Stupid Rear Brake Question

[PC PaiN]

2001 Mustang, why in the hell am I having such a problem getting the rear pads back into the bracket? I'm about to run up to autozone and buy new clips that go on the pads because I think I've just about totally screwed them up.

Also how do you use this stupid ass piston turning tool? I have the block thing from autozone and none of the sides seem to really fit.

Front pads seriously took no time at all and the rears are pissing me off

 

[NateV8]

2001 Mustang, why in the hell am I having such a problem getting the rear pads back into the bracket? I'm about to run up to autozone and buy new clips that go on the pads because I think I've just about totally screwed them up.

Also how do you use this stupid ass piston turning tool? I have the block thing from autozone and none of the sides seem to really fit.

Front pads seriously took no time at all and the rears are pissing me off

I had this problem last time I did my brakes 2 years ago. Fronts took about 20 mins then got stuck on the rears. I have that tool from Autozone and had to grind it down with a dremel on one of the sides to get it to fit.

 

[PC PaiN]

any tips for getting the pads back into the bracket? I finally got one back in but the inside pad seems like it's jamming up in there

 

[RussZTT]

hmm I never had a problem with them. I know brake dust can get caked on the bracket pretty good where the pads slide in. Get a flat head and scrape any dust that is caked on. After I did that, mind slid right in.

 

[PC PaiN]

I'll try it. Just bought a hardware kit from autozone to replace the clips that I jacked up. Also grabbed their loaner tool for the pistons since that little block thing is a ****ing joke

 

[99COBRA2881]

Bolt the rear caliper(s) back onto the caliper bracket without pads or rotor installed this makes juggling the piston block tool and holding the caliper firmly much easier. I juggled both and the left side took about an hour, bolted the right side back onto the car and it took 10 minutes to turn the piston in, install new pads and install the rotor and caliper back on.

 

[Sap]

Just attach clear hose to the bleeder and put it in a clean container then open it. That relieves pressure on the caliper, you should be able to push the pistons in much easier. Once done just fill up the brake fluid res. in the engine compartment (clean brake fluid, don't reuse).

 

[PC PaiN]

main issue is getting the damn pads in the bracket. I'm going to give it a go again here in after I eat dinner. Want to get the car done tonight since I need to take it up to the shop in the morning for an alignment.

 

[FL-Orange]

Just attach clear hose to the bleeder and put it in a clean container then open it. That relieves pressure on the caliper, you should be able to push the pistons in much easier. Once done just fill up the brake fluid res. in the engine compartment (clean brake fluid, don't reuse).

Rear brake caliper pistons "screw" in, they don't get pushed in.

 

[ford_racer]

Indeed.

I used the block tool on my 98 which has the same calipers as your 01 (IIRC) and while none of the parts fit perfectly, it did work. You will have to put a lot of pressure onto the piston while turning with a ratchet/breaker bar at the same time.

 

[PC PaiN]

well rental tool from autozone works like a dream. I decided to take the bracket off and stuff the pads in that way and then mount the bracket. I got a method and it seems to work.

Just to clarify how easy should the pads move in the bracket?

 

[ac427cobra]

Rear brake caliper pistons "screw" in, they don't get pushed in.

That piston is not in the correct orientation. Those v-shaped cut-outs must be straight up and down. The little tits on the pads must go in them to prevent the pistons from turning.

Cobra rear brake job



:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[006]

Instructions:

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/how-230/420425-rear-brakes-how-write-up.html

..and here's the fronts (just in case)

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/how-230/436874-front-brakes.html

Ken

 

[FL-Orange]

That piston is not in the correct orientation. Those v-shaped cut-outs must be straight up and down. The little tits on the pads must go in them to prevent the pistons from turning.

Cobra rear brake job



:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

That's not my picture, I googled for the purpose of showing the difference in the piston (vs the fronts). :beer:

 

[ac427cobra]

That's not my picture, I googled for the purpose of showing the difference in the piston (vs the fronts). :beer:

Just wanted to make everyone aware of the piston orientation! :beer:

 

[oilwell1415]

Just to clarify how easy should the pads move in the bracket?

They should move around freely with a little bit of endplay, maybe .010". It sounds like you either bought the cheapo pads, got a set of pads that the backing plate was stamped with a dull tool, or there is a helluva lot of paint on the plate, or all three. You can either return the pads and see if the new ones fit properly. From AZ, they probably won't. You need to find out where the interference is and file that area down until it moves freely.

 

[swoosh_stang]

Heh, I used Channel-locks on my 03 Rears.

 

[006]

Also, if you happened to pick up some GT/V6 rear brake pads, then there could be your problem.

They are thicker than the Cobra rear brake pads and will be very difficult to mount.

If you do manage to mount them and drive that way, you will do some serious damage to your rotors and probably ruin your calipers and seals due to the amount of heat that will build up due to the friction.

..oh, and very shitty gas mileage

 

[IUP99snake]

I had a similar problem where I couldn't get the piston in far enough to get the pads to fit in front of the rotor. Perhaps the pads were too thick. I just sanded em down a few thousands of an inch and they worked like a charm.

An interesting side note: At the time, I had lost my lug wheel key, and I couldn't take off the wheels. Fortunately, the '00 Cobra R wheels are big and open enough so you can change the rear brake pads without even taking off the wheel! That worked like a charm as well!

Homer

 

[dpj99cobra]

I just did front and rears on my '99 and I'd bet that what was said earlier about the orientation of the piston may be what you're running into. When we were installing mine we noticed they had to be oriented correctly or the pad would not seat correctly (or at all).

Also, we just used a set of needle nose pliers to rotate the piston and it did seem to take a lot of turns to get it in far enough. So just keep turning it if the piston is oriented correctly and there's not enough room for the pad.

Using pliers would not be my first choice next time unless I had a way to block them from closing all the say because it was over squeezing the pliers that made them pop off the piston more than anything else. I've not used the square tool before but would recommend you have someone to help with anchoring the caliper so you can focus on turning the piston without worrying about stressing any brake lines...that was key for me.