Freelander 1 Rear brake calliper leak

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Hippo

Hippo

Lord Hippo
Posts
53,942
Hi

My 2001 v6 Freelanders rear RHS break cylinder has sprung a leak. Whenever you press the foot break pedal it goes to the floor. At the same time a trickle of fluid jumps out the cylinder where the piston pushes out towards the brake shoe. It also pushed off the rubber seal, which I push back on only for it to happen again when next pressing the brake.

fix lots
Can the cylinder be replaced to fix this fault or is this fault caused by something else that’s gone wrong? It this a simple fix to replace it and top up with brake fluid or is it going to be one of those nasty jobs for a garage?

Thanks


caliper.jpg
 
Last edited:
No 6 needs new seals or a complete unit. . . . .will need to re bleed brakes when finnished. . . . .easy job
 
You will need to replace the cylinders on both sides and i imagine the brake shoes too as they will be contaminated with brake fluid and then a full system bleed. Remove all traces of fluid from the backplates, linkages and drums before you rebuild.
Never replace one side only.
 
Chaser said:
You will need to replace the cylinders on both sides and i imagine the brake shoes too as they will be contaminated with brake fluid and then a full system bleed. Remove all traces of fluid from the backplates, linkages and drums before you rebuild.
Never replace one side only.
Click to expand...
er. . . . . . . .not gettin confused wiff damper springs un matched pair fings :)
 
Please don't attempt this job unless you're 100% confident or have a competent friend to help. You have a powerful and heavy car which takes a lot of stopping power.
 
Dann said:
Please don't attempt this job unless you're 100% confident or have a competent friend to help. You have a powerful and heavy car which takes a lot of stopping power.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your comments.

I was thinking the same myself. If the job was too difficult, or not straight forward then I’d post it off to a garage on the back of a truck. Currently it has NO foot brake ability at all. Hence he now stays at home locked away. The reservoir has brake fluid in it, but putting your foot on the pedal sees half a teaspoon full jump out the cylinder. We’re assuming there’s air in the brake system.

Can anyone advise a rough labour charge for the following?

Both sides = replace rear brake shoes, cylinders, + drain/flush/replace brake fluid?

Thanks
 
air in the system is the least of your worries. The reason the pedal is going straight to the floor is due to the hydraulic system meeting no resistance when you brake. It is pushing the fluid straight out of the leaking rear cylinder. The rubber seal which you keep re-fitting is a dust seal, designed to stop dust and grit getting into the cylinder and scratching the bore of the cylinder piston, and as such cannot stop the fluid leaking out, that is not it's purpose.

It is the inner cylinder seal that has failed, this takes the form of an 'O' ring or similar which sits in a groove at the back of the piston, all contained within the cylinder.

In short, cylinder is u/s, repair kits are generally not available due to the low cost of a new cylinder, and the probable likelihood of the repair kit not being fitted properly, causing braking problems. Not to say can't be done, I've done it myself when I was an impoverished teenager trying to keep a car on the road. wouldn't bother now, just change the cylinder.

The hardest part of the job is changing the brake shoes, which are surely soaked in brake fluid by now. If you can remove and replace these competently, changing the cylinder is a doddle.

I would expect to be paying about £35 for a new cylinder, and about 2 hours to do the job, including bleeding the brakes. Don't forget to buy some brake fluid before you start!

Good Luck.
 
ming said:
er. . . . . . . .not gettin confused wiff damper springs un matched pair fings :)
Click to expand...

Brake failure due to a leaking cylinder on one side is soon likely to be followed by brake failure due to a leak on the other side don't ya fink..:)
 
Chaser said:
Brake failure due to a leaking cylinder on one side is soon likely to be followed by brake failure due to a leak on the other side don't ya fink..:)
Click to expand...

Ahmen to that ;)
NEVER do only one side of the brakes appart from the above you'll have unequall braking accross the axle till the new shoes bed in, not as important as on the front but important non the less.
 
