a_german_named_hans

Got a little weird issue, was tryin to change my brake pads today, Got the cheapo pepboys brand. But when I threw them in, the caliper wouldn't fit over them... I pushed the piston all the way back so it's flush with the caliper, but the front side of the caliper won't clear the front brake pad. I got plenty of room between the back brake pad and the piston, just not the front caliper and the brake pad. Am I doing something wrong or are these pads messed up from the get go.

XIEmperorIX

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like it's the pad. I would return them and get a different set and see if that fixes it.

a_german_named_hans

See that's what I was thinkin, but has anyone had the problem of pads being too thick? Seems kind of a ridiculous manufacture flaw...

tc-guy

im confused. so the brake pads don't fit IN the caliper? or the caliper won't fit OVER the ROTOR when u got the pads in? a pic would help alot.

if its the latter then

our calipers are sliding type in the front. you have to take the 14mm bolts off that holds the part of the caliper that the piston is in. once you take those 14 mm off then you have to pull the slide pins out (its inside the rubber boots of the caliper), clean and lubricate them with some type of grease. i use syl-glide at my job. it looks like vaseline. if the slide pins are sticking then the caliper won't slide and you will get uneven wear on the pads. (inside will wear quicker than outside pad)
one has a rubber gasket looking ring at the top, make sure u don't mix the slide pins up.

the part of the calipers that holds the pads are held on by 17 mm bolts.

what it sounds like is you took the whole caliper apart (just taking the 17 mm bolts off) and are trying to put the caliper back on while the slide pins are compressed so while the back pad is clearing there is not enough room to clear the front pad over the rotor, even tho you pressed the piston all the way in. am i correct?

if so grab the back part of the caliper in one hand and the front with the other and pull them apart enough to get them over the rotor. it helps if you put a couple of lug nuts holding the rotor on while you put the caliper back on.

XIEmperorIX

iTrader: (2)

That's worth a shot to but I've never heard of an issue like that with any car that I have done brakes on. If I remember correctly I didn't even take the slide pins out until after I checked the pads would go on properly.

a_german_named_hans

no i didn't take the whole thing off, the caliber bracket is in, I swung out the caliper by taking the one top 14 mm bolt completely out and loosening the bottom 14 mm bolt. My buddy said that maybe the bottom slide pin has frozen, which when he mentioned i thought might be a possibility. I come across the issue when I go to swing the caliper back into place with the new pads in, the outside of the caliper(side without the piston) doesn't clear the shims on the brake pads, meaning either the brake pads are too thick, or the sliding pin is frozen. I didn't take the bracket off(part with the 17mm bolts).

I think the bottom slide pin is frozen. When i get up tm I'm gonna do the driver side first and see if that one behaves the same way, if it doesn't then Ill try and pull back the bottom slide pin on the passenger side with a c-clamp and see if that'll provide enough clearance. Worst case scenario I might have to get a new bracket.

tc-guy

best thing to do is to get the bracket with the pads in it off to remove, clean and re grease the slide pins. if you have access to a vice or can have someone hold the bracket when you get it out, use a 17mm wrench and kinda angle it as you turn it to wiggle the frozen slide pin out. it will be a slow process. you will see how much easier it moves when it is re greased. you should be able to turn and pull the slide pins in and out easily. if it doesn't they are frozen.

the slide pins goes into the bracket then the caliper bolts onto the bracket with the 14mm bolts.

what it sounds like now is that the bottom and/or top slide pins is frozen in the out position. it will need to be able to push in for you to get the caliper back on.

you can measure the pads with a ruler or something equivalent. it should be about 10mm thick new.

a_german_named_hans

Yup. Bottom slide pin on both calipers was done. The old grease is full of rust, it's rather disgusting.

tc-guy

so you got it all fixed then? that's good