Steve Lepper wrote:Hi Dan,
I know you just ordered, but here's the trick for future reference:
You're on the Mazdaspeed program, right? Order the complete, remanufactured caliper from Mazda. For your car, the part number for a complete, padless caliper (which includes the mounting bracket) would be something like NAY5-26-98ZR-T0. Even though the part number you order is "called" a reman, a lot of the time I get sent a brand-new caliper anyway.
Why those fail: that's a rubber bushing in there... it's done to reduce brake noise. Rust is the most common enemy, but I've seen trackday guys get their brakes so hot it actually softens/melts that bushing to where it bonds the caliper and bracket together. I've taken a couple of those and machined them to accept a metal bushing, but that's overkill (and not stock legal) in your case.
aaaah, gotcha. Makes sense...Good to know.

Have you had any luck drilling an access hole in the caliper to use an allen key to turn the pin? The pins are machined with a 3/4mm allen key head on them to install them on the rear retaining bracket. I thought of just drilling a hole in the backside but I didn't know if that would create problems/would need to be plugged.
Just called them up to change the order, seems the part number I was given is what superceeds that one (they found the left side p/n, the one there I guess is for the right side). ::shrug:: They were saying Mazda doesn't make remans anymore. Thanks for the heads up though!