rear brake pad replacement?? help

[tbutera2112]

ok so i just did the front, now im on the rear...the pistons wont retract into the caliper like the front do...

are they ratcheting rear like on cars? if so, how do i twist them in? the service manual doesnt mention removal of the caliper or rotor, so theres no space for any special tool...

someone told me that it should be a press in like the front, so that got me thinking maybe its seized up?

BUT...if it was seized up, wouldnt it not work properly? i could stop with the rear and then let off and it would start rolling again...it worked fine, just had low pads...

i didnt wanna use too much force because i dont want to bend the rotor by prying against it, but i dont imagine it should take much to push in a push-in piston....it never has on anything ive worked on...

help? ive done plenty of brakes and this thing has me stumped...

 

[tbutera2112]

talked to a friend who helped me get it worked out....thanks everyone

 

[gamorg02]

try taking the cap off the reservoir, might be causing pressure. and no they aren't ratcheting or anything, and aren't threaded.

mine weren't pushing back in easily either so i rebuilt the caliper. took maybe 20 mins. they work fantastically now.

i know sean had recommnded to me as well to just drail the fluid and pop the pistons out. then polish them and put them back in. i had a rebuild kit with me but my seals were perfectly fine so i put new ones in anyways. now i can push the pistons in with my hands.

 

[tbutera2112]

i removed the caliper and used a c-clamp...took some heavy cranking, but it seems to be alright now

 

[gamorg02]

be careful. shouldn't have to use that much pressure. may be worth taking a look at the fluid and disassembling the pistons.

$.02 deposited.

 

[naughtyG]

I agree - if it took that much force to retract the pistons, there's some dirt in there, and you'll end up with a sticking caliper. That will mean overheating, damage to new pads, and possibly to the rotor as well.
The least you should do is take off the caliper again, and push out the pistons as far as they'll go out without dropping, that way it should expose enough of their outer surface to give them a good clean and polish before pushing them back in.
If they're still hard to push back in you're better off taking them out, cleaning everything properly and renewing the seals.

 

[gamorg02]

I agree - if it took that much force to retract the pistons, there's some dirt in there, and you'll end up with a sticking caliper. That will mean overheating, damage to new pads, and possibly to the rotor as well.
The least you should do is take off the caliper again, and push out the pistons as far as they'll go out without dropping, that way it should expose enough of their outer surface to give them a good clean and polish before pushing them back in.
If they're still hard to push back in you're better off taking them out, cleaning everything properly and renewing the seals.

yea. mine looked perfect, so i dunno what the issue was, maybe they just weren't sitting 100% and needed to be re-seated. def coulda been b/c i was playing with them so much. i'd try just popping out the pistons, cleaning 'em and putting them back in. might do wonders.

 

[Vinmax]

I had the same issue. Started with a sticking caliper. So, I took it off, disassembled, and cleaned everything to look good as new.

I put it all back together and guess what............... Still sticking after a few rides! Same thing also,,,, was hard to push one side back in. I took it all apart again, put NEW seals in, and problem is gone. I replaced the pads later on and now the brake pistons push in with not too much effort. I think that the rubber seals, even though they can look good as new, get dry and cause the problem. If I ever have to take the caliper apart again, I'll always use new seals. Pretty cheap, and that way you know that it will be good for quite a while.

Vinnie