I picked up new rear brake pads for my 95 SE. For some reason I can't get the caliper piston to open up all the way. I've tried C-clamps and bleeding....nothing seems to work......any suggestions?

 

They need to be turned to get them back in... that is what the notches are for...

 

The rear pistons rotate in and out. This is to facilitate the hand brake. There is a special tool you can buy at Pep Boys to rotate the pistons back in; IIRC, it is about $15. I used a pair of vice grips with rubber jaw protectors to do mine.

 

The special tool is good. You may be able to substitute a pair of long-nose pliers. See the Chilton manual (page 9-9) or the Haynes manual (page 9-9). Yes, same page in each book. Coincidence.

 

How difficult is it to change the rear brakes?? My husband has been asking around and the cheapest anybody around here will do it for is $99. He's no mechanic, but has done fronts before, and has a buddy who has done alot of mechanic work. His dad has a garage set up at his house with an air compressor (for air/impact wrench) and lots of other tools I know nothing about! :shrug:

I'd hate to have them tear it apart and find out they can't do it. Is it hard? And what do they need to look for/pay attention to when doing it?

 

If he can do front brake pads, he can do rear pads too. There is one added complication, addressed in previous posts in this thread. That is the need to rotate the caliper pistons as they are pushed back into the caliper.

Do your hubby a favor and buy him a Haynes repair manual. You can get this at any large bookstore or auto parts store. It costs about $15.

Those local shops that charge $99 are probably doing more than replacing worn brake pads. They may be resurfacing the rotors too. However, if you don't need that service there is no reason to pay for it.