if the caliper doesnt grip the whole rotor can this be an issue of a piston thats not fully compressed..and should i rent the special tool from an auto store and compress them? my rear rotors are pretty rusted everywhere except the middle where the calipers actually squeeze the pads enough to touch the entire rotor

 

Wrong section. And no, you only need need nose pliers to turn them back into place. Make sure the X on the piston lines up so that it faces a certain way described on a shop manaul (i dont have the pic with me so i dont remember how it goes).

 

can a mod please move this to the right section? i really need this answered

 

You are better off with the tool. If your caliper is seized you are better off replacing both rears. You are also better off not resurfacing rotors as they are thin to begin with. Replace rotors rather than machine them.

 

replace the calipers? that would be expensive

 

He's right though, seized caliper = replace BOTH calipers. They're on a hydraulic system and it won't work correctly otherwise. Your only other option is to try to save the caliper piston by blowing it out of the caliper with a blowgun and cleaning all the corrosion off of it then lubing and pressing it back into the caliper. It's more work than it's worth though and sometimes you can't blow the piston out

 

rotors are like 20 bucks aren't they. caliper maybe 60 or so for one. the caliper tool is like 6 or 7 i bought one the other day at auto zone. easy job just bleed the lines correctly

 

why won't it work correctly only replacing one caliper? aren't all the lines independent for each wheel?

 

You'll have unequal braking because the new caliper is going to operate more smoothly than the older one, even if the older one is still in good working order. I work in a shop so just take my word for it and do both calipers if you can't save your other one.

Dabooki - Rotors are maybe $20 each if you get super cheap ones from autozone or something that will warp on you in no time. Brakes are one part of your car you should never go cheap on. I spent $245 for new front pads and slotted rotors for my max a few weeks ago and let me tell you there is a difference (and I'll be doing stainless lines next). My braking is ultra quiet and I have yet to hear a squeal come from them. They also bite a bit harder and don't dust anymore than OEM pads (I got Axxis Ultimate pads with Rotora slotted rotors) per Steve at SCO's recommendation. Fronts provide the majority of your braking power which is why they wear much more quickly than rear brakes. For the rears I'd stick with Brembo blanks and the pad of your choice. Calipers are much more than $60 though unless you maybe do a core exchange through autozone

roll4life - if you can afford to have a few days downtime on your max and want to send me your caliper I'll gladly rebuild it for you free of charge all you'll have to pay is shipping. Let me know