Brake spreader tool?

[devoncoolman]

Couldn't you just disconnect the battery before starting?

yes but can create other problems. Radio codes and reseting other adaptives. just more worth while to break the appropriate scan tool out and turn the brakes off. Pretty soon you won't be able to do anything with out a scan tool.

 

[mrborohachi]

Most cars have been going to drum-in-rotor parking brakes for years, there's not nearly as many screw-ins as there used to be. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to use the screw-in tool in the last ~18 months. I think 90% have been Eurojunk.

yeah all the Subaru's with rear Disc brakes are all drum in rotors. and all the Toyotas i've worked on the US gets screwed with drum rears, same story with hondas

 

[mrborohachi]

So, what is the tool of choice for multi piston calipers? With and without removing the caliper?

this style would be a great 4 piston 300zx, Brembo on new 300 chrysler/Camaro, Tundra/tacoma brakes.
This Lisle is also very nice http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=570&division=1&category=1

I can't find the picture of this scissor style motorcycle/car style that is a true universal for single, dual, or quad piston setups. the only setup it doesn't work on is the screw in

 

[cgv69]

Couldn't you just disconnect the battery before starting?

yes but can create other problems. Radio codes and reseting other adaptives. just more worth while to break the appropriate scan tool out and turn the brakes off.

Sure if your in a shop that has the appropriate scan tool but I'm thinking more along the lines of the home DIY'er. Resetting the radio code is a lot easier then buying a $2K tool

Pretty soon you won't be able to do anything with out a scan tool.

That may be true but honestly, I've been hearing that for 20+ years now (ever since EFI and ODB1 became the norm) but yet we're still not at that point... yet.

 

[scarney1988]

I'd LOVE to know how long you have been wrenching on vehicles, or for that matter, anything.

Use that home made shiz on your own cars.

You get near any of my car's with a channel lock on the caliper piston and it will NOT be pretty. (God forbid you do that on a customer's car if you work in a shop.)

Wrong tool for the job.
Period.
Unless you are brakeless in a ditch nearly drowning and for some reason need to do a brake job it's just not the correct tool.

Back in 1978, maybe.

Today?
No way.

If you look at my username you will be able to guess how many years I have been working on cars. I will only say, I have successfully performed many brakes jobs using my tools for quite some time.

If you are more knowledgable than the technicians, than why do you not perform your own brake jobs?

8 ASEs
A.S. in Engineering (working on BSEE).
AAS in Automotive technology

 

[skulldrinker]

--cut--
Screw in rear's have been around for decades as have the hex bolt retractor rears.
--cut--

Never ran into a hex bolt rear what car is that on? I can't visualize it do you use a socket?

 

[itwnexus]

Lisle 29100 Quick Quad Pad Spreader's reviews:

1. Ratcheting action did not work.
2. Lot of flex in the two spreader pads that prevented it from working very well.
3. Not sturdy enough for big dual piston calipers.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-29100-Q...?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addTwoStar&showViewpoints=0

 

[Krokodil]

Well it seems like a tapped plate with beefy bolt will make the best tool. I'm set on making something decent.

 

[itwnexus]

Does any one have the Lisle 24300 Speedy Brake Pad Spreader? Is it any good? Is it just for single piston calipers?

www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=105&division=1&category=1

 

[Aetsh]

Yes, I have that tool. It works perfect every time! It will do duals as well as singles, just gotta be a bit creative doing duals..

Cheap too, $20 or so off the snappy truck

 

[BlkMrkt]

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=675710&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog
I have one of these at work, works like a dream on 4 pistons

 

[ryan t]

C-clamp and old pad for push in. Cube tool for screw in ones.

 

[itwnexus]

The Blue Point BTCP500 brake spreader tool looks good but it is $65.20. Does it work better and faster than the Lisle 24300 Speedy Brake Pad Spreader?

 

[groa944]

Never ran into a hex bolt rear what car is that on? I can't visualize it do you use a socket?

I have some 80's audis that have that sort of rear brake. They look like a normal piston, but have a hex shaped cutout in the middle of the piston. You put a allen socket in, and turn the piston while pushing back in. Very similar to all of the other rotate and retract brake calipers, just a different face.

They end up being a pain because the normal tools won't work well on them, plus as they rust, they become easy to round out.

 

[cgv69]

The Blue Point BTCP500 brake spreader tool looks good but it is $65.20. Does it work better and faster than the Lisle 24300 Speedy Brake Pad Spreader?

But you can get the same exact tool with a different color handle labeled the Kastar 279 for ~$38 from Tool Discounters.

I think the Kastar\Bluepoint design looks better than the Lisle but I'd love to hear from someone who's used both and can compare them?

 

[skulldrinker]

But you can get the same exact tool with a different color handle labeled the Kastar 279 for ~$38 from Tool Discounters.

I think the Kastar\Bluepoint design looks better than the Lisle but I'd love to hear from someone who's used both and can compare them?

I have both of these and they work great.
Lisle 25750 Dual Piston Brake Caliper Compressor
and
Lisle 24300 Speedy Brake Pad Spreader
Fast as lightening.

