Posted by Paul on September 12, 1999 at 08:30:56:
In Reply to: Wheel cylinders posted by Bob on September 12, 1999 at 06:06:24:
{{When tearing down my M37 brakes yesterday we got to the frozen,
crystalized wheel cylinders. These babies were stuck better than
expoxy would do it. After knocking the hell out them with a make
shift drift, I finally got the pistons out. They were a beautiful
anodized aluminum. Aluminum wire burned up so many houses in the
70's they outlawed in most states. Does anybody make the pistons
out of steel? }}
Don't worry about the pistons being aluminum. The houses burned down because the connectors used were for copper wiring and was used on aluminum. It has a different coefficient of expansion when warm so the connectors would get loose. This would cause arcing and sometimes start a fire. Aluminum is the best type of metal for wheel cylinders as it gets a little oxidation on the outside surface and this seals the rest of the metal from corrosion. Steel keeps rusting and rusting until it just about dissolves. This will make your wheel cylinder one big, unrebuildable lump.