Help! Mid way through front brake job and calipers won't compress

[CueBall]

Hi all,

First time doing a brake job on my 2003 4runner. I have the two pins holding the pads out, but I can't get the calipers to compress using a c clamp. It feels as if there's still pressure. I opened up the brake reservoir to help with the pressure, but no luck. Ideas?

 

[oilburner]

Open the bleeders! Many ABS systems control the flow of brake fluid to and from the brakes. Forcing the fluid backward through the ABS system can damage it.

 

[CueBall]

Thanks - I unscrewed the brake reservoir cap and opened the bleeder valve and used a 2" c clamp to push the pistons back. After some wrangling, I finished the fronts.

I tried to remove the caliper off the wheel hub, but it was impossible! The bottom bolt came out after some effort. I took a 345lb/ft impact wrench to the top bolt (after an hour soaking in wd40) and it wouldn't not come out. I'm pretty concerned because the caliper will most likely need to come off when it comes time to replace the rotor :sadwave:

 

[oilburner]

A 345 lb. impact isn't gonna be enough. If the calipers are made of an aluminum type alloy like a lot of them I've worked on, those steel bolts are going to need some heat persuasion, like in the form of a torch while running the impact on it......I've had a lot of success using this method. Just watch your brake lines around the flame, and once you do get them out, neverseize the hell out of the bolts before putting them back.

 

[simple]

A 345 lb. impact isn't gonna be enough. If the calipers are made of an aluminum type alloy like a lot of them I've worked on, those steel bolts are going to need some heat persuasion, like in the form of a torch while running the impact on it......I've had a lot of success using this method. Just watch your brake lines around the flame, and once you do get them out, neverseize the hell out of the bolts before putting them back.

Holy ****. You need a torch and impact wrench to change your own brakes? I might need to take mine to the stealer instead.

 

[04 sc V8]

4runner calipers are Iron, not aluminum so galvanic reaction between the different materials won't be a problem. These bolts are tight from the factory so a good impact wrench or breaker bar with a good 6 point socket will take those caliper bolts right out!

 

[oilburner]

I hate doing brakes........I haven't done the 4runner yet, good to know that the bolts won't be seized in. A nd I second that about the six point socket. and use an impact socket for safetys sake. Especially when working in close quarters like a wheel well. I used a regular socket in a pinch one time. I like to compare it to a hand grenade without the boom.........and a good impact wrench should have at least 500 lb/ft of grunt.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Front caliper pins

Brakes...yeah. Wait until you have to change the front brake pads and try to take out those *$&%# pins

Spray, file, tap, sand, chip, spray, file, punch....repeat until the sun goes down.

Then be ready to file or grind dow the pins that swelled while punching out, and reshape the cotter pin holes with a drill bit.

SOMEBODY on the design team must've forgotten to spec a SANE part for this area and decided to use whatever they could find laying around Either that, or had a brother who was trying to unload a boatload of pins he bought on Ebay and decided to use them in a brake design!

Up here in the North, we get salt and everything else on the wheels and underside and things don't stay like new.

Glad you got them changed, though.

-DiskDoctr