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HELP: Rear caliper piston

  • Thread starter Thread starter shoobs99svt
  • Start date Start date Mar 1, 2008
S

shoobs99svt

Member
Jul 31, 2006
90
0
6
Charlotte NC
Mar 1, 2008
#1
  • Mar 1, 2008
  • #1
Got all 4 rotors in yesterday, replacing them with new pads right now...

Since 10am (now 3pm) still on right rear, still trying to get the piston to back off and allow room for the new pads/rotor... it wont budge: i think the c clamp will end up broken before the piston does.

Am i missing something?

Ps no the e brake isnt on
 

LaserSVT

Got FB banned again for saying nards
Founding Member
Nov 29, 1999
9,391
3,538
233
Mar 1, 2008
#2
  • Mar 1, 2008
  • #2
Sound like you have a frozen piston. I know this is wrong but I used a set of channel locks with a rag between them and the piston and it worked great for me, better than using the c clamp I had If that doesnt do it than the caliper is shot. They are less than $100 at NAPA.
 
D

dec322

Member
Feb 11, 2006
401
2
16
Bham AL
Mar 1, 2008
#3
  • Mar 1, 2008
  • #3
I've only tried to replace rear disc brakes one time in my life. I also couldn't get it to budge (Protege5). I gave up and just changed the front brakes and sold the car. Later I found out that there is some type of screw that must be loosened on the back of the caliper. Maybe all rear calipers are like that I don't know but it might be worth checking into.
 

blackfang

Founding Member
Dec 17, 2001
1,290
1
39
Richmond, Va
Mar 1, 2008
#4
  • Mar 1, 2008
  • #4
The rear brake caliper piston screws/twists in!!! You can not push it back in like the fronts. Go rent a tool from AZ for that.
 
D

dec322

Member
Feb 11, 2006
401
2
16
Bham AL
Mar 2, 2008
#5
  • Mar 2, 2008
  • #5
blackfang said:
The rear brake caliper piston screws/twists in!!! You can not push it back in like the fronts. Go rent a tool from AZ for that.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. Thanks for the clarification.
 
S

shoobs99svt

Member
Jul 31, 2006
90
0
6
Charlotte NC
Mar 3, 2008
#6
  • Mar 3, 2008
  • #6
blackfang: yeah you got it right on the money

for some reason the rear caliper piston will only rotate in... i believe something to do with the parking brake doing self adjusting stuff my haynes manual didnt help any if at all on the subj. either way i found three ways to do this only one way to do it right. first you can use a pair of needle nose pliers and move the piston around 1/4 turn per knuckle scratch and 4 letter word, you can use the $12 "universal" cube from napa that wont fit this app whatsoever, OR you can rent that tool, rear caliper compressor, from AZ. the tool saved me about 2 hours by needle nose pliers and saved the piston from certain scoring.

next time ill know!
 

blackfang

Founding Member
Dec 17, 2001
1,290
1
39
Richmond, Va
Mar 3, 2008
#7
  • Mar 3, 2008
  • #7
I have used needle nosed pliers when I didn'st have the tool when I have worked on my brakes. They will work too.
 

LaserSVT

Got FB banned again for saying nards
Founding Member
Nov 29, 1999
9,391
3,538
233
Mar 3, 2008
#8
  • Mar 3, 2008
  • #8
Thanks for the info, i just used the channel locks on my friends Grand Cherokee and never tried a Stang before. Glad to know so when I do mine I do it right.
 
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