About a month ago I bought an Auto Zone brake caliper for my '79 CJ5. I had considered rebuilding the one I had but everybody I mentioned it to including the guy at the parts counter seemed to want to talk me out of it. Everybody seemed to have the same opinion, "you can buy one for a little more than you'd have in the kit". What I was afraid of was the kind of chinese junk I ended up with. Tonite I went to put the caliper on and noticed that it was not the same as the original. The hole where the brake line bolts to the caliper is at the bottom not the top as the original was. This shortened the brake line by 2.5". Not good on a 4x4 that'll flex much. Wished I'd just rebuilt my original. Auto Zone sucks and so does chinese junk. Next time buy the kit.
Auto Zone barke calipers
- Thread starter flatie46
- Start date
My experience is that that "new" brake calipers are just re-manufactured old ones (the core that you turn in is reconditioned and resold). I bought a parking brake shoe for my 8.8 rear axle at Advance and it was so badly rusted that about 30% of the metal was gone. They just cleaned, painted and added more material to it.
As to the brake line attachment - I thought that the bleeder always had to be above the brake line, or else you'd never be able to get the air out.
As to the brake line attachment - I thought that the bleeder always had to be above the brake line, or else you'd never be able to get the air out.
Utah_jeepster
Super Moderator
The line bolts in at the bottom, and the bleeder screw should be on the highest point of the caliper. If its diffrent you will not be able to bleed all the air out of the pressure resivoir in front of the piston.
Yea the line is on the bottom on the new one, just further down. I thought at first they gave me the wrong side but after looking at it that's not the case. I'll use it for the time being but I think I'll look for something better. I'm under the gun to get it going otherwise I'd take it back. The old one worked fine, it just leaked.
