Brake caliper question

[dpost01]

I wonder if anyone else has the happen to them but everytime I change my brakes and remove the caliper, the brake pads tears the crap our of my caliper piston. It has to do with two little bumps on the back of the pads and rip through the piston. I am sure I am doing something wrong since all I do to remove the caliper is pry it off. Need some ideas to stop replacing the calipers at every brake change or repair.

On that note, I am looking for ideas of some really nice and great brake cailpers for the front. I have a 2011 Ram 1500.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[NJMOPAR]

You pry the back pads against the pistons with a screwdriver to compress them before removing the calipers.
Caliper should pull off without prying if the pistons are compressed.
You can replace the piston seals without having to buy new calipers also.

 

[smithwessn]

CaliPer. With a P. Not caliber with a B. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

Also, what NJMOPAR said.

 

[dpost01]

CaliPer. With a P. Not caliber with a B. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

Also, what NJMOPAR said.

Fixed. Thanks.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[dpost01]

You pry the back pads against the pistons with a screwdriver to compress them before removing the calipers.
Caliper should pull off without prying if the pistons are compressed.
You can replace the piston seals without having to buy new calipers also.

Thanks. Unfortunately it rips right through the actual pistons and destroys then.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Daw14]

Raybestos makes brand new , not reman/rebuilt calipers, although I’m not sure what the piston is made from.

 

[daveray9]

powerstop sells reman ones that are powdercoated. Love mine.

 

[BadHemi2014]

I had difficulty in that same spot. Like other answers said, make sure the pistons are fully compressed. Crack the bleeder screw so old dirty brake fluid goes out rather than back through the system. Plus it makes it way easier to get that piston back in. I have to grab a flashlight so I can kind of see what I'm prying against. Since you're changing the pad anyway you don't have to worry if it gets banged up, as long as you don't pry against the piston itself. If you try to pull the caliper off and it hangs up, push it back in place and try to get that piston retracted a little further.
For me it just took a lot of patience lol.
I'm sure you know all that but the next guy might not.

I just put on powerstop pads, rotors and calipers, they look great and stop great too.

 

[rangemaster728]

Or...just get some wood wedges...a package of them at Ace Hardware is cheap.




Use them to compress the pads.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[dpost01]

Or...just get some wood wedges...a package of them at Ace Hardware is cheap.




Use them to compress the pads.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So use the wedge to drive it between the pad and rotor to compress the caliper?

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Cwils80]

^ yup. Or take a screw driver and do the same thing. Compresses the caliper enough to pry it off without those two spots scraping anything.

 

[rangemaster728]

The reason I use wedges is sometimes for certain jobs on some vehicles I need to remove the calipers, do the job and put the calipers back on without replacing the brake pads. In these cases the screwdriver might damage the brake pad, which is not a consideration if you’re changing pads.

After I’ve removed the caliper I use a C-clamp if I want to further compress the pistons...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MCMLXIX]

https://www.littleshopmfg.com/ram-1500-2002-18-front-16-big-brake-kit/

 

[dpost01]

https://www.littleshopmfg.com/ram-1500-2002-18-front-16-big-brake-kit/

Thats some nice, and expensive, brakes

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Livinalittle]

I can't say I agree with cracking the bleeder valve to compress the pistons. I wouldn't want to have to bleed my brake lines every time I did a brake service.

It's hard to visualize what's happening with your pistons but I'm with NJMOPAR, just pry the piston back with a screwdriver as much as you can and the caliper (with the pads) should slide right off the rotor. I like to use an extra-large set of channel locks to compress the piston the rest of the way with something to protect the piston from the channel lock teeth.

Do you happen to have any pics of the damage?

 

[patmanz28]

If you do it right you should not need to bleed the brakes. It also isnt usually good for the abs for fluid to flow back into it. I flush my brakes when i do a brake job.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Loosening the bleeder screw as you're drawing the piston back into the caliper is common practice you don't want all of that contaminated fluid back into the brake system, it reeks havoc with the ABS system and pushed fluid into the master cylinder and overflows the reservoir, very seldom do I have to bleed the brakes.

 

[Mister Luck]

I wonder if anyone else has the happen to them but everytime I change my brakes and remove the caliper, the brake pads tears the crap our of my caliper piston. It has to do with two little bumps on the back of the pads and rip through the piston. I am sure I am doing something wrong since all I do to remove the caliper is pry it off. Need some ideas to stop replacing the calipers at every brake change or repair.

On that note, I am looking for ideas of some really nice and great brake cailpers for the front. I have a 2011 Ram 1500.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

I’ve never experienced this problem probably because I double up on pad shims.

Shims are usually attached to the pads new out of the box or they are packaged separately and you attach them yourself
It’s best to ask at the time of purchase or just buy them separately if purchasing on line.


I try to purchase EBC ceramic pads that have cold performance rating and low dust accumulation I think they make braking safer without the need for aftermarket calipers I have seen rotors that use divots or slots work really well in wet conditions as well as keeping particulate build up between the pad and rotor to a minimum
i

 

[Runaround]

I can't say I agree with cracking the bleeder valve to compress the pistons. I wouldn't want to have to bleed my brake lines every time I did a brake service.

It's hard to visualize what's happening with your pistons but I'm with NJMOPAR, just pry the piston back with a screwdriver as much as you can and the caliper (with the pads) should slide right off the rotor. I like to use an extra-large set of channel locks to compress the piston the rest of the way with something to protect the piston from the channel lock teeth.

Do you happen to have any pics of the damage?

I can't say I agree with cracking the bleeder valve to compress the pistons. I wouldn't want to have to bleed my brake lines every time I did a brake service.

It's hard to visualize what's happening with your pistons but I'm with NJMOPAR, just pry the piston back with a screwdriver as much as you can and the caliper (with the pads) should slide right off the rotor. I like to use an extra-large set of channel locks to compress the piston the rest of the way with something to protect the piston from the channel lock teeth.

Do you happen to have any pics of the damage?

you can always use an old pad against the piston when pushing it in. It is right there, no hunting something else. Opening the bleeder does make it much easier to push the piston back and no bleeding unless you leave it open once you have the piston pushed back and ask of the fluid leaks out.

 

[dpost01]

you can always use an old pad against the piston when pushing it in. It is right there, no hunting something else. Opening the bleeder does make it much easier to push the piston back and no bleeding unless you leave it open once you have the piston pushed back and ask of the fluid leaks out.

I do that. My problem was getting thr caliper off from the rotors and pads. These little bumps on the back of the pads would damage the piston when I pryed off the caliper with a pry bar.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk