1998 Jimmy 4x4 abs rear brake calliper seal

I have a leaky rear PS brake calliper. I want to replace the seal in it, rather than buy a new rebuilt at $50. Having trouble finding kit for rear at chain part stores, although they sell kits for front.

Anyway, tomorrow I will get kit from dealer. Anybody have any experience rebuilding calliper? I already have it off of vehicle. How to I take out and replace plunger and seals without a press? Any tips from experience? -Thanks-

Hook the caliper back to the hose. set or hook the caliper up so it is not hanging from the hose. lift the hood and keep brake fluid handy. place a pan or tray to catch the fluid under where the caliper is resting or hung.
Leave one pad in the caliper, the other remove and set aside.
Start the engine and press the peddel half way to the floor and hold it, Mabey even 3/4 way down, wait for 3-5 seconds and let up on the peddel and wait for 5 sec's and repete these steps untill the piston is out of the caliper. durring this time of pushing the peddel, every 4th. time check the fluid level in the master and keep it full. You may or not hear a "POP". that will be the piston coming out of the caliper.
If for some reason the pad that you left in the caliiper stops the piston from coming all the way out, remove that pad and put something, IE: A RAG or TOWELL folded over where the pads go. this will stop the piston from damage when it pops out. In some cases the piston will ( cock ) when it comes out of the housing and will hang there by the piston seal. thats ok.
slide a regular screwdriver between the seal and piston to break the vaper lock and the fluid will spill out. In your bucket I hope.
At the point of removal of the piston the master cylinder should never have lost all its fluid and be full. You have the caliper off so I am going to assume you have a line block pinched on the hose.
One more thing, If the fluid in the master is dirty, suck it out with a turkey baster and put new fluid in it before you start this process.
ADDED:
Check the piston for any defects and make dam sure that everything is clean before re-instalation.
If the piston is screwed, just get the 50 dollar caliper and be done with it.

Thanks G.A.S.!

I don't think I would have thought to let the fluid push the piston out. I will do this tomorrow and I will be sure not to let the master cylinder pull air. I assume it will assemble easy enough by hand.

yea, assembly is not bad. the fluid trick I learned 30 years ago. When you put the hose back on the caliper remember the two seals, one on each side of the block. they probly stuck to the bolt and caliper or block itself.
For the re-build, Install the O-ring style seal in the grove in the caliper and put a lil fluid in there and get the seal wet.
Put the seal on the piston and lock it in the grove.
Now press in the piston. I have found that a solid bar 1/2" or 3/4" hexagon steal about 2 foot long works nice for your hand press.
with the seal in the bundeled position, not stretched out, set the piston in the caliper and your caliper in a vise. No vise, use the floor. set whatever you decied to use to push the piston in on top of the piston.
Now grab the bar like a handel bar, piston is in the center. Press straight down and wiggel just a little bit side to side and the piston will slide right in.
They make a seal installer tool but I use a flat head drift and walk the seal in , in a clock rotation tapping lightly every 1/2" or so.
round and round untill it is seated.

Great help G.A.S.!
thanks again!

A very common problem on S/T series rear disc brakes is the guide pin boots dry rot and no longer seal the grease in and the dirt out. As a result, the caliper bracket guide pin holes rust, and the guide pins seize in the bores. When that happens, the caliper overheats and distorts the seal and piston boot, and it leaks. If you don't repair the root cause, they'll leak again. Most auto parts stores have remanufactured loaded rear calipers that come with all of the hardware, boots, pads, and the bracket. Replace the entire assembly, (15 minutes), and bleed. End of problem, no more headaches.