Mk2 Rear Caliper Slider Rubber Loose

[klloyd89]

I have noticed a rattle from rear brakes and realised it's were the rubber is not holding the slider pin enough.

Is it easy to replace and will it be defiantly that what's not holding it tight and making it wobble?

Also with the pads when fitting to the ones with the little lumps are they ment to sit in the holes in the piston? Probably a silly question but want to double check

[Dee_82]

Piston holes are for the wind back tool, you can get new rubber boots for the guide pins but I can't see why they would rattle unless the boot is completely worn away. The pad with the spring on top goes closes to the piston, if you make sure you have some copper grease on there it will help prevent the pads from rattling.

[klloyd89]

I had the pads like that originally but switched them the other way today so will switch back tomorrow.

Regarding the rubbers I can easily push the bolt through the rubber while the other side is a lot more stiff and that side doesn't rattle.

[JW1982]

The rubber sleeves can be replaced without any problems. However the price of these rubber sleeves from Ford is pretty high. The brakes Ford uses on the Focus MK2/MK2.5 (and many other Ford models) are produced by ATE (a company owned by Continental). ATE does also supply most brake parts for aftermarket use. These ATE parts are identical to the OEM parts but usually a lot cheaper.

My previous Focus MK2 did also have a rattle caused by excessive play on the guiding pins/rubber sleeves. After I installed new rubber sleeves the rattle was a lot less than before but still noticeable in some conditions (when driving at low speeds on bad roads). Atfter some further investigation the mounting holes of my brake caliper turned out to be worn a bit which caused the play on the guide pins/rubber sleeves. If this is the case you either have to live with it or you have to replace the complete brake caliper.

[klloyd89]

Oh I see well I will try the rubbers first because the caliper in question was replaced with a used one in march, so I'm beginning to think it was a rubbish caliper I was sold.

Both of my front brakes have been binding now I believe and then do you think this rear caliper not braking 100% could cause the fronts to use more and cause overheating?

[JW1982]

A bad rear caliper should not affect the front brakes.

[klloyd89]

I no I thought it was a long shot, the mystery of the front continues

[simcor]

Brakes used to be an 80 20 bias on most cars and I imagine they are still pretty much the same bias. Fronts are used 80 percent and rears 20 percent. Rear brakes get a lot less use than fronts. If the front are binding it will be a problem on-the-go front brakes not the rears.

[Dee_82]

Brakes used to be an 80 20 bias on most cars and I imagine they are still pretty much the same bias. Fronts are used 80 percent and rears 20 percent. Rear brakes get a lot less use than fronts. If the front are binding it will be a problem on-the-go front brakes not the rears.

I did some calculations on this whilst trying to work out what disc to replace my drums with, I had a 280 carrier already but stock discs on the rear were 265 so I was wondering if I could make do without buying a new carrier, anyhow, the bias is aprox 70 30 on the focus mk2, probably because its !Removed! is a lot heavier than many cars.

After changing my drums to discs the bias is about 65-35 with 265mm discs, I think it was closer to 60-40 with 280 on the front and rear. Breaking is much more stable now, rather than feel the car nose dive you can feel it slowing much quicker and more uniform.

Check your front discs, binding can be excessively warn around the edges with a build up of rust along the top, as the pads eat in to the disc it gets a pronounced curve which the pads an callipers won't like at all. Grease up the guide pins to, it might not be moving freely