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rear brake caliper question


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hello everyone, i have a quick question about the rear calipers on my 1995 eldorado....this is the first time changing the brakes on my car, and i can't figure out how to compress the piston on the caliper???...i did the fronts in about twenty minutes, no problems, but the rears are killing me..... i'm sure this is an easy one for you guys....thanks in advance...bob

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Using a large C clamp compress the caliper piston into the caliper bore to gain enough clearance to allow the caliper to pivot off the caliper bracket. Compress the piston until resistance is felt, but no more than 1 mm of piston travel.

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thanks for the response...i did try to compress the piston with a c-clamp, it was just about impossible to turn it in...i had to use a breaker bar on the c-clamp to get enough leverage to move it...also, maybe, i'm misunderstanding, but how is 1mm enough to get the assembly with new brake pads installed back onto the rotor?? i figured the piston needed to be bottomed out...thanks, bob

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Replacing rear pads is a lot more complicated than the fronts. I thought you meant taking off the caliper, not putting the pads in the caliper. This is taken from the service manual.

Retract the caliper piston into the caliper bore. Use a spanner type wrench and turn the piston clockwise until it bottoms out fully in the caliper and align the piston.

See picture below. Install the brake pad retainers into the caliper anchor bracket.

Snap the brake pad wear sensor into the inboard brake pad.

Install the inboard and outboard brake pads into the caliper anchor bracket. Route the wear sensor wire through the caliper and support properly to be sure the wire will lay in its proper location when the caliper is installed.

IMPORTANT: The caliper piston boot must lay flat. Make sure convolutions are tucked into place. Use a small plastic or wooden tool to lift the inner edge of the boot next to the piston, and press out any trapped air. Pivot the caliper down over the brake pads and into the anchor bracket. Be sure that the wear sensor wiring is properly routed and clipped in its original location. Insert the lower caliper slide pin. Tighten the caliper slide pin to 85 Nm (63 ft. lbs.). Connect the wear sensor connector to the vehicle wire harness. Connect the park brake cable to the brake caliper. Adjust the brake fluid level. Start the vehicle and apply approximately 778 N (175 lb) of force three times to the brake pedal to seat the brake caliper piston and brake pads. This helps to seat the brake caliper and pads.

Recheck the brake fluid level.

Burnish the pads and rotors.

post-3-1110293075_thumb.jpg

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Eldorado Bob,

Most auto supply stores have a tool to retract the rear brake caliper pistons. Some call it a "CUBE". It fits on a 3/8 drive ratchet and is used to turn the pistons back into the caliper. When finished turning the piston in, you have to align the piston as shown in rbrantlee's post. this allows the two raised dimples to seat in the piston. The tool is inexpensive and is made to work on many different types of calipers. Just match the raised dimples of the brake pad to the tool & then use the tool to turn the pistons in.

Other than that, and the emergency brake cable it is similar to doing the front brakes.

Good Luck,

Britt

Britt
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If you have used the C clamp to push the rear brake piston and you got it to move, you have probably done some damage to the piston. I was confused by this type of piston also. I also did not know that it screws back in. Broke two cheap C clamps trying to get the piston to move.

The universal 'cube' works, but it is a pain. You will have to turn it hard and slow clockwise since you are pushing fluid back just like the C clamp did.

You will be slapping your self for not knowing it. With the 'cube' it should take just a little while longer that a typical front break pad replacement. Mostly beacuse the 'cube' keeps popping off the top of the piston

Check to make sure the brakes work before driving. You might have done some real damage the the piston. I was lucky that I did not damage the piston

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Don't try to use a C-Clamp on the rear, navion has the method I use, buy the cube it will fit your 3/8" drive extension.

The rears are in fact more difficult, and I have not really gotten the procedure down pat yet, it will involve proper adjustment of your parking brake, so you will need to free up the parking brake adjuster. When I do my rears, the first thing I will do is use penetration oil on the adjuster and free it up, going forward at oil change I plan to keep the threads on the adjuster sprayed with white grease.. Mike

I have been considering how effective naval jelly on those thread might be. My experience has been that the parking brake adjuster has created all my problems with my rear brake job as you can not perform the rear brake job properly if those threads are frozen, FYI

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I have found that when using the brake cube to turn the piston into the caliper it helps greatly if you open the bleeder valve first. The piston then turns in much easier.

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Using the cube can be a bit of a pain, since it tends to slip.

I have used a pair of long needle nose pliers in the past. Just spread the pliers to engage the indentation and then turn (I forgot if it's clockwise or counterclockwise)

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Odd I have never had a problem with the cube, I am surprised to see so many not liking it. The only problem I have with opening the bleeder is that most times I don't bleed my brakes, just replace the pads.. why open a can of worms, although I do know its nice to replenish the fluid...

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