But they take up a lot of space. It seems this Kastar would help gain valuable space in an already over stuffed box. ***** that i got $100 sunk into the Lisle's.

 

[itwnexus]

Will the Kastar\Bluepoint design work on dual and quad piston calipers?

Does the Kastar\Bluepoint design take a long time to push in the brake piston?

How well does the Lisle 25750 Dual Piston Brake Caliper Compressor and Lisle 24300 Speedy Brake Pad Spreader hold up to frequent usage or brake pistons that are hard to push in? I read a small number of reviews on amazon where the Lisle tools broke in to pieces.

 

[mrborohachi]

yes the Kastar/bluepoint is designed for single/dual/4piston setups

 

[itwnexus]

Will the Kastar\Bluepoint design work on large calipers where the piston has long travel?

Does the Kastar\Bluepoint design take a long time to push in the brake piston?

 

[itwnexus]

Does any one have both the Lisle and Kastar?

 

[Subyroo651]

I just picked up the Matco version of the Kastar design. I chose it over the trigger types because of its mechanical advantage having the spreading pressure right in the center.

The others tend to flex, more so on harder calipers. Also, the Kastar plates are thick, they wont be flexing at all.

 

[itwnexus]

Subyroo651, how far out does the Matco version of the Kastar design extend out? Does it work on both large and small calipers?

 

[Subyroo651]

Subyroo651, how far out does the Matco version of the Kastar design extend out? Does it work on both large and small calipers?

I'll have to get some dimensions when I get back home. It is advertised as working on both dual and quad piston, floating and fixed. I think anything over quad piston and the plates wouldn't be big enough.

 

[rmsg0040]

^^ when I used it on my dad's chevy venture they pushed the pistons all the way in, but when I went to removed the tool, the plates fell out from being over extended. Thought it was a fluke but happened on the other side also.

 

[skulldrinker]

--cut--
The others tend to flex, more so on harder calipers. Also, the Kastar plates are thick, they wont be flexing at all.

If they are flexing on you there might be something wrong with the caliper and/or the brake line and not necessarily the tool. You could try opening up the bleed screw or popping the top of the MC. I just never had a "hard caliper" like you say.

i mean like look at the thickness of the metal on this. No way should this flex on a caliper that is in good working condition. This is the dual piston Lisle tool.
Lisle 25750

 

[itwnexus]

Is the Lisle 25750 Dual Piston Brake Caliper Compressor too big for compact car single piston calipers?

Do I have to buy two different Lisle brake spreader tools to cover compact cars, mid size cars, and light trucks?

Will the Lisle 25750 work on both Honda Civic and Acura NSX calipers?

 

[skulldrinker]

Is the Lisle 25750 Dual Piston Brake Caliper Compressor too big for compact car single piston calipers?

Do I have to buy two different Lisle brake spreader tools to cover compact cars, mid size cars, and light trucks?

Will the Lisle 25750 work on both Honda Civic and Acura NSX calipers?

The 25750 is for dual pistons and will not work on single. Not any single I tried. It's just shaped differently. I had to buy the single piston tool also. Yes it will work on all size cars that I know of.

That's what I was talking about in my other posts that the two tools take up lots of room in my deep drawer. Where as the ratchet tool might cover all situations and mot take up space. But since I got $100 invested in my two Lisles I'm not running out tomorrow to buy another brake tool.

It would be cool if the Lisle's would adjust so they could lay flat in a low profile drawer but no they are ridged. There is a large nut on the Lisle's I have not tried to loosen it yet maybe the head will pivot and lay flat. i will have to investigate that.

That other Lisle spreader (Lisle 29100) with the large looking paddles might do all types but i don't have that one so I'm just guessing by what I've read.

 

[WHT]

^^ when I used it on my dad's chevy venture they pushed the pistons all the way in, but when I went to removed the tool, the plates fell out from being over extended. Thought it was a fluke but happened on the other side also.

I have this tool and like it. Save an old pad. Open/extend the pads most of the way. Then, put in the old pad as a shim and extend fully as needed if you are having a problem with yours.

 

[pepi]

C clamp and the old brake pad works nicely, no need for some special tool good old common sense solves problems and saves $$$

 

[Subyroo651]

If they are flexing on you there might be something wrong with the caliper and/or the brake line and not necessarily the tool. You could try opening up the bleed screw or popping the top of the MC. I just never had a "hard caliper" like you say.

i mean like look at the thickness of the metal on this. No way should this flex on a caliper that is in good working condition. This is the dual piston Lisle tool.
Lisle 25750

I agree with you, there really shouldn't be any "Hard" calipers. If it is that hard it is probably seized or otherwise in need of service.

 

[jjjrmx5]

Never ran into a hex bolt rear what car is that on? I can't visualize it do you use a socket?

Miata's, for one.



Yes, I mainly do my own brake work 99% of the time (and for friends, family and the neighborhood clueless as well).
Year's ago I ran into a pinch for time for fronts on a car I then owned and let my local repair shop do the work while I bought the parts.

Was having fluid loss and issues on the front end re: stopping and pulled both front sides soon after they completed the brake job only to soon find the problem on my own.

