educate me - disk brake tools

[coonhunter]

I may have a brake job comming up on my wife's 09 tahoe. I always thought, no big deal, disk brakes all around. Then I watched a member here get flammed for using chanel locks to compress his pistons; which is how I have always done it.

So the question is, what does this mess up when you compress your pistons with chanel locks like this? I would hate to mess up the brakes on my wife's car for lack of knoweledge. So what is the correct tool and why is it better than the way I was doing it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[franzdom]

Ok, I must have missed that thread, I do it all the time and learned it here. I have a 16" that works great. Perhaps the issue is to make sure you don't damage the seal? Or does it have to do with pushing one side in more than another? I change brakes a LOT and want to read up on this flamming.

 

[kenfain]

Lots of home mechanics use a c-clamp. But the proper tool for it, isn't expensive. I bought mine at harbor freight, and it was less than twenty bucks for the whole kit. And the quality was surprisingly good.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I use Channellocks as well, and have never had any issues. If I was doing brake jobs all the time a dedicated tool would be nice, but for something I only do once every five years I don't think it's necessary.

 

[franzdom]

I have the tool and don't bother with it. If there is a problem couldn't you just keep the old pad there while compressing? ChannelLocks are super quick and handy!

 

[coonhunter]

Well, maybe I was doing ok afterall!

Dang, now I need to find another reason to go tool shopping. Oh yeah pry bars, I need some of those!

 

[Askme42]

Did he get flamed because they were turn in calipers? I messed on this one time and ruined a caliper.

 

[WILD-BILL]

Perhaps the flamming was about using channel locks on rear brakes with the screw back style pistons?

 

[chipper]

I remember my rear brakes on my acura tl needed the piston turned as you compressed so I just used one of those $5 cubes that go on a ratchet...for front I've always used c clamp but I'm gonna try the chanellock method seems quicker

 

[Adam.C]

I always opened the bleeder (mityvac attached) then just used a screwdriver or flat pry bar to pry the pads away from the disk. Once fully retracted, I close the bleeder and that's it.

 

[Stooge]

if its the thread im thinking of, most of the people were fine with channellocks but someone jumped up and said once upon a time, a shop used them on his car and ripped the piston boot or something to that effect and he threw a forum fit.
i have the OTC kit, looks like the harbor freight one, just a different case. i usually just use a c clamp to get nonscrew type calipers off of the rotor and throw one of the old pads against the pistons and c clamp it some more if the piston has moved back out.
fullsize GM brakes are pretty nice to work on, lots of space back behind there. although i think on my tahoe, they used torx bolts up front for the calipers to brackets.

 

[rlitman]

I think it would be pretty hard to rip the piston boot, but not impossible.
A bigger issue is that it's easy to push the piston back in at an angle and score the cylinder walls with channellocks. Not so easy to do that with a c clamp. Dang near impossible with the proper tool. I tend to use the c clamp myself.

 

[zkling]

I would venture to guess your question is about the rear brakes. IIRC those have rear disk, but internal parking brake shoes, so the rear caliper should compress just like the front, no turning needed. I almost always use a C or pump clamp. I've seen people use a large pair of channellocks to compress the piston, but IMHO a clamp is easier in most cases.

 

[creativecars]

I saw where a guy got the piston in a bind with a c-clamp and keep turning until it broke the piston... He brought it in for a rebuilt caliper and admitted to his ignorance. All he needed to do was get the clamp centered in the piston.

 

[fourtythree]

Before buying the HF brake kit, I used a big C-clamp for years.

 

[impulse922]

Many new vehicles have multi-piston brakes as well. You guys may forget that most of these tools dont work well or as well with 2 and 4 piston calipers.

I have been eyeballing this for a few months..

 

[rlitman]

Many new vehicles have multi-piston brakes as well. You guys may forget that most of these tools dont work well or as well with 2 and 4 piston calipers.

Why? Don't use the c clamp on the piston. Leave the back pad in place when you pull the rotor, and push on the pad. Now if you have a floating rotor, that's a different story.

 

[steelespeed]

Why? Don't use the c clamp on the piston. Leave the back pad in place when you pull the rotor, and push on the pad. Now if you have a floating rotor, that's a different story.

I think impulse922 is referring to calipers with opposed pistons where a c-clamp or one of the commonly available spreader tools (the plate/threaded-rod/knob type) would be unusable because both sides of the caliper have a pad that moves on a piston. Common in high-performance applications where the outboard pad is not stationary.

