Why Are Brake Calipers In Different Positions?

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Aftermarket brake-swap kits are commonly positioned by factory engineers and other specialists such that the calipers are leading or even trailing to ensure that the bleed screws end up in approximately the noon position.

In this position of the bleed screws, you will prevent any trapped air and will also get optimum brake system cooling effect for the application, while at the same time not interfering with either the suspension or body panels.

Conversely, a right-hand leading caliper(RL) commonly mounts on the right side of the car, and the periphery of the brake rotor. Therefore, a right-hand trailing caliper(RT) will equally mount on the rear end of the brake rotor.

Although some calipers that are designed with equal bore sizes are commonly identified as just ‘Right Hand’ or ‘Left Hand’ mount.

Still, in some vehicles, the brake calipers can be put in place on the wrong side. And because you can’t bleed off the air which builds at the summit of the caliper, the bleeder screw can now be at the bottom, which will not allow you to have a firm brake pedal.

Brake calipers themselves have anywhere between one to twelve pistons that will effectively push the brake pads in the direction of the rotor whenever the pressure of the brake line is raised from the brake pedal input.

The major advantage of having extra pistons is that the pressure applied to the brake pad is more or less maintained uniform throughout.

All in all, the disc brake caliper position on the brake rotor bears little or no effect on real-world brake efficiency, so long as the bleed screws end up at about the noon position.

In conclusion on the different caliper positions, they have little or no effect on your braking efficiency as long as the bleed screws are precisely at the recommended position.

Therefore, the calipers can mount on the brake rotor’s ‘lead’ or ‘trail,’ which is affected by their positions relative to that of the spindle or the axle centerline too.

However, in nearly almost all instances, there is no real-world performance advantage of one position over another, apart from just clearing the suspension and making sure that the bleed screw orientation is at the noon position or even close to the top of the caliper.

It is because of this that disc brakes engineers choose to classify the position of the mounting caliper on the rotor as either.

‘Leading’ (which is the same as forward, ahead of the spindle, or even the axle centerline) or ‘trailing’ ( which is also known as rearward, behind the spindle, or axle centerline. Furthermore, the calipers mounted ‘in lead’ can develop improved squat and result in a better tire contact patch due to hard braking.

This means that the caliper position has little or no effect on braking efficiency, as long as the bleed screws are properly positioned at the noon position.

Therefore, it implies that you can install the calipers in any position you prefer, so far as the bleed screws are positioned correctly as recommended.

Table Of Contents

What is the correct position of the brake caliper?

In most vehicles, the position of the caliper is primarily because of chasis integration and also the production economies of scale.

Preferably, factory designers and aftermarket brake swap kits place the calipers leading or trailing to ensure that the bleed screws are in the 1200 position to avoid trapped air and also to get maximum brake cooling system for the application, while at the same time not interfering with the suspension or the body panels themselves.

However, previously, Mopar utilized different right and left side calipers from a part number standpoint, but in reality, which caliper will serve as either the right or left one in any particular installation was based on the model, year, chassis, or even the suspension option, such as the presence or absence of a front anti-sway bar.

Before you can get this to work and also before you place the bleed screw to face the correct position, whenever the calipers swapped sides, the bracket-mounting mechanism will accordingly change to position the unit from leading to trail or vice versa.

Therefore, the most correct position of the caliper is one in which the bleed screws are placed in the noon position.(Read Also: Does Brake Fluid Eat Rubber?)

Can I move my brake caliper backward?

Yes, you can move your brake caliper backward or forward if you wish as long as the bleed screw is positioned such that it is at the noon position.

This is basically because the position of the calipers does not affect the real-world braking efficiency of the vehicle provided the bleed screw is properly installed.

This simply means that it does little or nothing in terms of your braking effectiveness just by moving the caliper either backward or forward. (Read Also: Can Brake Drums Warp?)

Specifically, in some vehicles, the caliper can be put on the wrong side. And since you cannot bleed off the air which has built at the top of the caliper, the bleed screw can then be at the bottom, which also means that you cannot have a firm brake pedal too.

Is there a difference between left and right brake calipers?

One major difference between brake calipers is the fact that they differ depending on their positions in the brake system.

When it comes to vehicles with disc brakes mounted on particularly the front wheels and tires, you should make sure to replace the calipers in pairs and not singly. Therefore, should one side gets damaged, replace them both.

Whereas, if only one is faulty, there is the likelihood that you will experience brake imbalance between the front wheels and also the tires too.

Specifically, a right-hand trailing caliper can mount on the right side of the car, or the front edge of your brake rotor.

This means that a right-hand trailing caliper can mount easily on the rear fringe of the brake rotor. However, there are calipers with the same size bores that are identified as either ‘Right Hand’ or just ‘Left Hand’. So, yes, there is a difference between the right and left side calipers.

Can you put brake calipers on the wrong side?

Many cars have their caliper positions due to their chassis integration and also the production economy of scales too.

Despite this, the correct caliper position is dependent solely on the position of the bleed screws rather than that of the calipers themselves.

This is done to avoid trapped air and also to achieve maximum braking system cooling for the device as well, while still not interfering with either the suspension or body panels.

Although a kind of strange caliper position for economy and clearance was used in older models of Chrysler vehicles.

All in all, which caliper will go to what position in any installation is dependent on the model, year, chassis, and suspension option too.

For you to get this done properly, you should position the bleed screw such that it will face the right direction, whenever the calipers swapped sides.

So, essentially, it is not the position of the calipers that count per se, but that of the bleed screw. However, your user manual will guide you on the proper caliper position to adopt in your model of car.

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Are brake calipers universal?

A common misconception is that any brake caliper can be used on virtually any vehicle as far as it can be made to fit in physically.

Despite this popular notion, it is worthy of note that vast differences occur in the braking system of different vehicles, but mostly in ways that are not predictable. Consequently, brake calipers are not universal which means that the caliper used in your car will depend on its specifications.

Frequently asked questions(FAQ)

How do I know if my brakes are wrongly installed?

There are some clear symbols or signs that are indicative of a wrong brake position. The following will help you to determine this situation reliably.

(1). The vehicle will most likely pull to one side. Also, a seized brake caliper or caliper sliders are quite capable of making the vehicle pull to one side or the other while braking.

(2). There are also bound to be fluid leaks too.

(3). Your brakes are also likely to become spongy or soft on pressing the brake pedal.

(4) The braking efficiency of the vehicle is also likely to reduce significantly.

(5). There could be uneven brake pad wear over time.

(6). You may also experience a dragging sensation.

(7). Finally, abnormal noises are also common in this situation.

Do all brake pads fit all calipers?

Brake calipers are not just braked calipers for the simple fact that they are specifically designed to fit particular vehicles based on their years of production, models, chassis types, and so on.