Filbee Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 Has anyone got any recommendations for new front calipers for a Td5? What brands and/or suppliers would you suggest from your own experience? At the last MOT the tester said that one of the front calipers was sticking a bit, so I'd originally intended to rebuild them both with nice new stainless pistons. But looking at the prices of new/recon calipers, I'm thinking I may as well save myself some hassle and just stick some new ones on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 AP is the OEM. Thats what i would go for. LRDirect did sell them. If you have the part numbers have a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 I have had ap calipers on my 300TDi 110 for seven years. They seem to be working well. I have been doing a major service and wanted to check that each piston is moving. The discs looked good but I still wanted to check. So I removed the pads in a caliper and then wedged them so that only one piston could move, then pressed the pedal. This moved it out and I could wipe and apply a little red grease. Depending on the condition of yours this might be all you need to do, as well as cleaning and greasing the pins and other sliding bits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uninformed Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Factory calipers, stainless pistons, genuine seal kits (LR or Lockheed/Girling/AP) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonimouse Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 4 hours ago, uninformed said: Factory calipers, stainless pistons, genuine seal kits (LR or Lockheed/Girling/AP) Be a bit careful with the Britpart/Bearmach SS pistons, they are are very soft metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 6 minutes ago, Nonimouse said: Be a bit careful with the Britpart/Bearmach SS pistons, they are are very soft metal I got a set from Zeus for mine. Seemed fairly good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonimouse Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 3 hours ago, reb78 said: I got a set from Zeus for mine. Seemed fairly good. Are Zeus still doing them - I had to get the aforementioned because I could get Zeus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 I dont know. Mine were some time ago - possibly 12 years now thinking about it! (How time flies!) The Zeus website has always been poor - its like something from the early days of the internet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 I couldn't find them on the Zeus website 🤔 Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Got my stainless pistons from Autopost via their eBay pages. They come with new seals & the metal retainer rings, in sets of 4 for front calipers or set of 2 for rear calipers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filbee Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Thanks for the replies so far. I might at some point rebuild my original calipers with stainless pistons as I mentioned in the first post, but right now I'd rather spend the time doing something else, which is why I want to get some new/refurbed calipers I can just bolt on. I'm thinking the AP/Lockheed OEM option is top of the list, and the prices aren't too bad from LR Direct, if I can ever work out which part number I need! But for balance, has anyone had any experience with some of the cheaper options? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 17 minutes ago, Filbee said: But for balance, has anyone had any experience with some of the cheaper options Service them, no overhaul, just remove pads and clean and grease to be sure they slide. Or have you done that and they are still sticking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 You could send off to Bigg Red and ask them to do a proper refurb job on your current ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filbee Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 Thought I'd take the wheels off and give the calipers a service after a few of you suggested I do that before buying new calipers. I think it's fair to say the pistons are Donald Ducked... The dust seals on the upper, inner pistons on both calipers had come adrift and the pistons were stuck. I managed the free them off and stick it all back together but I shall be ordering some new AP calipers as soon as I can work out the part numbers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 I’d call Zeus Engineering to ask how quickly they can get a stainless piston set to you - I paid a bit over £100 a decade ago for a set (and another about five years prior). The quality is superb and it’ll mean not doing it again, as opposed to a new set of callipers that will be like this in five years time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filbee Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 (edited) There's no great rush. I will probably rebuild my calipers with stainless pistons at some point. I'm just not sure I want to have the truck laid up for the couple of weeks it would take me to strip, paint and rebuild the calipers 🤔 How do people get on with fitting the dust seals without the special tool to press them in? I've rebuilt plenty of calipers over the years from Brembo F40s to 6 piston bike calipers, but none of them needed any special tools to fit the seals! Edited March 12, 2022 by Filbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Britpart do a piston/retainer ring fitting tool, it can also push the pistons back into the caliper body https://www.britpart.com/all-parts/da1153 I bought mine via ebay IIRC. or look on https://britrest.com/ Mike has some caliper piston & retainer ring setting tool diagrams 2 links on https://britrest.com/shop/ 1st is in Metric & 2nd in Inches. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 Genuine retainers fit far more easily than Britpart, which are not pressed as neatly and catch on the lip. Filing the edge to a small bevel helps, as does fitting the seal and retainer with the piston fitted and protruding to guide them in if you don’t have the proper tool. Worth having some spares to replace any you damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L19MUD Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 I fitted some AP seals and retainers last week with no problems and without the tool. I tend to just use a big washer (radius arm washer) and a g clamp It is also significantly easier with the piston split in half which I had already done to shot blast them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filbee Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 I've already got some Lockheed/AP seal kits so hopefully they will go in without the Britpart tool. I would normally buy the right tool for the job, but £70 for a piston spreader and a bit of turned metal seems a bit steep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uninformed Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 8 hours ago, L19MUD said: I fitted some AP seals and retainers last week with no problems and without the tool. I tend to just use a big washer (radius arm washer) and a g clamp It is also significantly easier with the piston split in half which I had already done to shot blast them Not all kits come with gallery seals for the caliper halves, and the vented ones with spacer are an absolute bugger to get. Split with caution… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 7 hours ago, uninformed said: Not all kits come with gallery seals for the caliper halves, and the vented ones with spacer are an absolute bugger to get. Split with caution… Shop4autoparts sell them (theres no part number whenever I have looked but they are on their site) Big Redd will also do them if you send them the dimensions (that does mean you have to have had them apart to do that of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 Like L19MUD, I use a Radius arm washer and the vice. Simples and cheap 👍 Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uninformed Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 1 hour ago, reb78 said: Shop4autoparts sell them (theres no part number whenever I have looked but they are on their site) Big Redd will also do them if you send them the dimensions (that does mean you have to have had them apart to do that of course). Last time I searched they did not have them available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 2 hours ago, reb78 said: Shop4autoparts sell them (theres no part number whenever I have looked but they are on their site) Big Redd will also do them if you send them the dimensions (that does mean you have to have had them apart to do that of course). NON vented & rear caliper half gallery seal Vented caliper tubular seals but no metal inserts Both of the above show -- OUT OF STOCK, so probably best to ring them. I managed to obtain some of the vented caliper seals from BiggRedd a few months ago,I rang & spoke to the guys there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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