1meanGTA

i just did my fronts about a month ago, wasnt too complicated with the guide on here, now its time for the rears. how the hell do i take them off
i looked in my service manual but couldnt find it, whats the crack?

Apeiron

Take the wheels off, take the calipers off, rotors will practically fall off the car.

1meanGTA

i did that, on one side at least, theres a little bit of play back and forth, but it wont come off. hammer time maybe?

Apeiron

Yup

PhLaXuS

I did have to mess with a pre-1987 rear and it took no small amount of tweaking with a 2 jaw gear puller on the rear rotors to remove them. I was transferring these to a different rear and had to machine the hubs to get the rotors to fit.

1meanGTA

mines an 87, pretty sure its the original. i could swear its somehow attached though. how did you get it back on after you used the puller, just banged it in?

Apeiron

It will just be rust holding it on.

1meanGTA

also i forgot to mention, some genius put my caliper on the passenger side on facing the front. this isnt a problem other than having to remove the bracket to get the lower caliper mounting bolt out right? the brake line is too short, wont come back far enough for me to flip it and i'd rather not mess with the lines if i dont have to. i havent noticed any trouble with the brakes so far.

Gladstoneiroc

iTrader: (1)

Well I'd switch it if I were you. Brakes are meant to go in a certain position so that you can bleed them.

Wait these are delco marine's, one side faces forward and faces rearward. (hope that makes sense or I'll post a picture later).

Apeiron

Those geniuses were GM engineers and assembly-line workers.

1meanGTA

1meanGTA

sorry im really starting to feel like a moron here. i cannot get my rear pistons to compress in all the way. had no trouble with my fronts. the backs just wont go in. isnt even close to where i could put the new pads in, with the old seriously worn ones, they sit right on the rotor.

Apeiron

Rear pistons screw in, unlike the fronts which press in.

1meanGTA

so how do i go about that
big pliers or something? the hole in the middle where the rubber piece goes is just round, nothing i could stick a flathead in or anything.

Apeiron

If you're careful not to damage the rubber boot then pliers will work. You can get a tool at any parts store that will fit into the indentations on the face of the piston to screw it in.

PhLaXuS

Yeah, the pre 87 iron caliper pistons have a thread cut into them and a threaded shaft attached to the parking brake lever. When you pull the parking brake lever, it unscrews and pushes the piston out. On newly remanufactured units, you can depress the piston without rotating it (as long as the parking brake lever can still move), but on older ones, they seize REALLY TIGHTLY and is that's the case, just get a new set. $40 each + $80 core @ Autozone.

1meanGTA

anyone know where i can find the rubber bushings that the caliper bolts slide through other than a junkyard? or the rubber fitting that goes in the hole in the center of the piston? how do i get the bushings in the holes without tearing them all up?

PhLaXuS

All of the parts which can wear out (i.e.: anything not metal) should come in a caliper rebuild kit. I had a caliper piston pop out on me and it was about impossible to get back in properly on my own without the proper rebuild tools. I'd recommend just buying a remanufactured pair unless you have these rebuild tools.

Apeiron

The proper tools certainly make it a lot easier, but I wouldn't say it's impossible without them. In a pinch I've put pistons in with waterpumps and a C clamp.

1meanGTA

got it all back together but they're clanking a bit on the passenger side. braking fine, not pulling or anything, but the inside pad isnt in full contact with the rotor. air in the lines maybe?i forgot to crack the master cylinder when i pushed the piston in on that side
did get the pieces i needed in that brakeware rebuild kit though. what exactly at the little yellow plugs int he center of the pistons for? i cut up one of the old caliper bolt boots and fabricated new plugs since i couldnt find them anywhere. and what is the hard rubber crap where the pad contacts the caliper? is that stuff supposed to come off?

Apeiron

Apply and release the parking brake a few times, that will adjust the clearance between the pad and the rotor. The plug in the center of the piston is some sort of check valve or something, it's not there on all pisonts. I don't know what it's supposed to do exactly.

1meanGTA

my parking brake doesnt work

Apeiron

Work the parking brake lever on the caliper a few times then.

1meanGTA

ok i did that, still the same thing. what is the dried hard rubber stuff in between the pad and caliper? can i order it from summit or something or get it from autozone? it was in pretty bad shape on my rear pads so i took it off. i thought the pad would sit firmly enough since it rests on the rotor that it wouldnt rattle, but i guess thats what it is.

Apeiron

It was probably some kind of anti-rattle compound.