Squeak

[Parrot of Doom]

I think my offside front caliper is sticking. Sometimes when moving off from cold, it squeals for a second or two.

I've also had a persistent problem with front discs 'warping'. I wonder if the caliper is sticking and causing this problem? The wheel doesn't seem to get hot in use.

The car has nearly 190,000 miles on it now. Would this be a typical mileage for a caliper to need servicing, new seals etc?

 

[television]

Hard question P why not jack the car before you use it and spin the wheel, it is possible the the pads are too tight in the calipers.

 

[wireman]

I would go for number of years not miles when reviewing a calipers condition.
There are two seals on each piston, a real working seal that is deep down the bore, its well protected and moves very little so there aint much wear, and a dust seal/belows that prevents muck entering the tiny gap between the piston and bore.

If the dust shield fails you can get sticky pistons due to muck or rust on the bore wall.
If the working seal fails you get some brake fluid escaping at each application of the brakes. How much is lost varies considerably from example to example, it may be just enough to burst the bellows seal and wet the calpier or even less which will fill the belows cover with fluid and not destroy it. In its worst manifestation you will loose all the fluid in that hydraulic system and the car will stop funny as well as the brake travel becoming alarmingly long.

If the car is more than ten years old replacement of all rubber seals and hoses in the braking system should be undertaken, it was failiure of a rover garage in monaco to do this that killed Grace Kelly (in rover P5A with single circuit brakes).

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Thing is it doesn't happen often. I don't lose any brake fluid either.

Think I'll keep my eye/ear on it for now, see what happens.