 

[mrjaw14]

I used C clamps and channellocks before. I've also had to replace 2 calipers that may or may not be related to that, because I've used that method a lot without issue. Since the caliper piston reset tools aren't expensive, I went ahead and bought a set just to ensure that I'm not applying uneven pressure to the piston(s). I also crack the bleeder and hook up a tube that fits on the bleeder that goes to a canister allow the fluid to drain out instead of forcing dirty fluid back through the ABS or master cylinder. If you leave some dirty fluid in that canister and your tube is submerged you won't **** air back into the caliper.

Aside from that, clean the rust and junk off all the hardware. I ususally get new hardware with the pads I buy, but some times the hardware doesn't fit right and the pads feel like they bind when I install them. I end up cleaning the OEM stuff off and re-using and the pads fit like they should.

Another thing is use the right lubricant for the caliper slide pins, which is almost always silicone paste and NOT a caliper grease that you'd use on the pads. if you use a petrolium grease produce on slide pins with rubber boots the boots will swell and leak lube out then your pins won't slide right. friend of mine haad her slide pins bind up on her because of the incorrect lubricant used and going too long without checking them.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Coonhunter - here's a write up on how to do the rear brakes.
http://www.truckmodcentral.com/forums/f63/how-rear-brakes-00-02-tahoe-suburban-yukon-pics-15646/

This guy used a c clamp and everything went smooth.

 

[davesnothere]

The tool impulse922 shows is a ******* godsend. Works great, on multiple different types of calipers.

 

[veks]

A coworker gave me this for Christmas last year.

link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SQU9K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[d.mcfarland]

^^^ Craftsman rebrands that also. Exact same thing.

 

[bimmerZ5]

dude. the tool is like $6-$7... just get it and be done with it. yeah, there are more than one way to skin a cow, but this isn't one of those you need to put a lot of thought into and invest a lot of money.

http://www.sears.com/lisle-disc-brake-pad-spreader/p-00915202000P

http://www.harborfreight.com/disc-brake-pad-piston-compressor-68973.html

 

[owenst7]

A coworker gave me this for Christmas last year.

link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SQU9K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This tool also works as a clutch spring compressor for the rear spring on a th350/700r4/4l60e.

 

[firebox40dash5]

The tool impulse922 shows is a ******* godsend. Works great, on multiple different types of calipers.

Yep, I have the Blue Point version, and I love it. It's a little slower than the Lisle caulk gun types, and I don't use it every time. But for truck calipers like a 2500HD or Super Duty that feel like they're seized normally, it's ****. Plus it'll do most any caliper that doesn't need the piston turned, except maybe 4/6 pistons, never tried it on those. Great one-tool solution for most cars for a DIY person. Even at $40 or so, that's half what you'd pay in labor alone for one set of pads at a shop.

The little $10 screw-down one shown above is perfectly serviceable if a little slow for single pistons, although I've tried leaving the pad in place on 2-pistons and it still doesn't work quite right for those. Works good to hold the pistons in place to compress the other side or if you need to hit the brake pedal with a caliper off for whatever reason, too.

 

[rtole]

Just leave the pad against the piston, then squeeze with a channelock. That lisle 10 buck thing is a waste of time for someone who just does their own brakes. I have a craftsman one that is the same principle, but is longer and has 2 push screws, one slides so you can do dual or single piston calipers. I do 10 to 20 brake jobs a week, and some I still just leave the back pad in and grab the big channelock. The cheap tool is no better than the channelock. If its too tough with the pliers, that plastic little knob wont turn it either.

 

[92integra]

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[WhiffySpark]

I use a c clamp before disassembly the caliper/bracket. I do that so I can make sure the slides or caliper aren't binding.

Big Channel locks when the piston moves back out

 

[antid2]

i just got this a few weeks back from cornwell

best tool for this job i've found, it says dual caliper but it works for single as well, no spinning or cranking on something, no tightening a screw to push a piston in, you just squeeze the trigger and bam, when it's in you hit the release lever and you're done, takes 5 seconds, well worth the cheap 30$ i paid for it off the truck

 

[Murphy4570]

I have a few different caliper tools, including the one that antid2 just posted above me.

With that said, I still grab a pair of vice grip c-clamp pliers sometimes. Works just fine for regular caliper pistons.

This puppy right here:

 

[srmofo]

I have a few different caliper tools, including the one that antid2 just posted above me.

With that said, I still grab a pair of vice grip c-clamp pliers sometimes. Works just fine for regular caliper pistons.

This puppy right here:

I used 2 of these for nearly 10 years(the first 5 were c clamps). They work great. The best part is they are not single use bulky tools. They hung on the side of my cart and were always within arms reach.

