Broken Brake Caliper Pin

Question

A few months ago, I bought a 2008 E-150 Cargo Van. The other day, I noticed that there was some grinding noise in the brakes, so today I removed the front brake calipers and found that one of the pins was broken (top pin on driver's side). I'm not 100 sure this was causing the grinding noise as I haven't taken apart the rear brakes yet, but I need to address this problem.

The pin was somewhat seized in the brake caliper bracket, but I was able to remove it with moderate effort and a pair of 7" Knipex pliers. It was completely dry, and has surface rust. So, there must be some rust inside the caliper bracket.

What's a sensible repair? Is it okay for me to do my best to clean out the hole where the pin goes and replace the pins, or is it absolutely necessary to replace the bracket? Any recommendations on how I could clean out the hole where the pin goes? A consideration is that I will only be able to get a remanufactured bracket, so the one I get might not be much better than the one I have.

Answer 1

The sensible repair is to get a new caliper pin, blow out any debris on the bracket and caliper, then hit the pin/bracket hole/caliper threads with anti-seize and call it a day. Just ensure you don't get any anti-seize on the rotor or pads during the process. The only thing you'd be looking for is if there is any wallowing out of the hole or cracks in the bracket, then I'd replace it. More than likely it's just fine. Brake parts tend to get a bit of rust on them because of the heat involved in braking. This is completely normal.

As an aside, the image I posted in the comments is Motocraft Part No. BRBC7, which means it's the OEM part and should bolt right up. If there's any perceived problems, you do have recourse and can replace it easily.