If you drive a car, the chances are good that it has disk brakes. And if you have disk brakes, then there is a good chance that the brake caliper brackets are improperly installed. The issue is not brand specific -- the majority of aftermarket caliper brackets do not follow proper torque specifications, and you must reinstall them in such instances. Is it true that these brackets are side-specific, or are they interchangeable?
Are brake caliper brackets specific to any side?
Yes and no. Caliper brackets are specific to the side of the vehicle, but they can be reversed so that they will mount on either side. Some cars have their brake calipers on the left, some on the right, and some on both sides of the vehicle. The caliper brackets will be installed differently depending upon where on the car they are located.
The mounting holes on the caliper bracket (in the US, at least) are identical in size and spacing. So, you can mount a caliper on either side of the fork.
However, there are some issues with this. The primary problem is that if you mount the brake caliper brackets to one side, you will have the brake line run across your vehicle, crossing over the top tube. This creates two problems:
1) It causes extra friction in your brake system
2) It's an eyesore, resulting in a poor-looking design of the vehicle too.
Does it matter where the brake caliper is mounted?
It is a common misconception that the front brake caliper should be mounted. However, this is only true in most cases and not always.
The first and perhaps most common location is a "side-mounted," or floating caliper. This caliper type has rubber hoses connecting to the brake at the top and bottom, with a metal line connecting the sides. The second type of mounting is called a "tea-tray" mount, where the caliper is bolted to the axle housing (or center link). Finally, there is an "axle mounted" setup, where the caliper is bolted to the hub, and the rotor is bolted to the caliper.
Closing thoughts
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