Rear disk caliper question

Hello,

I have a 94 Saturn SC2 with rear disk breaks, I need to change the pads on
them, when I pulled the caliper off I tried to push the piston back in and
it would not move, I then tried with a clamp and it still would not move.
Yes the emergancy break was off. but that did get me thinking that maybe
because of the emergancy break that maybe there was something I am missing.
on rear drums there is the adjuster that automaticaly ajusts itself as the
pads wear and needs to be adjusted when you replace the break shoes, so my
question is is this the same with rear disk's or is the piston just siezed
and I have to replace it?

thank you
Brent

 

Dont go clamping on it you might damage it. You need to pull the brakes
off without squeezing it in. Sounds like a b**** I know. The piston
"screws" in IIRC. You'll need a spanner to screw it back in. I think I
ran into these for the first time when I was doing a Fiero.

 

you need to turn the piston in.I think there are grooves in the piston, you
can use a pair of pliers or go and buy the tool to do it. if you have to
open the bleeder screw. but the piston isn't supposed to be just pushed in.
if you can't get it to go in with the bleeder screw out, then you may have
to rebuild or replace the caliper, because it has locked up on you.
Have you noticed a decrease in gas milage, noises coming from the rear, is
there more wear on the pads from the caliper in question then from the other
side?

hope that helps
Jeremiah

 

Thank you, I had a feeling this might be the case.. this might be a dumb
question but what is IIRC?

thank you for the help
Brent

 

Its internet jargon for "If I Remember/Recall Correctly".

 

thanks,,

 

You can buy a tool to turn that piston in from most auto parts stores. Or,
you can go the cheaper route and just use a needlenose pliers.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]
"Straights are for fast cars. Turns are for fast drivers."

 

Sounds like the VW Passat I tried to do the rear brakes on once. Needed a
special tool that compresses the piston while screwing it in. Just turning
the piston without exerting about 50 pounds on it does nothing.
An older Golf rear brake pistons could just be turned without pressing on
them.

 

And make sure the nubs on the piston align and sit into the recess on the pads.

 

Man, you guys would love the brakes on my Harley. The front is a PM 6
piston caliper.

Pull out a cotter pin, pull out a retaining pin, the retainer plate pops
out, then pull the old pads, and push in all 6 pistons with a
screwdriver, then drop the new pads in, stick the plate and pins back,
then test.

The rear's stock - undo two bolts, lift off the caliper, pull the pads,
swap, and squish the piston back in, then put the caliper back.

Why on earth do they have to make saturn ABS pistons screw in/out?
Grrrrr....

 

parking brake.

 

Because the alternative was the disk brakes found on W bodies and F
bodies that required you to "pump" the parking brake to set them and
they never ever stayed adjusted especially when you turned down the rear
disk.

 

Interesting. Learn something new every day