Welp....just discovered spiral rear brake calipers, the hard way

This morning I set out to do the brakes all around on my '02 Elantra DD. I started with the rears, because they are down to the squealers on the pads...and I couldn't get the piston to retract. Tried giant slip-jaw pliers, no dice. My biggest C-clamp wasn't quite big enough to get on it. Went to HF, bought their "piston retractor tool" (pretty neat little deal, looks like a metal flat the rough size of a brake pad that butts up against the frame of the caliper, with a threaded rod that goes through it and a metal cup on the end to fit against the piston). No dice. Caliper won't move an inch.

Pulled the caliper, figuring the piston had come all the way out and was cockeyed in the bore, and put it in the vise. Then, and only then, did I have the bright idea to google it. Oooooohhhh....neat idea!

Of course, by this point my gf had gone to hang out with her friends, and I have no way of driving to autozone to rent the retractor tool kit. At least I didn't go crazy with the clamps and berkeley up the caliper.

Harbor frieght has a piston retractor set for that too. Glad you didn't totally frag it before figuring it out, or you could buy a cube retractor tool that works with a 3/8 ratchet cheap and fits in a tool box no muss no fuss. Any parts store will have one.

square sided screw driver ..... laid over on it's side and slowly turn the piston so it retracts into the caliper ... you might have to experiment with different sizes .... but anything flat that'll fit the slot, that you can get some torque on, so you can turn it ...

Yeah, I've done those with a c-clamp and channel locks, but only once. The next time Snap-On came through, I have him one of my legs and an I.O.U. for an arm and picked up a set. GREAT tool!

I have one, used it once. All the other times, I have used a pair of needle nosed pliers.

No offense.. but I thought that most people knew that rear calipers with an intergral handbrake were almost always screw retraction?

mad_machine wrote: No offense.. but I thought that most people knew that rear calipers with an intergral handbrake were almost always screw retraction?

I just learned that. Good to know.

I learned about those the hard way too on an Integra. Fortunately didn't break anything. Looked it up and learned about the cube tool, now have one in the tool box. Works. Had to look rear brakes up when I did the Miata because it's even more different. Remove a plug and use a allen wrench to loosen/tighten rear brake pistons. Like that better than the cube tool. Also read that on Miata rear brakes you're supposed to check it with the allen wrench when you change oil or that interval. Something about they don't self adjust.

In reply to mad_machine:

I've never dealt with a rear caliper with integral handbrake. Not sure how I would've come across the info any sooner...

DrBoost wrote: Yeah, I've done those with a c-clamp and channel locks, but only once. The next time Snap-On came through, I have him one of my legs and an I.O.U. for an arm and picked up a set. GREAT tool!

Just FYI, if you got that more than a few years ago and it only has one threaded tool its obsolete. A few years ago some bright engineer decided to make one of the calipers REVERSE THREAD. Naturally all his friends thought it was a neat idea so now you have random cars running around that need TWO special tools for the rear calipers. If its a newer set with two threaded tools you're golden.

thatsnowinnebago wrote:

mad_machine wrote: No offense.. but I thought that most people knew that rear calipers with an intergral handbrake were almost always screw retraction?

I just learned that. Good to know.

I.......did not know that either. Thanks. Of course everything I own has rear drums, but it's still good to know I suppose.

mazdeuce wrote:

thatsnowinnebago wrote:

mad_machine wrote: No offense.. but I thought that most people knew that rear calipers with an intergral handbrake were almost always screw retraction?

I just learned that. Good to know.

I.......did not know that either. Thanks. Of course everything I own has rear drums, but it's still good to know I suppose.

Exactly. Only the second vehicle I've owned where I messed with the rear discs. And on the miata (the first one) IIRC there's a screw on the back of the caliper that allows you to back the piston down.

Live and learn. I did see the HF set when I was in there (but didn't understand why it would be necessary), but I can borrow the same thing from Autozone for free.

I also tried channel-locks and the BFS, but no dice. Couldn't get it to move. At that point I was three hours into what should have been a one hour job, so I gave up for the day. Always seems that if I keep working when I'm discouraged and frustrated I break something or hurt myself.

wlkelley3 wrote: I learned about those the hard way too on an Integra. Fortunately didn't break anything. Looked it up and learned about the cube tool, now have one in the tool box. Works. Had to look rear brakes up when I did the Miata because it's even more different. Remove a plug and use a allen wrench to loosen/tighten rear brake pistons. Like that better than the cube tool. Also read that on Miata rear brakes you're supposed to check it with the allen wrench when you change oil or that interval. Something about they don't self adjust.

Yeah, I liked that setup better myself....course that might be because I found that info BEFORE I started the brake job.

Yeah, I ruined the left rear caliper on my '94 Grand Prix when learning that lesson myself. Also wound up buying new hardware, because stupid me assumed that the new caliper came with bolts, and sent all of my originals off with the core.

That was one of those life lessons I had blocked from memory, until reading this thread, thanks for digging that back up for me.

• Lee

That is an easier lesson to learn than trying to engage and disengage a late model VAG electric parking brake. They do not stop trying to engage until they make the required pressure. If there is nothing there you will watch helplessly as the caliper pushes the piston all of the way out of the caliper. BTW said caliper is close to $500 and you cannot reinstall a piston into one that has had it pushed out.

Caliper $500 Tow to dealer $100 (need dealer computer to retract piston Dealer labor to swap caliper $250 Dealer brake fluid and pads $125 Equals one bad afternoon.

Car in question was a W8 Passat with AWD and knew the dealer staff by name.

I learned this with my '92 Taurus SHO. When I opened up the manual, I felt like a moron. Ho well.