I fixed the problem and then stopped back in the shop to get a better understanding of what they saw and how they did thier brake jobs.

They had several spreaders but due to trying to be speedy and all crafty, usually used channel locks for piston retraction as the caliper was heavily marred where the other side of the jaws grabbed.

Owner said they sometimes see returns with torn bellows problems but the O-ring "should" keep the fluid in.

All I.m saying is using a good or correct tools keeps collateral damage to a minimum.

Last summer I had a buddy help me install a new crank sensor in one of my cars. He's one of those brute force guys that tends to do more harm than good. End of the day from his tugging and prying he broke off my dipstick tube and cracked the distributor shaft where it goes into the block due to his using wrong points to anchor a pry bar when prying while I was under the car.

Added $300 to the cost of an orignally $75 in parts job.

No good deed goes unpunished.

LOLZ.

 

[ChevyEFI]

With the talk of flexing,

I compressed iron single piston calipers on a truck with ABS and the brake light came on.

Ever since, I use a mity-vac bottle, a hose routed from bleeder to bottle, and a cracked bleeder so the pistons compress more easily.

Minor amount of extra work to streamline the process.

 

[skulldrinker]

C clamp and the old brake pad works nicely, no need for some special tool good old common sense solves problems and saves $$$

I used a CM 8 inch Cclamp at home for 30 years. Recently 2 weeks into my first real garage job I went out and bought both my Lisle's.

 

[homesale]

Is there enough room on small calipers to swing the Blue Point/Kastar tool handle?

Does the Blue Point/Kastar extend out far enough on larger calipers?

 

[scarney1988]

All I.m saying is using a good or correct tools keeps collateral damage to a minimum.
QUOTE]

I can agree with that.

 

[wjamyers]

I have the Kastar branded one but the BluePoint is the same think just different name and about $23 more. Best one I have ever used.

http://www.tooltopia.com/kastar-hand-tools-279.aspx

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=675710&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

Can you use this while the caliper is still mounted? to swap out pads on a set of brembos, for example?

I just ordered them because it looks like it should be able to do that even though the How To vid online shows the entire thing being placed inside a dismounted caliper.

Please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[JJThrasher]

Can you use this while the caliper is still mounted? to swap out pads on a set of brembos, for example?

I just ordered them because it looks like it should be able to do that even though the How To vid online shows the entire thing being placed inside a dismounted caliper.

Please let me know.

Thanks.

I've used that one for my brembos. Still have to unbolt the caliper or the rotor is in the way.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[wjamyers]

I've used that one for my brembos. Still have to unbolt the caliper or the rotor is in the way.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

well that *****. part of the point of brembo-style brakes is to make switching pads easy by not requiring caliper removal. now I've gone and ordered a tool (from EBAY no less, no cancellation) I will not even be able to use the way I intended.

Are you certain you couldn't slip the edges in there around the rotor, perhaps push on the old pads before you remove them?

because there's no way in hell i'm going to remove my calipers when it's not necessary to do so.

 

[signcrafter]

well that *****. part of the point of brembo-style brakes is to make switching pads easy by not requiring caliper removal. now I've gone and ordered a tool (from EBAY no less, no cancellation) I will not even be able to use the way I intended.

Are you certain you couldn't slip the edges in there around the rotor, perhaps push on the old pads before you remove them?

because there's no way in hell i'm going to remove my calipers when it's not necessary to do so.

This may be silly because I haven't worked on brembo brakes but when I change pads I service the rotors also. Which require taking the caliper off. Also, if the brembos are made to not have to take the caliper off then why would you need any tools to push the piston back in? I would think if they are made to not have to take the caliper off to change the pads that there would be a way to retract the piston without taking the caliper off?

 

[wjamyers]

This may be silly because I haven't worked on brembo brakes but when I change pads I service the rotors also. Which require taking the caliper off. Also, if the brembos are made to not have to take the caliper off then why would you need any tools to push the piston back in? I would think if they are made to not have to take the caliper off to change the pads that there would be a way to retract the piston without taking the caliper off?

I don't think you would service rotors while switching to and from race pads for a track day or replacing fried pads during one.

race-style calipers make these jobs easier to perform and there are a couple of tools I have confirmed from reviews that will do the job with calipers-mounted, the girodisk at $225.00 and this one:



Also, note this:

Feature: Simple pad change with one bolt


Are you tired of taking off your calipers every time you go to the track? Sick of the little spring clips flying across the garage every time you pull out the pads? Frustrated with trying to find a good place to rest your caliper while it's still attached to the brake line?

Benefits:

With the CP8350 you only have to remove one simple hex bolt on top of the caliper. That's it. Loosen, remove the old pads, and drop in the new ones. It will take you substantially longer to raise the car and remove the wheels than it will to change your pads. Swapping pads will no longer be a chore to dread on the Friday night before every event.

These top-of-the-line $2600.00 race calipers don't provide any way to spread the pistons.

I guess I screwed up and shoulda tried that cheapie from Amazon first. Maybe I'll get lucky and figure out a way to use the one I ordered.

I'll report back what I find.