Changed pads without taking off caliper
08-02-07, 07:38 AM
#1
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Changed pads without taking off caliper
This may get moved, but wanted to throw a wider net.
Last night changed my rear brake pads, and the passenger side bolts, both of them, were locked tight. Tried all the tricks in the book for about 15 minutes, tapping them on the head, lubricant spray, putting a strong arm on them, hitting the strong arm with a hammer . . . my 14mm was starting to flex with the strain, and that's when I figured I would break them before they would break loose.
So as I sat there on my 5 gallon bucket staring at it, wondering what I was going to do since I had already changed the driver side, it came to me that I could get the pads out without taking off the caliper easy enough.
So I did. And then I slid a flat metal bar I had into the gap, careful not to touch the rotor, and put a clamp on the bar and the outside of the caliper, and squeezed in the outside piston. Inside piston a little more tricky, but worked again. Checked the fitment, they slid in easy with room to spare, cleaned and lubed the plates, slapped on the new pads, and re-installed the clips and pin.
Wondering if anyone has done this, I felt rather clever for a moment or two. Then I thought maybe Lexus designed them this way on purpose, and give their mech's a tool to slide in there and push back the pistons. Then I'm still clever, just a few years behind the Lexus engineers (and every other mechanic out there). After all, I'm still sort of a rookie when it comes to diy.
I won't be feeling clever when someone replies with why I just screwed up my brakes, but it did go very smoothly once I stopped banging on my bolts.
Last night changed my rear brake pads, and the passenger side bolts, both of them, were locked tight. Tried all the tricks in the book for about 15 minutes, tapping them on the head, lubricant spray, putting a strong arm on them, hitting the strong arm with a hammer . . . my 14mm was starting to flex with the strain, and that's when I figured I would break them before they would break loose.
So as I sat there on my 5 gallon bucket staring at it, wondering what I was going to do since I had already changed the driver side, it came to me that I could get the pads out without taking off the caliper easy enough.
So I did. And then I slid a flat metal bar I had into the gap, careful not to touch the rotor, and put a clamp on the bar and the outside of the caliper, and squeezed in the outside piston. Inside piston a little more tricky, but worked again. Checked the fitment, they slid in easy with room to spare, cleaned and lubed the plates, slapped on the new pads, and re-installed the clips and pin.
Wondering if anyone has done this, I felt rather clever for a moment or two. Then I thought maybe Lexus designed them this way on purpose, and give their mech's a tool to slide in there and push back the pistons. Then I'm still clever, just a few years behind the Lexus engineers (and every other mechanic out there). After all, I'm still sort of a rookie when it comes to diy.
I won't be feeling clever when someone replies with why I just screwed up my brakes, but it did go very smoothly once I stopped banging on my bolts.
08-02-07, 09:05 AM
#2
good that you figured out an easier way 
yes they do have expansion clamps or something like that to push back the pistons on both side, and then slide in the new pads. that's actually how most change the pads on the gs (or models with similar caliper setup). mine was done the same way
yes they do have expansion clamps or something like that to push back the pistons on both side, and then slide in the new pads. that's actually how most change the pads on the gs (or models with similar caliper setup). mine was done the same way
08-02-07, 09:37 AM
#3
I just changed the rear brakes on my wife's IS300 (similiar to GS brakes) and I had same problem. The caliper bolts were on very tight, but I had to take them off because I needed to change the rotor also. Otherwise, I would have done the same thing you did. But after a while, I finally managed to get them off.
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