I also use them to hold the caliper up while doing suspension work so it doesnt hang on the hose. Just open them up slide one jaw through the caliper and hook the other arm on the spring/frame/tierod basically anywhere it wasnt in the way.

Multiple other daily uses but those were the 2 main ones that stick out.

 

[amlv20]

I have a blue point rebranded lang compressor tool which is awesome,I used to use channel locks and then my Forman showed me the c-clamp vise grips.which i like because if you put the right tension on the vise grips and the. just close them it will continues to compress the piston even after letting go.i don't use it directly on the piston either with channel locks or c clamp vise grips, I put the old pad and set it on the piston and then use the vise grips or channel locks on the pad to compress the piston.i bought the blue point lang to use on my girlfriends 4runner which has 4 pistons a caliper.so it's way easier to now compress all 4 pistons evenly,but now I also use it on everything because it's so easy.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Why? Don't use the c clamp on the piston. Leave the back pad in place when you pull the rotor, and push on the pad. Now if you have a floating rotor, that's a different story.

Ding, ding, ding. This is how I do it. You're tossing the old pads anyhow, so why not use them. It uniformly pushes the piston in and there's no problems.

 

[justme-]

It's a wonder how we ever get brake jobs done with so many options for tools to do the exact same thing. Like valve spring compressors... but I won't go there.
Anyway - front calipers on almost all normal production vehicles are single piston and not free floating - use a c-clamp against the inner old pad and be careful not to clamp on the line coming into the caliper on the back. Simple - if you prefer channel locks, have at it and don;t let anyone tell you you're wrong. Before any of these "tools" were thought up this is the way mechanics did it day in day out. The lysle/craftsman thing is darn near useless, and HF version I saw was practically tin - looks like a c-clamp screw in a pad shaped plate anyway.
As to rear brakes - last generation had drum in hat style rears (my 01 Intrepid has) which has a small drum in the center of a disc for parking brake. These work just like front brakes. Newer vehicles have gone to a mechanical lever on the rear caliper which rotates the piston to apply parking brakes. These need to be turned back in to the caliper (different directions for each side) with a special tool. The cube mentioned above is a cheap "fits-none" option. Mine has never fit any vehicle I've tried it on, I always rent a kit from the local auto parts store. Almost every store around here has free loaner tools - they have a HF equivalent of the blue point (I swear it's the exact same thing as the BP I saw in every way) with a pad plate and screw similar to the lisle thing above but it has different ends that go on to engage the piston and rotate it in. Check around your local parts stores and save yourself the $$.

Multi piston calipers require special tools, but unless you're working on Ferraris or high performance vehicles it's over thinking the round peg in a round hole situation.

 

[tomshep]

I have a few different caliper tools, including the one that antid2 just posted above me.

With that said, I still grab a pair of vice grip c-clamp pliers sometimes. Works just fine for regular caliper pistons.

This puppy right here:

Best brake piston compressor ever! Use the old pad and start squeezing.

ALWAYS crack the bleeder if your car has ABS. Fluid isn't supposed to flow backwards through the ABS unit.

Tom

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

Best brake piston compressor ever! Use the old pad and start squeezing.

ALWAYS crack the bleeder if your car has ABS. Fluid isn't supposed to flow backwards through the ABS unit.

Tom

Definitely not calling you a liar, i'm curious...I've never heard that in my life. Where'd you hear that. Can you elaborate on what could happen if you did collapse the piston on an abs vehicle without cracking the bleeder. I've done ALOT of brakes in my day, and only crack the bleeder if absolutely necessary. I've seen way too many bleeders break to open one for a simple pad slap.

I did a little searching around and found two articles. One said something about contaminants backing up into the abs module. Another said it's possible for abs lights to be tripped, requiring the dealer to reset it. Assuming a scan tool with abs capabilities isn't at your disposal.

 

[Adam.C]

Multi piston calipers require special tools, but unless you're working on Ferraris or high performance vehicles it's over thinking the round peg in a round hole situation.

Nope. I just used a screwdriver to pry open the 4 cylinders on my fixed calipers on the Porsche 944 I drove for 10 years.

I agree with your point and respectfully say it applies to the exotic cars as well. Brakes are very simple devices. I've never felt the need for a piston retract tool.

I ALWAYS opened the bleeder, however. I'm not sure about the ABS valves, but the fluid in the wheel cylinders is the most contaminated. I always pulled that put and replaced it by refilling the master. And be sure the master is open (and full) when you bleed.