Worked on my brakes today... need new caliper :(

[Ultima]

I picked up a set of pads and rotors at the store... all I have to go by is a guide I downloaded off the net

What sort of things do I need to know or watch for when changing the front brakes? Thanks

 

[Mark R]

1) Make sure that you can get the discs off.

On my hyundai the discs are mounted behind the wheel hub - only way to get them off is to pull the hub off the bearing with a special pulling tool.
Had to pay someone to do it in the end.

2) Make sure that you have the right tools

You'll need a tool to push the pistons back into the caliper. You can either buy one, or you could make one out of a couple of pieces of wood and a G-clamp.

3) Plan for the unexpected

Make sure you can get the parts if you find that e.g. the shims are damaged and need replacing - or the shop have sold you the wrong pads.

 

[Mayhem1869]

you will need to depress the caliper piston back in, or you won't be able to put it back on
with the new pads. it's not a difficult job, just take it slow and double check everything if it's
your first time.

what kind of car is it ?

 

[m2kewl]

yeah - don't fvck up

 

[BillGates]

Get a rubber mallet - helps you loosen stuck caliper bolts -- I just did my first brake job last week and it helped immensely - $4.00.

 

[Ylen13]

just pay the mechanic and he will install it for you in 15 min much easier then doing it your self

 

[Ime]

Mechanic did my wife's front brakes on her Acura for $85.

From what I hear I could have had it done cheaper... but I was too lazy to shop around.

 

[Ultima]

Well, one side went pretty well, easier than I expected in fact, but the other side.. I'm going to have to change the caliper

It's weird, on the left side there was one pad down to the metal and the other was halfway worn, where on the right side of the car the pads weren't worn at all. That's messed up.. probably because the caliper was frozen or something.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Ultima
Well, one side went pretty well, easier than I expected in fact, but the other side.. I'm going to have to change the caliper

It's weird, on the left side there was one pad down to the metal and the other was halfway worn, where on the right side of the car the pads weren't worn at all. That's messed up.. probably because the caliper was frozen or something.

The caliper pins or bolts were binding. I had this problem as well. I just pulled the caliper pins out of the bracket and greased them up. Good as new. And yes, a "C" clamps helps immensely in pushing the piston(s) back into the calipers.

 

[Ultima]

The caliper was also leaking... and the piston didn't want to go in when I tried using his clamp. When I asked my friend's dad if he had a smaller clamp (to fit more evenly over the piston), he said to just unscrew the fluid nipple and do it that way, but when he tried that he snapped the nipple off

Ah well, back to the junkyard I go, weeeee

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Ultima
The caliper was also leaking... and the piston didn't want to go in when I tried using his clamp. When I asked my friend's dad if he had a smaller clamp (to fit more evenly over the piston), he said to just unscrew the fluid nipple and do it that way, but when he tried that he snapped the nipple off

Ah well, back to the junkyard I go, weeeee

Ah, gotcha. Well, don't forget to rebuild your junkyard caliper.

 

[tcsenter]

Use brake cleaner to clean-off the oil coating that is on your rotors, or your brakes will be smoking for three weeks and potentially ruin your pads. Just wiping it off with a dry cloth is not adequate < - trust me.

On my hyundai the discs are mounted behind the wheel hub - only way to get them off is to pull the hub off the bearing with a special pulling tool.
Had to pay someone to do it in the end.

Note to self: Do not buy a Hyundia.

 

[CFster]

Don't think you said what kind of car you have?

Watch it if it's a late model GM truck. Just pushing in the caliper piston can screw up the ABS pump. You need to crack the bleeder on the caliper while you push the piston back in. But then if you don't do it right you get air in the system, and then you need a GM Tech II scanner to bleed the system - you can't do it manually.

 

[ThaGrandCow]

I usually just use a set of vise grips to push the caliper's back in and reuse the calipers all the time. I've never really had to buy a new one.