I've Never Needed A Sawzall To Do Brakes...

[zw470]

Until now :doh:

Finally got around to installing my Power Stop Geomet rotors and Z36 pads this weekend and it was a cluster****. The rears were easy as eatin' pancakes, I didn't even need to fiddle with the parking brake adjuster to get the rotors off. The fronts were absolutely miserable. Someone had previously torqued the caliper bolts to approximately 3,800 ft-lb and I damn near hurniated myself trying to break them loose. One of the passenger side pins came out with a moderate amount of pounding, but the other wouldn't budge. So out comes the sawzall and after pounding the everlasting **** out of the pieces that were left in the caliper I got them out. The driver's side pins were completely fused into the caliper. I made cuts inside the caliper opening to get the pads out then I cut the outside facing end of the pin off to make it easier to drill out. Couldn't get access to do that on the inside facing ends so I just had to cross my fingers and keep the drill as centered/straight as possible. All in all it took about 5 hours with 3.5 or so on the fronts.

 

[djeepin]

Even if you managed to press in caliper pistons to install new pads, it doesn't means pistons float freely inside caliper. When it rusted so bad, my advise to replace calipers assembly and not warp new rotors from stuck pistons and overheating.

 

[zw470]

No "pressing" was needed to get the new pins in. They slid home like the 30th guy in a gangbang.

 

[1000MPH]

Ive been watching a ton of repair vids on YouTube. I can’t believe the state of some cars after only a few years.
This guy’s 2015 RAV4 is the same year as mine.

 

[rdruss]

Yeah, if you don't live in the rust belt it's hard to imagine the damage rust does to our vehicles! Should be an optional "rust belt" package where you can select all the fasteners you would like to be stainless steel from the factory and the frame gets a second coat of paint, etc.

 

[Twilghtzone]

Pennsylvania ! Salt on the bloody roads fuses under car stuff into irregular masses.
Heat, penetrating oil might do the trick. But it would take a bit.

Good channel for viewing salt messes on cars. South Main Auto Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4wK2TfUpd0&feature=youtu.be

 

[chester4Run]

I feel your pain. I live in FL now, but spent many years in upstate NY. I spent an entire weekend working on a Taco's front brakes where those pins were stuck. It was my DD so had to go on Monday, so I made new pins out of stainless rod and stainless cotter pins. Those pins appeared to be just guides, not actually holding much in place, so soft metal seemed fine. I bought replacement pins and carried them in the glove box for 5 years and 100K miles. I sold the truck with the stainless rods still in place.

When I did my brakes in FL, those pins were a little corroded, but not bad, and not stuck. I sanded them, applied high temp grease, and put them back. So far so so good.

Glad to hear you got them sorted. It brought back memories.

 

[RichinRidgewood]

Makes me think re-greasing these brake parts as well as that switch on the transmission should be a yearly thing.

 

[edizzle]

approximately 3,800 ft-lb lol, that was funny, then..................

No "pressing" was needed to get the new pins in. They slid home like the 30th guy in a gangbang!!!! LOLOLO