In the spring I discovered my rear brake pads (2.4L, 4 wheel disc brakes) were worn out, mostly on the passenger side. At the same time I noticed the parking brake was staying on for the passenger side. The cable was retracting fine but the return arm at the caliper wasn't sliding back.
I changed the pads but not the rotors because the parts supply store (Canadian tire) sold me the wrong size rotors.
At the same time I used some penetrating oil to free up the parking brake lever, which then seemed to work fine.
A month later on a hot day I stopped at a store and noticed a tiny bit of smoke coming off that wheel. Probably from the brake shim lubricant I'd applied. I guessed the parking brake was back to sticking and I was overheating the brake.
On the rear disc brake the parking brake is integrated into the brake cylinder so I assume I'll have to change the entire caliper.
I stopped using the parking brake at that point and found out Canadian Tire no longer carried that caliper. Since I was leaving for the summer I told my kids to avoid using the parking brake and thought I'd just fix it in September.
When I returned after driving a Celica all summer I was surprised at how far down the brake pedal travels on the Vibe, but I can't remember if it always did this. Perhaps the sporty Celica just has touchy brakes and I got used to them. I'll bleed all four brakes just to be safe.
Today I went to Napa auto parts and was told that they have no rear caliper with an integrated parking brake for the Vibe listed in their computer. Same with the 2010 model. I asked them to check the Matrix and they found one. Fingers crossed it's the same because parts suppliers always seem to worry that parts won't match.
They seemed to think the rear brakes were swapped out for Matrix rear brakes sometime after the car was originally sold. That seems unlikely to me since I bought it from a new car dealer after it was returned from a 4 year lease. I wouldn't think leasers would modify a car and risk a problem at the end of their lease.
Did the Vibe come with 4 wheel disc brakes and Napa Canada's just missing this information or should I be investigating what's been swapped between my car and the Matrix?
Also, since I'm on here, any tips to R+R the caliper without changing it would save me a few $''s but on my own I'm left to assume I should simply swap it out for a new one.
Justaskin... cheers.