Surely this has been covered...

[EviLette]

I spent about 10 minutes searching posts and I couldn't find anything relevent...

 

I need to do the front brakes on my car, and I'm more than competent in knowing how to do it, I've done disc brakes before, but some of them are different... IE the method in which the piston(or w/e you call it) in the caliper compresses in order ot allow the new brake pads to slip over the rotor. Disc brakes, obviously.

 

I have been told a couple different things... from what i remember, you ususally need a couple c-clamps in order to compress that piston, but I've also been told that on this car, it should SCREW back in for that adjustment. I no longer have my repair manual, as it disappeared while I left it at my Uncle's house, so I'm kind of up a creek right now and not wanting to buy a new manual until I can find a chilton.

 

Just a quick yes or no would be great, will I need c-clamps to do the (front) brakes on my car?

[93CutlassSupreme]

One C-clamp is all you need to push in the pistons on our FRONT calipers. Leave the old inside pad on the caliper, slap a C-clamp on that bad boy and tighten up the clamp.

 

 

 

Our REAR calipers have the pistons that screw in.

[EviLette]

That would be where the question arose! The last time I did brakes on the car, I did the rears, and one of the pistons was frozen up... ended up having to take it to a shop where they did the work...

 

for sixty bucks

 

Thanks, man! I'll run by *shudder* harbor freight and pick up a c-clamp to do that. And of course, leave the old pad on.

 

Thanks for the information

[93CutlassSupreme]

Not a problem.

 

 

 

Once the pistons are compressed you can remove the C-clamp and old pad. You don't have to leave the clamp on the caliper.

[ManicMechanic]

Or do it the easy way...Loosen the MC cap, Unbolt the caliper bolts a couple of turns, take a large flat blade screwdriver and stick it between the pad and rotor and gently pry back effectively pushing in the caliper piston and not having to fight with a c-clamp while trying to hold the caliper.

[93CutlassSupreme]

not having to fight with a c-clamp while trying to hold the caliper.

 

Yeah, because that's SO hard

[ManicMechanic]

Only retards use C-Clamps...

[93CutlassSupreme]

I guess I'm retarded then.

[1990lumina]

i use channel lock pliers. Basically whatever can reach both sides of the calipers and squeeze together is good enough.

[slick]

I guess I'm retarded then.

 

Me too. But I only use the C-clamp on the front brakes if I don't have my piston compression tool.

 

Rear brakes are either pliers and a twist, or the little cube.

[rockfangd]

all of the above works

[GP1138]

BIG-ass channel locks, or a C-Clamp for the fronts.

[Crazy K]

Only retards use C-Clamps...

HEY!!!.... I have to use C clamps when I work on non W-bodies. take the sierra for instance. big help there!!!

 

but yes, I use the scredriver fro the front and rent the press from AZ to spin in the rear.

[EviLette]

I'm a bit limited on tools. Hopefully I'll have the right socket sizes to do everything, lol. I think I had to borrow something or another from my uncle's tools when I was working on the rears.

 

Also, I don't have a giganto set of channel-locks, so I guess I will be the idiot with the c-clamp.

[ManicMechanic]

It's all good...LOL I've been pissy today. Hope you get it fixed.

[EviLette]

DAMNIT!

 

Ended up having to take it to a shop to get it done.

 

I couldn't break lose the bolts on the calipers. >.<

[Guest GrandPrixlover1]

Yeah and sometimes calipers have two pistons like mine. If anyone has two piston calipers, just take a block of wood and place it over the two pistons and press them down with a C-Clamp. Works like a charm.

[EviLette]

Yeah and sometimes calipers have two pistons like mine. If anyone has two piston calipers, just take a block of wood and place it over the two pistons and press them down with a C-Clamp. Works like a charm.

 

yep, mine has the duals. on one of the sides even the mechanic fought to get the piston compressed... so I doubt I would have actually been able to do it once I had everything apart.

 

Provided I could even break the damn bolts loose.