View Full Version : Rear Brake Change


RoraStar96
July 11th, 2004, 02:45 PM
I posted this on the ACNA boards but figured it could be helpful here, feel free to add any infomation I may have missed or share your ideas!

Yesterday I laboured through a complete rear brake change. I installed Rototech cross drilled and slotted rotors with Wagner ThermoQuiet ceramic pads. I now have a complete Rototech/Wagner braking system at all 4 corners....now to work on heat venting

We jacked up the car and used 2 3 ton axle stands and rested the vehicle on its 2 jack points right in front of the rear tires. We used the frame rail (strongest part of the car) to initially jack the car up. Once the car was resting on jack stands, we removed both the left and right rear tires. There are 2 bolts behind the rotor that holds the rotor/caliper assembly together. It was quite difficult to remove those bolts. Use an 18mm head with a standard racthet and you'll be fine. We loosened the caliper and the old pad fell out. It was still in pretty good shape but I wanted to upgrade the system,

Anyhow. We removed the caliper from the rotor without much hassle. The rotor itself slid off without much difficulty either. Once the new rotor was installed, we cleaned it off with brake cleaner. We mounted the ceramic pads onto the caliper and attempted to return the caliper back in place...wouldnt budge. Apparently the caliper piston has to be reset with a special tool called a Piston Caliper Tool. its a cube shaped object that mounts to the end of the ratchet. You locate the pattern that suits the piston and CAREFULLY and SLOWLY turn the piston back into its recessed position.

As you pads wear, the piston moves out to ensure tight spacing against the rotor, as well as creating the compression needed to slow the car down. Once that was reset we slid the caliper back down, bolted it up and torqued everything back into place. We mounted the tire, torqued it to 100ft/lbs.

Once that was done, we pressurized the system with the master cylinder cap off then I put the master cylinder cap back on and completed the re-pressurization.

Caution: Do NOT use a C-clamp to reset the rear caliper piston....it only works on the front. That cube tool is required in order to reset the piston!

Tools required.

2 jack stands
Tire Iron/Air tools (to remove lugs)
Ratchet set complete with 13mm, 15mm and 18mm heads
Pry bar
Flathead screwdriver
Brake cleaner fluid
Caliper piston tool (cost me $17 CDN)
Torque wrench

And that was it!

Rambo
July 11th, 2004, 11:37 PM
Wow, sounds like a job and a half to me. Not something I would want to take on myself. You must really know what your doing.


-Kevin

Aurora40
July 12th, 2004, 10:42 AM
Oh, hey, you might just double check that the rear calipers don't hang or anything. Apparently if you try to force the piston in, you can damage it. It sounds like you tried to force it before you went and got the right tool? The rear piston is different due to the parking brake. I kinda prefer the drum in hat type of parking brake personally.

RoraStar96
July 12th, 2004, 03:37 PM
We didnt directly apply any force to the piston. Once I had depressed the brake pedal and the piston moved out, we realized that it wasnt seized (original thought) from there we realized that this car needed the caliper piston tool

Aurora 02 silver
August 15th, 2004, 04:29 PM
Is this the same deal for 2002 auroras?

Where can you buy this tool?

Aurora40
August 17th, 2004, 12:46 PM
Originally posted by Aurora 02 silver@Aug 15 2004, 04:29 PM
Is this the same deal for 2002 auroras?

Where can you buy this tool?
3228


Yes, same deal. You can get the tool at most any car parts place. They will probably have a little universal box one with different sizes/shapes on each side.

Aurora 02 silver
August 18th, 2004, 06:59 PM
Originally posted by RoraStar96@Jul 11 2004, 02:45 PM


Once that was done, we pressurized the system with the master cylinder cap off then I put the master cylinder cap back on and completed the re-pressurization.

2980



In pressurzation, What do you mean?

I just changed the front pads and resurfaces the rotors and now the pedal feels spongy.

RoraStar96
August 22nd, 2004, 09:47 AM
I used the term loosely, the master cylinder cap was off for some time, and since I pressed the brake pedal to make sure the rear piston cylinder wasn't seized....I simply pumped the brakes once the master cylinder cap was back on.