Rear Caliper Won't Compress
05-28-2011, 07:43 PM
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Rear Caliper Won't Compress
I was able to get the driver's side screwed back in pretty easily, but I am unable to get the passenger side back in. I have been pushing in pretty hard while turning Clockwise, and the piston spins fine, but it will not retract. Some people have said to remove the cap from the reservoir but then others say don't. I am not about to open the bleeder screw if I don't have to because I really don't want to bleed the brakes (that, and I really don't know how to all that well) Any ideas what I am doing wrong here?
05-28-2011, 08:23 PM
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After coming inside to research the issue, and cool off, I realized I just had to call out my buddy Hercules on the caliper.... taking the cap off would have probably helped, but I was too afraid of causing another issue....
05-28-2011, 08:36 PM
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05-29-2011, 11:06 AM
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My rear calipers were a bitch to compress .... Luckily my clamp is shaped like a brake pad so I could catch the piston on one side and turn it with some needle nosed. I turned and pushed for half an hour trying to do it by hand ..... It wasn't going anywhere.
05-29-2011, 02:28 PM
#10
In all my years of working on cars I've never taken the cap off too push the pistons in. At most if it won't move in you can loosen the bleeder screw to find out of it's the hose or caliper that's bad.
On a side note quite a few of the cars out have one piston that twists in the opposite direction as the other side.
On a side note quite a few of the cars out have one piston that twists in the opposite direction as the other side.
05-29-2011, 09:13 PM
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05-29-2011, 09:44 PM
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Here is the right tool...uses 3/8 " drive:
Schley Products, Inc , 67380 3/8 In Dr Brake Caliper Tool Adapter - Mazda Mini Volvo
This new 3/8 brake caliper adapter has been specially designed to work with other brake caliper tools available on the market.
This new adapter can be used for Mazda, BMW, Mini Cooper & Volvo vehicles.
These vehicles have smaller brake pistons than other vehicles.
In operation, the tool makes clearance for new, thicker brake pads by rotating the brake piston back into the caliper until the piston is bottomed.
Rotating the piston is required on most disc brake calipers which are also used as emergency brakes.
05-29-2011, 10:46 PM
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In all my years of working on cars I've never taken the cap off too push the pistons in. At most if it won't move in you can loosen the bleeder screw to find out of it's the hose or caliper that's bad.
On a side note quite a few of the cars out have one piston that twists in the opposite direction as the other side.
On a side note quite a few of the cars out have one piston that twists in the opposite direction as the other side.
05-30-2011, 06:33 AM
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These calipers are a PITA to compress! It can be done without the tool shown above, but when I did it it took 2 of us at my shop. A guy I work with kept pressure on the piston with a pipe wrench, and I turned it using needle now pliers with each end in one of the two holes in the piston. The tool shown above is definitely your best bet, but I had trouble finding one that fit our pistons, so I just did it by hand.
05-30-2011, 07:13 AM
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My local autoparts store hade a universal tool,kinda looks like the hellraiser cube. I took the cap off and removed a bit of fluid , but I was going to be installing one man bleeders and bleeding all the lines anyway.My fluid was burnt and had a little water in it.
05-31-2011, 06:35 PM
#18
The cubes suck. You can use them, but you'll have to dremel it first. I used a cube the first time, and dremeled off 2 of the pins, and ground down the remaining 2 to get to the right space and size.
The tool Ronn posted is a little better, but still not great. This is what you really want:
18 Piece Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit
edit: the reason this is THE tool to get is because it actually braces against the other side of the caliper. You don't have to do any of the pushing. All you do is spin.
The tool Ronn posted is a little better, but still not great. This is what you really want:
18 Piece Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit
edit: the reason this is THE tool to get is because it actually braces against the other side of the caliper. You don't have to do any of the pushing. All you do is spin.
11-19-2012, 11:40 PM
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I used a set of snap ring pliers to turn in my passenger rear and it was a pita after all the turning it went in a lot then just stopped.. I figured maybe that's as far as it would go, but it wont fit around the brake pads. I still need over 1/2" and it went no further. I Turned it counter clockwise and it came back out I was thinking maybe it would loosen and go all the way in. Instead it came out and will not go back in no matter what I do. It turns and goes in like 1/4" and then binds up and goes nowhere not even a c clamp does anything.
11-20-2012, 01:57 PM
#21
I used a set of snap ring pliers to turn in my passenger rear and it was a pita after all the turning it went in a lot then just stopped.. I figured maybe that's as far as it would go, but it wont fit around the brake pads. I still need over 1/2" and it went no further. I Turned it counter clockwise and it came back out I was thinking maybe it would loosen and go all the way in. Instead it came out and will not go back in no matter what I do. It turns and goes in like 1/4" and then binds up and goes nowhere not even a c clamp does anything.
18 Piece Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit
11-20-2012, 02:21 PM
#22
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Some cars with ABS advise not compress the caliper without the bleeder screw cracked because you don't want to force crud that settled in the caliper back into the tiny orifices of the ABS unit. The tiny orifices are also what makes the caliper a PITA to compress. I don't think its necessary on our cars...well the procedure doesn't mention it.
And as far as taking the cap off... when the pads ware the reservoir drops... idk about you but i always add more fluid when it drops so when its time to change pads there is a good chance you might have more fluid in the system than what can be contained in the reservoir.
The procedure actually tells you to remove fluid from the reservoir its full before starting.
And as far as taking the cap off... when the pads ware the reservoir drops... idk about you but i always add more fluid when it drops so when its time to change pads there is a good chance you might have more fluid in the system than what can be contained in the reservoir.
The procedure actually tells you to remove fluid from the reservoir its full before starting.
06-10-2017, 10:52 PM
#23
Some cars with ABS advise not compress the caliper without the bleeder screw cracked because you don't want to force crud that settled in the caliper back into the tiny orifices of the ABS unit. The tiny orifices are also what makes the caliper a PITA to compress. I don't think its necessary on our cars...well the procedure doesn't mention it.
And as far as taking the cap off... when the pads ware the reservoir drops... idk about you but i always add more fluid when it drops so when its time to change pads there is a good chance you might have more fluid in the system than what can be contained in the reservoir.
The procedure actually tells you to remove fluid from the reservoir its full before starting.
And as far as taking the cap off... when the pads ware the reservoir drops... idk about you but i always add more fluid when it drops so when its time to change pads there is a good chance you might have more fluid in the system than what can be contained in the reservoir.
The procedure actually tells you to remove fluid from the reservoir its full before starting.
This is the official GM procedure?
