Rough surface on rebuilt caliper guide pins

[Panici]

I discovered by accident that the guide pins included with Nugeon rebuilt calipers have a rough surface.

One of the included pins was bent, and when I went to get the old pin from my old calipers, I noticed the surface difference. The picture doesn't do it justice, it is quite rough compared to the other (smooth) pin.

Do you think this is an issue? Will I be chewing up rubber parts with this textured surface?

I should note that I use a synthetic brake grease on the slide pins.

[TobyB]

Looks like it's been 'reconditioned'...

I'd use your old ones...

I wonder if they 'reconditioned' the inside of your caliper?

I've given up- I clean up my old ones, or some from the pull-a-part that
look like they haven't been 'reconditioned' and put new seals in them.
BMW used a very durable brake design for many, many years, and if maintained,
there's usually about a 96% chance that new seals will get you a very good caliper.

t

[Panici]

Looks like it's been 'reconditioned'...

I'd use your old ones...

I wonder if they 'reconditioned' the inside of your caliper?

I've given up- I clean up my old ones, or some from the pull-a-part that
look like they haven't been 'reconditioned' and put new seals in them.
BMW used a very durable brake design for many, many years, and if maintained,
there's usually about a 96% chance that new seals will get you a very good caliper.

t

The calipers are from BMAparts, and from what I found online they seem like a reliable replacement.
I would be surprised if they failed because they weren't done properly.

I'm keeping my originals just in case though.


Still not sure if I should be troubled with changing the new guide pins to my old ones. How much movement do they see anyways?

[TobyB]

For rubber, you should be fine.
If you were using a solid bushing, I'd be worried that
hacked- up finish would wear the bushings.
Those pins were originally chromed, weren't they?

t

[estoguy]

One thing I've noticed with rebuilt/remanufactured calipers is that they use chromed steel pins.

OEM from the factory, the pins were stainless steel. If you're unsure what you have, put a magnet on them. When I got my remanufactured calipers last year, I kept the stainless steel pins and returned the new chromed ones with the cores. IMO, the stainless steel ones are much better, easier to clean up too when they've been in service for awhile.