How to Change Rear Brake Calipers
Designed to last for the lifetime of your vehicle it is unlikely that you will need to ever replace your rear brake calipers. However, accidents happen and they can become damaged in numerous ways so it is possible that this repair will become necessary.
When replacing the calipers you should probably do a full brake job and both sides of the vehicle. By the time you've got the brakes disassembled to the point where the caliper can be replaced you might as well replace the brake pads and machine orreplace the rotors.
Since there are variations in how this work should proceed it would be a good idea to have aservice manualspecific to your vehicle. These manuals will cover any special tools or procedures necessary for your car or truck.
Replacing the brake caliper isn't a difficult job. With a complete set of tools for your vehicle, and a couple that aren't often used for other tasks like a C-clamp, most anyone with a moderate level of experience in automotive maintenance should be able to do it.
The first thing you will need to do is lift and remove the wheel on which you are doing the repair. Whenever you are working underneath your vehicle, as you will need to do for this repair, be sure to safely support the vehicle on a sturdy jack stand.
With the wheel removed you will see the brake caliper. The brake line leading to the caliper is usually connected with what is called a banjo fitting. This is a round coupling with a hollow bolt passing through the center. To remove this you simply unscrew the bolt. You will see on either side of this fitting two copper washers, these are used to seal the fitting by compressing. These should be replaced when you reassemble your brakes.
There will be two bolts which attach the caliper to the backing plate. Often these bolts use allen heads rather than standard hex heads. Removing these two bolts will allow you to remove the caliper. Once the bolts are removed, grab the caliper body and wiggle it free. Sometimes, when it won't move by hand, you might need to tap it a bit with a hammer to get it off.
To replace the caliper you should put new pads on the new caliper. Using a C-clamp or specialty tool, make sure the piston is completely depressed. Some calipers lock the piston in place and have to be handled in a specific manner. Your service manual should give you specifics on this. Since there is no fluid in the brakes at this point you shouldn't need to apply much force so, if you're having difficulty, do some research to figure out the proper approach.
With the piston depressed install the pads and slide the assembly over the rotor. If you have difficulty with this you might need to tap it into place with a hammer. Once the caliper is in place replace the bolts to secure it.
When the caliper is in place you will next reattach the brake line. Using new compression washers on either side of the banjo fitting install the hollow bolt through the middle and tighten. Ideally you will want to use a torque wrench to tighten to manufacturer's specifications but if you simply observe the deformation of the compression washers you should be able to manage without. Don't overtighten this as it could break or deform the hollow bolt through which the brake fluid passes.
After you have installed the caliper and connected the brake line you will need tobleed the brakes. Even if you only replace one caliper you should go ahead and bleed all of the brakes to ensure that no air has entered the system.
After bleeding all of the brakes you are ready to reinstall the wheels and tires and test drive your repair.
