honda, and the
hardware provided with it did not fit.  I had to use my old hardware to
complete.  All seemed fine since recently noticing the fuel economy drop.

To remedy these problems, I am thinking about the following:

1.  New brake pad shims and hardware for the caliper in question (probably
both, just to be thorough).

2.  Complete brake fluid flush.

3.  Check slide pins for wear.

4.  Replace wheel bearings?  (not sure on this, there is some end play, could
a dragging caliper cause the bearing to fail?)

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your help.
Terry in Winnipeg.