so I was changing my rear brakes today, and I got everything tore apart, and began putting in the new brakes. I twisted the piston down, but I cant seem to get the caliper back on.. the two studs that the bolts screw into to hold the caliper in place dont want to cooperate. The top stud moves in and out which makes it easy to get the upper part of the caliper on, but the lower stud has no give and I cant get the bottom part of the caliper over the new brakes. I have beat it with a hammer, tried prying it in with a C-clamp, I ever grinded down my new brakes to makes room for the caliper to fit over them. Idk what to do, PLEASE help!!
help with my brake caliper
- Thread starter Gipp
- Start date
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Are you sure the piston is screwed all the way down and also did you align the 2 "V" slots in the piston at 12 and 6 to let the pin on back of pad go into the cutout?
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Also you should know that NO grinding, clamping or hammering should be needed to properly replace rear pads. EVER. You know that FORD would of not made it that way. Step back sooner and ask ?. Where here to help.
I tightened the piston down to a 12&6 position and it didn't work, so I tightened it down as much as I could (which is more of a 9&3 position now). I can always correct that, but the problem is with the bottom stud, shouldnt that have some give??
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Ah are you saying your lower sliders are frozen? Those need to be pushed out and lubed with brake lube.
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Where ever there is a rubber boot that means that its a "slider" and need to be lubed. You can grab the end with vice grips and wiggle up and down as you pull it out. I have had some that where so frozen in that only torch heat would get them free.
EXACTLY! Thats the problem! lol I just call them "studs", but yeah my called my stepfather (hes an industrial maintainance tech) and hes said they were probably "froze" but everything that comes out of his mouth is like a different language to me.
I tryed using a pair of plyers to twist it, but I never tried to pull it out.. guess that might be something worth trying in the morning.. if that dont work, whats this about using heat??
I tryed using a pair of plyers to twist it, but I never tried to pull it out.. guess that might be something worth trying in the morning.. if that dont work, whats this about using heat??
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
If you got it to twist up and down she is not frozen and you will be able to pull them out. Remember pull all of them out and clean then good and lube up good. The rubber boot just slips off and then I wire wheel them clean.
well the thing is that when I tried to twist it with the plyers I didnt get any progress, it was just stuck. I was actually starting to wonder if that "slider" was even suppose to move at all... I cant seem to get any movement out of it. If I end up having to use a torch, where do I apply the heat? Also will a small wal-mart propane torch work?
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Ok tip. Get a can of PB blaster(wd-40) If you where to take out the top slider you will notice there are 2 flats on the slider. Now pull the rubber boot back off the mount and spray PB into where it slides. Those 2 flats let PB get down in there most of the time. Spray wiggle spray wiggle. Also use full size vice grips not pliers. They multiply the gripping force so you can just concentrate on the wiggling and pulling at same time. IF heat needs to be applied you take that bracket off the knuckle via the 2 bigger bolts and work on it on the bench or in vise. If heating roll the rubber boots all the way off.
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Are both sides lowers frozen? Also make sure you check your boots for rips. That lets water in to rust and freeze the slider pins. Where your pads worn un even? They shoulda been sence caliper was not sliding. Also when putting everything back together make sure the boots are "locked" into the little grooves that are machined to hold them.
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Gipp you get the brakes done or what? Waiting to hear from ya.
oh!! Im sorry, I completely forgot..
UPDATE:
I spent a few hours spaying in some WD-40 and attempting to break the slider free which never seemed to work. I finally broke down and called my mechanic cousin (who btw charged me $20) and he came out, sprayed in some PB just as you advised, and used a huge pair of vise grips to twist the slider loose. He made it look pretty simple.. but he got the slider out, lubed it with some thick white substance ( I can a perverted joke coming from that one...) and placed it back in so now it works fine! Got the car put back together. Thanks for all the advise, I didnt have the tools to do so, but you were absolutly right, my cousin did everything that you had advised me to do!
UPDATE:
I spent a few hours spaying in some WD-40 and attempting to break the slider free which never seemed to work. I finally broke down and called my mechanic cousin (who btw charged me $20) and he came out, sprayed in some PB just as you advised, and used a huge pair of vise grips to twist the slider loose. He made it look pretty simple.. but he got the slider out, lubed it with some thick white substance ( I can a perverted joke coming from that one...) and placed it back in so now it works fine! Got the car put back together. Thanks for all the advise, I didnt have the tools to do so, but you were absolutly right, my cousin did everything that you had advised me to do!
Right on the Mark
Dedicated LVC Member
Cool, glad your up and running a again.