What do you folks use for rear brake calipers?

[53' Stude]

Good morning BITOGERS. what I am asking is what tool do you folks use to push the rear brake caliper piston back inside to allow you to installl new pads? I isially jist crack the line going to the caliper and then push piston back. Dunno if there’s a tool for this or m……

Thank You

 

[MurkyAsparagus]

I usually use something like this, unless I lose it .

 

[shortyb]

A lot of Euro stuff I do requires that the caliper piston be rotated while compressing it. I use this kit from ECS Tuning:

More recent cars with electronic e-brakes, I have to use a diagnostic tool such as Ross-Tech or OBD11 to retract the pistons. Otherwise I use a racheting spreader tool from Lisle, which is similar to what the murky pee odor altering vegetable suggested above .

 

[BC1]

C-clamp it is a straight push in style. Needle nose pliers and lots of bad words if it has to be twisted. One day I might get one of those kits above.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Thankfully nothing of mine has retracting calipers or threaded pistons. So I just use a c clamp.

 

[Plumb Bob]

This one is good. I've got the heavy duty one.

https://a.co/d/4v7Ix3W

 

[53' Stude]

A lot of Euro stuff I do requires that the caliper piston be rotated while compressing it. I use this kit from ECS Tuning:
View attachment 290098
More recent cars with electronic e-brakes, I have to use a diagnostic tool such as Ross-Tech or OBD11 to retract the pistons. Otherwise I use a racheting spreader tool from Lisle, which is similar to what the murky pee odor altering vegetable suggested above .

Talked to fellow techno work with. He says scan tool only retracts electronic park brake piston and you need tool to push piston back in

 

[53' Stude]

I usually use something like this, unless I lose it .

View attachment 290094

That one the tech who works with me Sunday doesn’t work. Is this ratcheting one and does it work? Thank You

 

[JHZR2]

That one the tech who works with me Sunday doesn’t work. Is this ratcheting one and does it work? Thank You

The good USA made one I have does.

In some cases a big c clamp is better.

 

[MurkyAsparagus]

That one the tech who works with me Sunday doesn’t work. Is this ratcheting one and does it work? Thank You

I’ve only used it for one brake job this past year on a Subaru. It worked well. Other than this, I’ve got a big ole’ USA made c-clamp I’ve used.

 

[supton]

When I had rear calipers that had the pistons that had to be spun back in... I would just replace the calipers, as 50% of the time they would be bad after 100k, or would fail shortly thereafter. YMMV. Thankfully I'm back to regular pistons and I just crack the bleeder (if it still works) and push back in with one of the cheapo presses.

On my Toyota's with the electric parking brake, I got frustrated with how poorly the button sequence for the maintance mode worked, so I grab a 12V gel cell and just pop the connector off and run them in/out. At some point I'll find the mating connector and hook up a on/off/on switch so that I don't have to keep flipping the leads around.

 

[KrisZ]

I had good luck with this little cube and a ratchet with an extension.
I think I had to grind off a two tabs from the four tab side to fit one of my vehicles, but after that little modification, I find it fits everything I tried it on thus far.

 

[D1dad]

My calipers don’t require anything more than just being pushed back in. I use a giant pair of SK channel locks and open the reservoir cap.

 

[Marcozi]

Big blade screwdriver. Stick down to the hub and pull/push.

 

[53' Stude]

So no real consensus. Glad I got one from harbor freight. Half the methods like use a c clamp, etc will not work as stated in original post. I may also use the cube one KrisZ mentioned.

 

[53' Stude]

The good USA made one I have does.

In some cases a big c clamp is better.

For front calipers yes; rear calipers for what i service no

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Like others said, there is a special tool to retract the rear caliper, but this design is only used when the parking brake uses the regular rear pads and not a separate parking brake shoe.

For some reason, rear caliper failure is very common with this setup (especially if you don't use the parking brake regularly), so you'll often have to replace the calipers anyway, and you don't need that caliper tool when replacing the calipers.

 

[53' Stude]

Already got the tool. I’m done here.


Vehicle does NOT have drum parking brake obviously. Don’t care about that either. What i work on is 1-2 maybe 3 year old modern stuff.


Thank You anyways for “info”

 

[Rand]

Already got the tool. I’m done here.


Vehicle does NOT have drum parking brake obviously. Don’t care about that either. What i work on is 1-2 maybe 3 year old modern stuff.


Thank You anyways for “info”

you asked generic question then complain when peoples answers aren't directly applicable to what you are working on?
try adding more details to initial question as the responses seem to bother you.

FWIW: I use a c-clamp, and the ratcheting brake spreader tool so far., had to use needlenose once. and
using youtube to find the secret way to do parking brake retraction without a bi-directional scan tool.
The cube is on my list of tools to buy.

 

[Electromotive]

I had good luck with this little cube and a ratchet with an extension.
I think I had to grind off a two tabs from the four tab side to fit one of my vehicles, but after that little modification, I find it fits everything I tried it on thus far.

View attachment 290141

The Cube has worked well for me on several vehicles.