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I just got new rotors and brake pads out into my car less than a month ago.

Yesterday my rotor was smoking, so I am pretty sure I have a sticky caliper.

I don’t have the extra money to replace everything, but I need to fix my calipers for sure. I am wondering if I could just only get the calipers replaced and if that would be ok to do so.

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  • Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! Sep 19, 2022 at 14:50
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    Did you, or someone, check that it's actually a problem with the caliper itself? A much more common problem is the caliper slide pins are dirty/rusted and don't allow the caliper to move back-and-forth. Many mechanics skip the step of inspecting and rebuilding the slide pins and replacing the boots.
    – jwh20
    Sep 19, 2022 at 14:55
  • Also a damaged brake hose could cause this.
    – Jupiter
    Sep 20, 2022 at 16:03

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Most likely, no you do not. It is not a requirement. If you go this route, ensure the brakes are still in good working order (pad thickness and rotor warpage/thickness). Also ensure you do not leave any grease or other kinds of oils on the rotor during replacement, as this will contaminate the brake pads and they will not perform as expected afterward.

As an aside, if you have ceramic brake pads, I've seen these smoke quite often when they first cure. It surprised me the first time it happened to me, but after that found it to be quite common. I'm going to assume since you've already had them on there for a month, they've had several good heating cycles. If not, it may be something to consider.

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