just put new calipers after both front ones had seized pistons
I know this is an old thread but incase it helps anyone today, I too discovered that I had rusty OEM calipers with seized pistons....(Meineke was rotating my tires and told me that the front ones were bent and needed replacement. Their estimate was $1100 for reman parts and labor including brake fluid bleed and flush....this made my mechanic friend spit out his coffee...he offered to do the job for free if I buy him a new 3 ton hydraulic jack and all the supplies for this job)
So after reading various 4Runner 4th gen threads on the subject, including this one, I decided to buy some zinc coated, "rust-protection" reman 13WG ones by ACDELCO (per front wheel specs in the 2006 4Runner SR5 V6 Service manual I downloaded to assist with repairs on my SR5 (V6/4.0L). The problem is that I naively ordered from Rock Auto before finding out how bad this company in recently years...DAMNIT
Anyway, we are pretty sure they sent the right parts (apparently sometimes they sent defective or random parts) but since these calipers did fit properly, despite having a paper inside stating that they were remanufactured for GM, my mechanic friend was confident in them, and believes the size was correct (Side question: Do some GM brake parts universally fit many 4WDs including Asian vehicles??) According to this complaint site about Rock Auto....they'll send totally unrelated parts to people who place orders, then not accept returns or ever refund people, nor respond re: botched orders!! Apparently its gotten really bad in 2019https://www.complaintsboard.com/rockauto-b124706 and I based my decision to use them off of info from old threads!!
Well when we took the OEM front calipers off (not sure when they were last changed since I bought the car a year ago) they were badly rusted and we saw that a few of the pistons were seized in each front one. At least that validated one claim and one concern. (Nothing was "bent" as Meineke had said was happening...still not sure what that was about). Since the new calipers had extra rust protection both internally (zinc plated) and applied to the outside (some silver coating) they weren't cheap, but I'd hoped to get a core refund of $120 back upon returning my old ones....you have to actually place an order to be able to see the Rock Auto return policy and instructions through a separate menu and digging to eventually see where it says that the used cores must be returned in the same packaging that the new ones you were shipped, and can't be rusted in order to get your refund. Who gets new calipers when the old ones aren't rusted, first of all...so what degree of rust is unacceptable? Secondly, this is BS the packaging rule when what they shipped the new ones in was so flimsy and tattered when i arrived, that had to be thrown out. They had packaged those within a larger exterior box.... I didn't know, and recycled the damn box too before reading the policy since the calipers appeared to be legit when we put them on. I didn't anticipate not being able to return unrelated cores without the original box of the new calipers....is that ridiculous? Ofcourse there is no customer service number, live chat, email...nothing. At least I got the right parts....I think
Since flushing all 4 brake lines/the entire system, and putting the new calipers on the front, (Also replaced Rotors and brake shoes in the front with Powerstop cross- drilled, zinc-plated, "rust preventing" rotors and ceramic brakes that came as a set purchased via a seller on Amazon, at the same time + We flushed the powersteering fluid with new Dexron III as well) my almost 14 year old Graybaebae feels like a new car!
I just hope the parts actually hold up since it appears that Rock Auto's return policy is a joke, a lie and non- existent, as is the core rebate program....I was mad I didn't keep the box, but now I'm worried about the legitimacy of the parts. According to
RockAuto Customer Service, Complaints and Reviews Rock Auto is selling counterfeit parts made in China instead of parts from the manufacturer they label them with....complaints have been made with local BBBs and a DA is involved in one case....I feel stupid for ordering from them. FOR NOW, this process seemed to work like a dream to remedy the situation, and i just may have lucked out and just happened to have received the correct, authentic reman part, that is not defective from them. Time will tell....
I can't tell you how smooth the 'Bae is to drive and brake in since we did all of this. We'll see how long this lasts...
