I was doing some spring maintance and noticed something really odd. I've melted the dust covers on the bottom slide pins on both front calipers and also the lower part of the piston seal.

I've never seen anything like this before, on any car I've tracked before...
do I need ducting? do I have a more serious problem? were do I buy replacement parts? what's my next step?

 

Did they melt or crumble from being 20 years old? I've never heard of those melting, and if they are you have a problem. Stuck slider may be putting pressure on the pad keeping it warm even with the brake off? Who knows. What type of brake fluid are you using?

 

unfortunately they aren't crumpling apart, still all together except for the half that melted. I'll try and snap a pic tomorrow.

I usually re-lube the sliders after every track event to make sure they don't seize. I am missing one of the springs on the passenger side, but the top was missing and the bottom is what melted. the driver side still have both springs BTW.

Motul 600.

 

Did you melt the dust boot of the actual piston seal? If the latter, something is definitely wrong with your brakes. I've been tracking my car for 7 years and have never burninated the slider boots, though the piston dust boot goes pretty regularly.

I get my parts through MazdaSpeed Motorsports. If you do any type of timed event (autocross, time trials) that show race results, you can become a member and enjoy some good discounts off OEM and race parts, plus the guys that you can talk with on the phone are very helpful.

 

yea, it melted the center out of the lower dust cover on the slide pin and the actual seal on the piston. see pics





I'm a member of Mazdspeed, I but I actually just scored another set of front calipers. now, I just need to make sure the same doesn't happen to them.

 

The lower picture shows the dust boot, and melting that is pretty common if you track your car. Some of us even leave it off . It's unusual to see the slider pin covers melt like that, so brake ducting may be in order for your new calipers.

 

interesting... my WRX had the worst brakes of any car I've owned and never had that problem before on any of my cars and I've tracked almost all of them. if it's no big deal about the dust cover, I'll just run it. I just thought it was a moisture barrier and didn't want to turn into a fireball and lose my brakes. that's not good for the show.

will ducting keep this from happening?

 

I've melted the slider pin parts while bedding in a new set of pads, never had it happen on track though.

The only time i've ever had the dust boot melt was when i let the pads get too thin. One of those "i think they are good for one more day..." kind of things.

Ducting will definitely not hurt. I'm in the process of adding some so i cant say one way or the other.

 

Well, FWIW, it's not unheard of.

My other car after its final track day:


At least on the Miata there aren't 8 of them, and they don't cost $25 each...