How to: Retracting the rear caliper.

[Slade901]

I would just like to share my experience on retracting the rear caliper so that I can put a new brake pads on my vehicle.

The service manual suggests on using a GM special tool to rotate the rear caliper piston clock-wise.

I don't have that the GM suggests but I do have a universal rear caliper piston adjuster. It's a cube type so that it can be used on different types of rear caliper pistons.

I put an an extension bar and ratchet attached to that device and tried to rotate the piston (clock-wise) and it does not want to move at all and it keeps slipping. I thought that my rear caliper piston is seized.

What I have done instead is put a c-clamp on the device and tightened it so that the device won't fall off and the c-clamp will provide a force pushing the piston in. I use a screw driver to rotate the device (clock-wise) and tightened the caliper at the same time so that the device won't fall off. I used the screw driver to initially rotate the device and then halfway in I no longer need the screwdriver and I just have to tighten the c-clamp and the device is rotating (pushing the piston in) along with the c-clamp as it tightens it up.

Here are the pictures:

http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/...djustment1.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/...djustment2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/...djustment3.jpg

[tword99]

you doing too much, it would be easier if you remove the rotor then remount the caliper, this will give the needed support for the cube to work with the ext.

Originally Posted by Slade901

I would just like to share my experience on retracting the rear caliper so that I can put a new brake pads on my vehicle.

The service manual suggests on using a GM special tool to rotate the rear caliper piston clock-wise.

I don't have that the GM suggests but I do have a universal rear caliper piston adjuster. It's a cube type so that it can be used on different types of rear caliper pistons.

I put an an extension bar and ratchet attached to that device and tried to rotate the piston (clock-wise) and it does not want to move at all and it keeps slipping. I thought that my rear caliper piston is seized.

What I have done instead is put a c-clamp on the device and tightened it so that the device won't fall off and the c-clamp will provide a force pushing the piston in. I use a screw driver to rotate the device (clock-wise) and tightened the caliper at the same time so that the device won't fall off. I used the screw driver to initially rotate the device and then halfway in I no longer need the screwdriver and I just have to tighten the c-clamp and the device is rotating (pushing the piston in) along with the c-clamp as it tightens it up.

Here are the pictures:

http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/...djustment1.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/...djustment2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/...djustment3.jpg

[maxwedge]

Originally Posted by tword99

you doing too much, it would be easier if you remove the rotor then remount the caliper, this will give the needed support for the cube to work with the ext.

Keep in mind you need to exert inward pressure to screw in the piston in the caliper, the cube is not really the proper tool, there is a " real" one made to do this. May be able to rent it from a parts house.