rear brakes

[93CutlassSupreme]

got a question for everyone --

just changed my front pads and rotors because of a brake pedal shake, but it is still partially there. i am assuming my rear rotors are warped.

i was just wondering if changing out rear brakes on a 93 cutty are as much as a bitch as the repair manuals say it is

that parking brake cable looks like a lot of fun to dissconnect

thanks for any help

[92turboLE]

shouldnt have to disconnect it... i just pull the caliper bolts and the caliper comes right off. I would suggest, however, that you upgrade to the larger 94+ brakes. Get new rotors and pads, and get the caliper and bracket from a junkyard.

 

on the downside you wont have your parking break unless you fab a braket for it OR switch cables for it.

 

- Justin

[DOHCRagtopguy]

You do have to disconnect it to change out the caliper. Pop the clip off and simple unhooking.

 

Just loosen up the e-brake adjuster on the cable under the driver's door.

 

Piece of cake. Except turning in the damn piston. Sometimes it won't go. So avoid the damn headache, buy fully loaded calipers then they come complete with shoes. Just costs more money, to me it's worth it rather than dealing with that piece of shit design.

[93CutlassSupreme]

does turning the piston require a special tool? thats what i heard somewhere, or can i just use my hand or pliers or whatever to turn the piston?

 

i have never done the rear brakes on this car so i don't know what to expect

[93GTP]

You won't be able to turn them in with pliers. But, if you have needle-nosed Vice Grips, then you can turn them in with those. At least I have.

 

But like it was mentioned, very commonly they won't turn in, they'll just keep turning and not go in. At that point you have to remove them from the car, and disassemble them and free them up. Both of mine wouldn't go in, so that's what I did.

[DOHCRagtopguy]

Yeah, there's a special tool that's pretty cheap at Auto Zone or somewhere like that, costs about 5 bucks. Square thingy that goes on a 3/8" drive ratchet. But, you're better off buying the loaded calipers so you don't have to fuck with the stupid pistons.

 

If you do, good luck!

[PaPaPooh]

um no don't get the box

 

get the accual tool here in cali it is 37 bucks to buy and the same to rent you get the 37 and tax back when you bring back the tool

 

i used the box and mine wouldn't go in so i got the tool it turnes the piston in while keeping pressure on it as you turn it 5 min job on each side to get the pistons back in

 

good luck

 

let us know how it turns out

 

p.s. good suggestions above if you are doing a replacement on the calipers preloaded is the way to go

[93CutlassSupreme]

ok, do you guys know what the tool is called so i can ask for it when i go to autozone? i will just rent it if autozone rents tools .... is there a min. age as i am 17

thanks for your help so far you guys

[93CutlassSupreme]

another question

if buying loaded capilers is the way to go, how much are they?

funds are limited here, or else i would pay someone to do it

Also, is needing to re-bleed the brake system worth putting these new capilers on vs reusing the old ones?

if i decide to install new capilers, is it hard to bleed the brake system?

never done it before

[Lee]

I had to pay $12 for my tool. It was a cube shape with each of the sides having different spanner lengths to acommadate different vehicle styles.

[92turboLE]

if i decide to install new capilers, is it hard to bleed the brake system? never done it before

 

its not that hard if you have the right tools. A) a friend to help you or a brake bleeder bottle.

 

Basicly, what you want to do, if you have a friend, have him manning the brkae pedal while you man the bleeder bolt. Open the bolt, have your friend push the pedal to the floor, then hold it there. Then tighten the bolt and let up on the pedal. Then repaeat until you hear air coming out or until you think it is sufficient.

 

If you have the bleeder bottle (little plastic bottle with a magnet on it and a short hose - like $5.00 at checker and well worth it) all you have to do is losten the bleeder bolt, attach the hose to the nipple on the bolt and get in the car and do the same thing - slowly push the brake pedal to the floor, then release. With the bottle in place, there is no need to retighten the bolt each time as the bottle has a one way valve which prevents sucking air back in.

 

thats all there is to it

 

oh yeah, make sure to top off your brake fluid afterwards

 

- Justin

[PaPaPooh]

ok here is the name of the tool and part #

 

OEM_LOANER DISC - BRAKE CALIPER SPREADER

 

Part No.: 27111

 

 

good luck

[93CutlassSupreme]

so when i need to go to autozone i ask for a disk brake capiler spreader?

