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Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? #2462766
03/07/18 08:25 PM
03/07/18 08:25 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,659
Florida
BDW Offline OP
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BDW  Offline OP
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Florida
I see rebuilt brake calipers listed with Phenolic or metal pistons.
No real difference in price, so which is better?
Phenolic Is ceramic/plastic based, so no rust issues.
Metal might be stronger with less deflection?

Which would you choose?

Thx

Re: Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? [Re: BDW] #2462768
03/07/18 08:29 PM
03/07/18 08:29 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 959
Cincinnati,Ohio
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jcastle1 Offline
super stock
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Cincinnati,Ohio
it does not matter, just make sure the pair are the same

Re: Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? [Re: BDW] #2462803
03/07/18 09:37 PM
03/07/18 09:37 PM
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Andrewh Offline
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there was an issue at one point for the phenolic ones so I always go metal.

they recalled them because it would cause the caliper to lock up and keep the brakes on till they cooled.
had it happen with an 84 new yorker. mbody car.

Re: Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? [Re: BDW] #2462863
03/07/18 11:05 PM
03/07/18 11:05 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,043
Niles , Ohio
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therocks Offline
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
therocks  Offline
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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Posts: 21,043
Niles , Ohio
I agree had problems with Phonelics sometimes.I use metal.Rocky


Chrysler Firepower
Re: Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? [Re: BDW] #2463141
03/08/18 03:58 PM
03/08/18 03:58 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,695
Bitopia
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jcc Online content
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
jcc  Online Content
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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Posts: 22,695
Bitopia
"Phenolic Is ceramic/plastic based, so no rust issues."

Are we talking 70's stuff, never heard the ceramic description before.
Not sure rust is that much of a problem anyway if using a CI caliper.

I suspect phenolic was a cheaper solution, I would chose alum between the two. twocents


Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
Re: Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? [Re: jcc] #2463163
03/08/18 04:46 PM
03/08/18 04:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,376
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dogdays Offline
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Phenolic....."a usually thermosetting resin or plastic made by condensation of a phenol with an aldehyde and used especially for molding and insulating and in coatings and adhesives — called also phenolic resin."

There are no ceramics in phenolic.

On the first Ford Tauruses, the standard cars got phenolic caliper pistons, the cop and taxi and SHO models got metal pistons. So in that case metal pistons were more high performance.

Regarding thermal linear expansion, phenolic is 6 times the expansion of steel, 4 times the expansion of stainless steel, and 3 times the expansion of aluminum. Numbers were rounded.

So phenolic expands more per degree increase than three common metals.

Go with the metal pistons.

R.

Re: Phenolic or Metal caliper piston? [Re: dogdays] #2463238
03/08/18 06:41 PM
03/08/18 06:41 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 283
western new york
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horsepower.2007 Offline
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Joined: Nov 2009
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western new york
I had phenolic calipers on my lil red, They stuck all the time.







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