Hippo said:
Hi

My 2001 v6 Freelanders rear RHS break cylinder has sprung a leak. Whenever you press the foot break pedal it goes to the floor. At the same time a trickle of fluid jumps out the cylinder where the piston pushes out towards the brake shoe. It also pushed off the rubber seal, which I push back on only for it to happen again when next pressing the brake.

How do you see how much fluid is leaking? Are you operating it without the brake drums fitted? If so I am not surprised as there is nothing to retain the pistons within te cylinder bore. They are being extended until the seal clears the cylinder and the fluid leaks. You cannot test it without the drums being in place.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the replies.

I used a length of wood to press the brake pedal with the engine running, so I could see how much fluid leaks out. This was with the wheel fitted. I did take the wheel and hub off to see what’s in there, and what was happening. Put it all back afterwards and put him to bed in the garage.

The latest is it’s booked in to a local LR garage. They’ll replace both cylinder on the rear, one each side. They’ll also replace the shoes and bleed the system. Not sure on the price of this yet. I’ve got a quote from a brake down company who will carry my hippo to the garage for me. This costs £50+vat for about 8 miles. I’ll let you know the price of the repair next week when it’s done, just as guidance for future repairs for others.
 
Hippo said:
Thanks for your comments.

I was thinking the same myself. If the job was too difficult, or not straight forward then I’d post it off to a garage on the back of a truck. Currently it has NO foot brake ability at all. Hence he now stays at home locked away. The reservoir has brake fluid in it, but putting your foot on the pedal sees half a teaspoon full jump out the cylinder. We’re assuming there’s air in the brake system.

Can anyone advise a rough labour charge for the following?

Both sides = replace rear brake shoes, cylinders, + drain/flush/replace brake fluid?

Thanks
Click to expand...
My contacts in UK tell me that independents charge £50-60 per hour. I would estimate 2 hrs for this job.
 
G-man said:
where are you hippo?


brake hydraulics are fine to be replaced individually but friction materials mustbe replaced in axle sets
Click to expand...

Come on fellas, seriously do you think thats acceptable. If the cylinders are the same age and mileage and one is leaking can't you see the sense in replacing both sides as a precaution. Trying to save a few quid here just ain't worth the consequences.
When you press that brake pedal you want to be confident all is as it should be.
 
ianda12 said:
As my Hippo is a 2001 V6, does that mean I have to change my brake cylinders because one of your's has failed ? !!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Depends if it’s the same colour? :p

As said above it’s a heavy car. A simple query with regards to safety could be the difference between killing someone and spending £50 to avoid. I stayed in a premier inn last night which cost £72 and was a little like a prison.

If you watch my moving photo you’ll see my car gets a little more abuse than the average Freelander. We believe the cylinder has failed due to either rust, or more likely contamination due to it being submerged in mucky water. Sand and clay is a killer of seals. Also happily takes out bearings too. As the cylinders have been submerged in muck on more than one occasion, and one has now failed, it is reasonable to suspect the other has had or is near to the same condition. If replacing brakes disks on the front in pairs is correct procedure, and shoes on the rear in pairs, then why not cylinders in pairs? When braking both cylinders receive equal pressure. The older of the two would naturally be the weaker. If I’m willing to pay I don’t see the problem.

The bigger question is why does it not have any foot brake ability to stop at all? I thought the braking system had 4 independent circuits. One circuit for each wheel.
 
Job done and complete. 2 new cylinder + rear shoes and a brake fluid fill and flush.

£200 inc parts labour and vat.

The garage was a bit concerned at changing both cylinders as they didn’t want to have to charge me work that wasn’t needed. But I explained and they did both cylinders for me.

My hippo now has a friendly independent land rover garage to visit. Just not too often hopefully.
 
Now it's all over, can I point out it doesn't have callipers at the back.
They're cylinders, callipers are for disk brakes.
 
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