 

the capliers are only a year old so i would assume the pistons would go in easily

 

i release the tension on the ebrake under the driver's door? is this under the car near the driver's door? how do i release the tension?

and then at the capiler, the cable just unclips by hand?

 

thanks you guys

you're more helpful than the haynes and chilton manuals lol

[93GTP]

If you're just changing the pads and rotors, don't worry about the ebrake, you don't need to touch it.

 

Simply unbolt the caliper, slide it off the rotor, support it so the caliper isnt hanging by the brake hose, take off the rotor and put on the new one, turn the pistons in the calipers in, slide the new pads in the caliper, and slide it on over the rotor and bolt it back up.

 

One thing to check when you're doing this job is the proper function of the caliper sliders. These sliders allow the caliper to slide on the horizontal axis on the bolts, make sure they move very freely inside the caliper. If a small tap with a hammer doesnt make the slider move, then you probably need to replace them. Bad sliders can cause all kinds of problems, including vibrations in the brakes. Changing them is a PITA too..

 

Good luck.

[PaPaPooh]

so when i need to go to autozone i ask for a disk brake capiler spreader?

 

the capliers are only a year old so i would assume the pistons would go in easily

 

i release the tension on the ebrake under the driver's door? is this under the car near the driver's door? how do i release the tension?

and then at the capiler, the cable just unclips by hand?

 

thanks you guys

you're more helpful than the haynes and chilton manuals lol

 

i would bring the part # too just incase the guys don't know what your talking about

[93CutlassSupreme]

do i or do i not have to touch the ebrake?

some ppl say i have to and some ppl say i don't have to

 

i'm not changing the caplier, just new rotors and pads

[PaPaPooh]

no you don't have to just make sure the e brake is off

[93CutlassSupreme]

off as in not engaged or off as in the cable is dissconnected from the capiler?

 

ps - whoever helps me gets a free beer......wait, i can't buy beer

[93CutlassSupreme]

ok,so from what you guys have told me, let me get this straight --

 

to just replace the rear rotors and pads, i just pull the capilers like the front, but i don't have to touch or do anything to the parking brake cable, i leave it attached to the capiler. this isn't going to harm nothing, correct? also, will i be able to hang the cable with wire like the fronts, or will i have to support it some other way? leaving the cable on won't twist or otherwise damage it?

then i pop the old pads off, and use this specal tool called a disk brake capiler spreader to push the piston back into the capiler. I put new pads on the capiler, and change the rotors, and put the capiler back on. the procedure is the same for both sides then?

[Dannymik]

Yes...its the same for both sides!

 

One thing you want to make sure to do is when you take out the new rotors from the box you will need to clean it. I used brake cleaner...spray the caliper and dry it off with a paper towel or clean rag. There is a film on the rotors when you buy them new that needs to be removed.

 

That tool for the piston works very good...then again I use needle nose most of the time.

 

I hate the brakes on these cars !

[BurneroftheRice]

C-clamps work too, then just use a screwdriver to get the "+" to line up with the pad, oh and try not to do it in the rain. hehheh, working without a garage sucks

[93CutlassSupreme]

yeah i know to clean brake parts

 

so basically rear pre '94 brakes are just like the front to change with the exception of needing a special tool to push in the piston

correct?

[Guest Anonymous]

so basically rear pre '94 brakes are just like the front to change with the exception of needing a special tool to push in the piston

correct?

 

Yeah, you have to turn the rear caliper piston as you push it in. That's about the only difference.

[GPdriver1986]

I better mention something.....

The drivers side rear caliper is on a reverse thread so you have to turn the other way to tighten it. I didn't know this and I ended up with a piston in my hand.

[PaPaPooh]

I better mention something.....

The drivers side rear caliper is on a reverse thread so you have to turn the other way to tighten it. I didn't know this and I ended up with a piston in my hand.

 

i was going the wrong way also (i forgot to mention that thanks) but mine wouldn't turn so it didn't pop out but 1/4 or 1/2 turn at a time thn tighten it and go some more tighten and so on its not bad

 

i faught with mine for 3 hrs with the little POS box and then desided to rent the tool

 

p.s. 93CutlassSupreme don't hurt your self when doing this!!!

 

good luck