I have a 2006 Accord, SE, 4-cylinder. I have to do front & rear brakes and will have to replace the rear calipers. The driver's side caliper isn't even working and I suspect the passenger side isn't far behind. I can either purchase the parts from the local Car Quest Auto Parts store or from Majestic Honda, whom I found on this site and have discovered to have much lower prices than my local Honda dealer.

My question is who will have the better quality parts? Are rotors rotors? Are rebuilt calipers rebuilt calipers? Do I spend the extra money for "Honda" parts or will I get the same quality from the local car parts store?

 

From my experience Honda parts are the gold standard and others are a step down, but it depends on what you are buying. I've never bought a caliper.

I would be tempted to purchase used calipers, as there is not much to wear out. They might corrode enough to stop working. What is your problem?

If you want to save some money check ebay for used calipers.

good luck

 

The driver's side caliper is not working. The outside of the rear rotor is all rusted because the pad's not even touching due to the fact that the caliper is frozen. The rubber boots are ripped and the pins are probably stuck. I had a garage double check it and they said that both rear calipers are not working. If I replace the calipers, I'll use remanufactured ones. Again, I'm just wondering about the quality between Honda and auto parts reman calipers.

I'm also going to have to replace front and rear rotors and pads. For pads I think I'll use the Car Quest ceramic pads, as I've used them on my van.

Thanks in advance for any advise.

 

Honda parts are usually made by other manufacturers; e.g, Akebono, Nissin, Denso, etc. These OEM manufacturers generally use better materials and have tighter tolerances not usually found in many aftermarket replacement parts. Additionally, many times the Honda parts install easier due to tighter tolerances which results in a precise fit and the part kit may already come with the packets of rubber grease or moly grease depending on the application, new shims, etc. For example, Honda brake pads come with the moly grease and shims you may need, whereas aftermarket may only come with some shims.

Does that mean aftermarket parts won't work? No, most will work; but, may or may not have the exact fit, longevity, quietness of operation, etc. that the Honda OEM parts have. Now if it is the same OEM manufacturer, the part whether it is purchased from Honda or not, may be essentially the same; such as Denso oxygen sensors or NGK or Denso spark plugs.

 

Before replacing the entire caliper, you might want to remove the two pins that the caliper floats on. Clean and lubricate the pins with some silicone grease. I think the packets of caliper grease are silicone that you can buy at the register at most parts stores.

 

Thanks for all the help on this. I'm now getting ready to purchase my parts. I'll definitely replace the driver's side caliper, as the pins are frozen. I've inspected the passenger's side caliper and the pins appear to be working, but the rubber boots should be replaced. I've heard some auto technicians say that if you replace one caliper, then both should be replaced. How true is this? Since I'm going to be replacing the driver's side, is it advisable to replace the passenger's.