Went to install new brakes on my 2000 V6 for the first time this past weekend. I swapped out the front pads, no problem. But, I was not able to collapse the rear disc brake calipers. According to my Haynes, you collapse them by turning the piston clock-wise with a special tool or a pair of needle-nose pliers. I do not have this special tool, so I tried the needle-nose pliers. Unfortunately, they will not budge. Am I missing something, or do I need to get the brake tool instead of the needle-nose?
When i changed my breaks, i had a hard time getting the rear breaks to budge and I used the special tool. The front breaks were a breeze! I imagine you would need the tool to get this done... I couldnt imagine doing the rears with needle nose.
Try using something soft, like a brass drift or a wood dowel, on the notches in the piston face with a hammer. Hit the edge of the notch in the direction you want the piston to turn, then when it starts to move, you might be able to use the needle-nose pliers to turn it more quickly. Sometimes you can also use a c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper. Make sure the clamp is squarely on the piston face, and that the other end is not sitting where it will damage the brake line/ bleeder screw. If you use a clamp, go a little at a time and check the fluid level in the master cylinder often, since it will be rising.
GOD DO NOT LISTEN TO HAMMERING. Go to autozone, they have a rental tool that compress and turn the pistons at the same time. It is part number 27111. Rented it many of times.
They also sell the tool for $6 It looks like a cube and has a lot of prongs on it. You put it on the end of a rachet and you stick two of the prongs in the holes and rachet it in. It takes a while, but it eventually goes in.
Yes, it takes a while and then also the knuckle meat that you loose would be worth renting the tool. You actually buy it then return it. That is the rental! I would not attempt to use the cube. It just looks like trouble.
Man i am so glad i joined this site, cuz ive been needing to change my rear brake pads, seeing as i drive like my maniac, put it like this i put in brand new brake pads, not even 2 months later i needed to change them again, becuase i smoked the red hot rotors about 50 times within that period... but yea the rear brak pads are at their last whim and when i tried to change them i couldnt, but now that i know i can head to autozone and get the tool thats awesome cuz i got the tool that looks like a box and u put on a ratchet and lets just say i ended up smashing it with a hammer cuz it didnt work, lol :-D but yea im going to Autozone rite now as soon as i get outa school and ima put those rear brake pads in, thanks guys
a needle nose worked fine for me..., i just have a hard time with the sliders rusting shut on me, they are a B|TCH to get un-stuck, and then i gotta take a wire brush to them and re-grease them, its a pain in the A$$
Everyone wants to take the east way out these days. I like my little brake cube. It's helped me do 20+ brake jobs. If you are getting sore forearms cranking the rachet maybe you should hit a gym or something. Geez, what's a little elbow grease gonna do. Not every Autozone has the piston collasping tool...at least in my neck of the woods. I went to 3 different stores the day i bought the cube looking for the tool, nobody had one in. If you want the tool great, go get it. If not use the cube and spend an extra 5 minutes cranking. No big deal.
Using a hammer and dowel won't hurt your caliper piston, but you do need to be careful it doesn't slip off and tear the dust boot. The reason the "cube tool" is hard to use is that the teeth on it tend to cam out of the notches on the piston, damaging it and making it harder to turn. If you can find the piston compression tool, that's the best solution, but in a pinch, tapping with a hammer and then using needle-nose pliers has worked for me in the past.
