Rear wheel won't fit on over caliper

[Gordon Maney]

I completed assembly of the brakes on my 2001 Ram 2500 4X4. It has disc brakes front and rear.

All went well until the right rear wheel would not fit on properly. I see the caliper at that wheel is interfering with the inner surface of the wheel. The other three calipers have 3/16" to 1/4" clearance. The right rear caliper touches the wheel before the wheel is fully on. I discovered this when the wheel did not slide on right.

My visual analysis suggests I have proper, right and left hand versions of the calipers, and the calipers and mounts fit on the truck just fine.

Any thoughts on this? I can't see how I did something wrong, I don't see that I could have done anything differently, so I think I need a different part. These are rebuilds. My originals are gone as cores.

It is Saturday and the parts house will not be open until Monday. We have a lot of snow, my car is not that tall.... :-(

[Charles Talbert]

I completed assembly of the brakes on my 2001 Ram 2500 4X4. It has disc brakes front and rear.

All went well until the right rear wheel would not fit on properly. I see the caliper at that wheel is interfering with the inner surface of the wheel. The other three calipers have 3/16" to 1/4" clearance. The right rear caliper touches the wheel before the wheel is fully on. I discovered this when the wheel did not slide on right.

My visual analysis suggests I have proper, right and left hand versions of the calipers, and the calipers and mounts fit on the truck just fine.

Any thoughts on this? I can't see how I did something wrong, I don't see that I could have done anything differently, so I think I need a different part. These are rebuilds. My originals are gone as cores.

It is Saturday and the parts house will not be open until Monday. We have a lot of snow, my car is not that tall.... :-(

I don't know if this is your issue, however we have run into similar issues when installing disc brakes onto various vehicles. It seems that calipers made by various manufacturers often encountered when using rebuilt calipers do vary slightly in size & shape. I would almost bet that you can return this caliper & trade it for another rebuild & eliminate the problem. We have had it more than once. We have had similar issues with several rebuilt components. Obviously rebuilders don't check out their cores before rebuilding & sending back out like they used too.

[Gordon Maney]

I don't know if this is your issue, however we have run into similar issues when installing disc brakes onto various vehicles. It seems that calipers made by various manufacturers often encountered when using rebuilt calipers do vary slightly in size & shape. I would almost bet that you can return this caliper & trade it for another rebuild & eliminate the problem. We have had it more than once. We have had similar issues with several rebuilt components. Obviously rebuilders don't check out their cores before rebuilding & sending back out like they used too.

That sort of thing seems the most plausible to me. The part where I struggle with that idea is.... where was this rebuilt caliper usee before?

I really don't think I put it on wrong, however....

[Charles Talbert]

That sort of thing seems the most plausible to me. The part where I struggle with that idea is.... where was this rebuilt caliper usee before?

I really don't think I put it on wrong, however....

You get all sorts when you buy rebuilds, the cores may have been imports, who knows. When I buy rebuilt components, I check out each one. If something doesn't look right, I call their hand right then. The best advice I can give is open every box & have a close look before you leave the counter. We find wrong parts in boxes, hardware kits missing, etc frequently.

[jmacqueen]

I'll second that, seen it before. Just got one like that last month for my M-37 upgrade from Napa even. It fit and looks like it'll work, just barely, but it's obviously a much more poorly made casting than OEM.

You also need to inspect the rebuilt caliper to make sure it's actually good when you buy a rebuilt, that the threads exist where they should and aren't stripped, that the holes aren't wallowed etc that the crush washer mating surface isn't pitted..

Some of them can have distorted housings and such as well as strange casting differences.

Your only other choice is a grinder, but I wouldn't advise it, I'd return that caliper.

[Gordon Maney]

Perhaps all of this is to say it would be better still to rebuild them yourself, as I used to do.

[Gordon Maney]

Figured it out

It was the caliper mounting bracket. The two rear calipers came with mounting brackets. One was not the same, and yet it fit on the truck and accepted the caliper, moving it outboard a problematic amount.

Fortunately I had not given back the brackets from the rear. I cleaned one of them up and successfully mounted the caliper.

[Tom Petroff]

Glad you got it figured out Gordon.
I would have never thought the mounting bracket would come with a re-man caliper.
Bet your glad you kept yours,now you can give them there's back with your calipers,so the next guy can figure it out!
But as I know how you are I'm sure you brought it to there attention,lol
And just in time as were going to have a winter now!!

TGP

[Gordon Maney]

The blizzard starts tonight....

[MoparNorm]

89 degrees here yesterday, it will be 90 today...weird!

[Kevin Mienke]

89 degrees here yesterday, it will be 90 today...weird!

You could get on a plane and be here in no time at all. Bring your ice fishing gear and some warm socks (google "ice fishing" if you're not familiar).

or

Send us your sandals and tank tops. We'll burn them to stay warm.

9 below zero with wind chill of 22 below.

[jmacqueen]

And I thought I was tired of winter already with a 28 degree low tonight... ;) I don't know how you guys put up with it.

[712edf]

And I thought I was tired of winter already with a 28 degree low tonight... ;) I don't know how you guys put up with it.

Doesn't Brownsville seem inviting this time of year.

[DODGEBOYS]

Gordon / l,ve run into this before TWICE / even thou the caliper phisically fits and looks right its the WRONG one / go up or down by one year for your truck and you should get the right one / or you could have gotten a 1 ton caliper

[Gordon Maney]

Gordon / l,ve run into this before TWICE / even thou the caliper phisically fits and looks right its the WRONG one / go up or down by one year for your truck and you should get the right one / or you could have gotten a 1 ton caliper

The caliper was fine, it was the mounting bracket that came with the caliper that was wrong.