# Should I replace calipers or do they last a lifetime?



## jhirsch123 (May 6, 2004)

My front rotors feel significantly warped based on the shaking when I brake. This is only the second time I'll be replacing my front pads/rotors after 138k miles. I replaced them the first time with Hawk HPS pads, which were great, and there is actually a significant amount of pad left, but I presume I'll still have to replace those too...

My question is, should I replace the calipers too, just as a sort of preventative maintenance thing? Or should the calipers be fine? I hate to fix something that "ain't broke" but...

The car has seen 5 or 6 winters in northern NY where they love to salt the heck out of the roads (so maybe I should be concerned about the lines too, in addition to the calipers). My father in law suggested it would probably be a good thing to do since it would be a shame to replace the pads/rotors only to warp them again because I didn't replace the calipers... Thoughts??

In case my sig doesn't work, I have an 03 Jetta GLS 1.8T with 138k

Thanks in advance!

PS. I just converted my twin brother - he bought an 07 Passat 2.0T - woohoo!


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## GTijoejoe (Oct 6, 2001)

Calipers certainly don't last a life time, but they can last very very long, decades depending on the environment. In your case, you don't have to replace your calipers for preventative maintenence, your car isn't even ten yrs old.. 5-6 winters is nothing, most vehicles are designed to last 10yrs in the worst corrosion environment like Noviscoia...super extreme corrosion.


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## jhirsch123 (May 6, 2004)

GTIjoejoe,
It is kind souls like yourself that make this forum so wonderful, and why I will be hard pressed ever to switch from Audi/VW! Thank you!

I will just swap out the pads and rotors then. I'm going to get HPS pads again but is there any particular rotor I should get? Can I get "too cheap" of a rotor? Or will the cheapest one from Advanced Auto Parts do?

Secondly, is there any way to look at the caliper and detect wether it may have any issues?

Thanks again,

Jon


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## Elwood (Aug 10, 2001)

The real question is, "Have you flushed your brake fluid at least once every two years?" If you have, calipers can last indefinitly. If you haven't, the water in your fluid is causing corrosion in the calipers and they WILL fail.


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## jhirsch123 (May 6, 2004)

No, I haven't been flushing the fluid, although the dealer may have done it the time they changed my rear pads a few years ago... is there any way to tell if the caliper has been failing because of potential water in the lines? If it has never been flushed, are they definitely smoked?

Thanks,

Jon


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## Elwood (Aug 10, 2001)

jhirsch123 said:


> ...is there any way to tell if the caliper has been failing because of potential water in the lines? If it has never been flushed, are they definitely smoked?


Not without disassembling them and no, but there's bound to be corrosion. The cylinder the pistons sit in will get pitted (its just rust, after all). Eventually, the pistons won't retract properly, the brakes will start squeaking and/or leaking, etc. 

No substitute for good maintenance habits.


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## jhirsch123 (May 6, 2004)

So I suppose my question would be, if you were going in to change the rotors/pads, and the brake fluid hadn't been changed regularly, would you change the calipers too?


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## GTijoejoe (Oct 6, 2001)

I wouldn't replace the calipers... your car is faily new, it shouldn't be a problem, even if you never replaced the fliud. Trust me, there are many (if not majority) of ppl who don't replace the fluid every 2 yrs


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