Brake replacement question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Garden City Kansas
Brake replacement question
I'm replacing front/rear pads, rotors and shocks. The difficulty is opening rear caliper piston with new pads so it can fit over the rotor. No problem with the front calipers but the rear I can't seem to figure out. I'm sure there is an explaination out there please.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,496
Likes: 475
From: New Jersey
When you compress a piston in a caliper, open the bleeder screw and let the fluid drin back through it. Do not let it drain back through the system as the garbage in the caliper will get into some other component and ruin it. Cannot tell you how many master cylinders I have seen die two weeks after the brake job.
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
1991 Rear Brake pad replacement
I tried replacing my rear brake pads and can't get the caliper over the new pads. I even disconnected the e-brake but still no success. Is there some trick to doing this, the piston is pushed in with a c -clamp and seems to be against a hard stop.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Iowa
If I remember correctly the parking brake assembly on these cars utilizes a worm gear to force pressure against the pad. With those set ups you need to rent a tool that will both press and turn them back into the caliper. Then they will fit. Just my .02
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,218
Likes: 117
From: San Antonio Texas
Look on the surface of the piston where it contacts the pads. If it has a couple of little holes in the surface, they are the ratcheting type that keeps the E-brake from going slack as the pads wear. Most auto stores sell a multi-tool that fits a 3/8" ratchet. It has several patterns and spacing of little studs that fit in those piston holes. Clean off the piston rubber bellows so it can slip on the piston when it is turned, and you just screw the piston back down into the caliper like a bolt until the pads will fit over the rotor.
Open the bleeder like they said above so the nasty old fluid doesn't go back up the brake lines.
Open the bleeder like they said above so the nasty old fluid doesn't go back up the brake lines.
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Look on the surface of the piston where it contacts the pads. If it has a couple of little holes in the surface, they are the ratcheting type that keeps the E-brake from going slack as the pads wear. Most auto stores sell a multi-tool that fits a 3/8" ratchet. It has several patterns and spacing of little studs that fit in those piston holes. Clean off the piston rubber bellows so it can slip on the piston when it is turned, and you just screw the piston back down into the caliper like a bolt until the pads will fit over the rotor.
Open the bleeder like they said above so the nasty old fluid doesn't go back up the brake lines.
Open the bleeder like they said above so the nasty old fluid doesn't go back up the brake lines.
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Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 551
Likes: 23
From: Wills Point Texas
This style is not a ratcheting type, I disconnected the e-brake and that made no difference, also the e-brake was against a stop and not pushing on the pads. The piston moves freely, just does not appear to go in far enough to get on new pads. Going to take a second look this weekend. I looked at pics of the caliper assembly. I have seen several comments on nthis forum, but no hard here is what is wrong.Thanks
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
I'll be closely watching this thread as I plan on doing a full brake job on my car very soon. I have about 35% left and that's when I like to replace pads. I usually open the master cylinder or bleeder and just collapse my calipers very slowly by using a very large channel lock pliers.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,082
Likes: 3
From: Conowingo Maryland
make sure the park brake cable has slack in it. To be honest I hate the calipers on the back of these things. I have seen so many problems by pushing the pistons back in with these that I no longer do it. I buy loaded calipers and replace the thw lines and calipers
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
I even disconnected the e-brake completely, going to let the Chevy dealer do it and see what the trick is.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,082
Likes: 3
From: Conowingo Maryland
You'll be money ahead if you buy loaded calipers. I had a fleet of cars with these calipers on them I hate them after back to back problems I only replace the complete caliper and hose when touching them. And in all honestly I never just squzzxe on pads any more on anything for the cost of reman loaded calipers and a brake hose it is worth the piece of mind.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 378
From: Cincinnati Ohio
Rear Caliper
Almost all REAR brake calipers that have an e-brake on them need a special tool to fully seat the piston back into the piston bore. It can NOT be seated by using a c clamp. You must install the special tool on a
3/8 ratchet and engage the tools **** into the piston. This will allow you to screw the piston back into the bore. I believe you need to turn the piston clockwise to get piston back into the bore so you can install the pads in the caliper and the caliper over the rotor . When installing the pads in the rear caliper you must line up the tit on back of the pad with a slot in the face of the piston. This keeps the piston from rotating when the brakes are applied.
3/8 ratchet and engage the tools **** into the piston. This will allow you to screw the piston back into the bore. I believe you need to turn the piston clockwise to get piston back into the bore so you can install the pads in the caliper and the caliper over the rotor . When installing the pads in the rear caliper you must line up the tit on back of the pad with a slot in the face of the piston. This keeps the piston from rotating when the brakes are applied.
Last edited by seijack; Apr 17, 2014 at 08:01 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 799
Likes: 26
From: Lexington Park Maryland
Listen carefully, almost all REAR brake calipers that have an e-brake on them need a special tool to fully seat the piston back into the piston bore. It can NOT be seated by using a c clamp. You must install the special tool on a
3/8 ratchet and engage the tools **** into the piston. This will allow you to screw the piston back into the bore. I believe you need to turn the piston clockwise to get piston back into the bore so you can install the pads in the caliper and the caliper over the rotor . When installing the pads in the rear caliper you must line up the tit on back of the pad with a slot in the face of the piston. This keeps the piston from rotating when the brakes are applied. Trust me, I used to work for a brake manufacturer....
3/8 ratchet and engage the tools **** into the piston. This will allow you to screw the piston back into the bore. I believe you need to turn the piston clockwise to get piston back into the bore so you can install the pads in the caliper and the caliper over the rotor . When installing the pads in the rear caliper you must line up the tit on back of the pad with a slot in the face of the piston. This keeps the piston from rotating when the brakes are applied. Trust me, I used to work for a brake manufacturer....
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
I guess I was lucky when I replaced all the brake pads on my 92, I used a medium size "C" clamp to compress the piston. Oh yeah, before I do any brake job. I use my special tool to suck the fluid from the reservoir so when you compress the caliper piston dirty brake fluid fill some what fill the reservoir, then suck that out also.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,429
Likes: 608
From: Minneapolis Mn
Bracket
I'm old school but I've had to loosen the bracket on almost every vehicle I've put brakes into, still do it today. Once on, just tighten everything up. Don't know if it's supposed to be required or not, just seems to be a fact of life on the ones I've worked on.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,314
Likes: 508
From: South-central Missouri
I didn't think that was right. So, this thread has my attention. But, when you refer to loosening the "bracket", I'm not sure what you're talking about. At the risk of sounding ignorant, what bracket??
Thanks in advance.
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
I just installed new pads on my 90 ZR-1, and where the rear passenger side went on OK, the driver's side took a little tapping on the caliper housing to seat the caliper.
I didn't think that was right. So, this thread has my attention. But, when you refer to loosening the "bracket", I'm not sure what you're talking about. At the risk of sounding ignorant, what bracket??
Thanks in advance.
I didn't think that was right. So, this thread has my attention. But, when you refer to loosening the "bracket", I'm not sure what you're talking about. At the risk of sounding ignorant, what bracket??
Thanks in advance.