hey guys, decided to change my rear pads and couldn't get the caliper piston back in.. its not really stuck, as it comes out. tested it by gettin my bro to step on the pedal and saw it came out. now i cant get it in. any ideas? i bent a C-clamp tryin to get it in!!! think i might need new ones...

 

you can not compress the rear caliper piston with a C-clamp... you need to use a caliper tool... the type the will actually screw the piston back in... it does not simply compress back in like the fronts.

 

ok thanks.. can you point me in the right direction for the tool?

 

You can use a pair of needle nose pliers. Just be careful not to slip and tear into the seal boot between the piston and caliper. To compress the caliper you turn it in a clockwise direction.

 

or you can go to...


AUTOZONE!

 

he cant, his caliper is stuck

 

Use he tips on needle nose pliars. I used them and it was easy for me.

 

go to Autozone and either buy or rent the tool to do this job......it will take you 5 minutes with it. remember your rear caliper has a screw in the middle.

 

thanks for the replies everyone.. maybe i should've asked this when i started at 8:30 so i would've had time to get it. but ill try to needle nose pliers as soon as i get home from work.. then i can nap a couple and go to work again =(

 

yea or get the compression tool which snaps on to your socket wrench, makes it a breeze

 

napa has them too, the one that snaps onto a socket is real handy

 

happened to me a few months back. The rear caliper needs to be twisted to get the caliper to go in. This is the tool you need, I got mine from autozone.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/prpatel/...%20(Large).jpg

 

The tool is really not needed. All you need is needle nose pliars. Just stick the tips of the needle noses into the 2 small indentations and twist. It took me seriously 2mins to do it, but it does take a little muscle

 

Pliers may not have enough leverage if the piston is corroded or the boot is dried out. Make sure you lube the boot with brake fluid while the piston's extended outward so as not to rip it. And sometimes you gotta turn it out & in to get it loosened a bit.

 

tried with needle nose pliers and wouldn't budge! so i went out to get one of those
and it still took a lot of work to get it in!!! was crazy tight for some reason.. and i dunno wassup, but i smell a burnt smell on the left rear.. gonna have to check it out now -=(

but again, thank you everyone for the replies

 

dude u have to use plaiers and the c plamp together. if that doesnt work them may be seized, but thats highly unlikely if u had no previous symtopms. i may have heard somewhere else they are a pin to get back in once it fully out. here is a sweet thread on rebuilding calipers which may be some help...
http://bmwe32.masscom.net/sean750/ca...akeCaliper.htm

 

thanks.. unfortunately, after my drive, i smelled something burnt.. guess i'll have to take that driver side one apart tomorrow and check to see how the boot is.

 

Make sure the handbrake is down when you are trying to compress the caliper. Doing it with the handbrake up will make it extremely difficult since you are basically locking it and then trying to compress it. Make sure your wheels are secure so the car does'nt roll a bit either. Good Luck

 

ok i found the problem for my burnt smell.. it was because half of the pad was applied from the flat part of the piston and the lil bump on the pad that holds the brake housing and the ceramic pad itself..

the piston must be turned until it is a + sign so that the turning groove slides directly into the little bump.