my75baby

Hello all, I am changing the rear pads on my 75, seems easy enough, I took the pads out, now how do I get the caliper pistons to stay in so I can slide the new pads back into the caliper? Once you push them in, they slide back out, so they don't stay in like normal calipers, any ideas?

wnmech

I just had the same problem on my 77 I ended up having to unbolt the caliper and brake line and removing the caliper and installing the pads on to the caliper and then rebolting the caliper on to the hub and hooking up the brake line and bleeding the rear brakes. It was a royal pain in the ash doing it that way but after trying to retract all of the pistons even with the bleeder screws open and not having much luck I felt it was quicker just taking the caliper off the hub.

qwank

you need this


http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductD...GR-SR&CTitle=&

71 Green 454

I do one pad at a time with a putty knife holding the pistons back.

my75baby

Thank you guys, I thought about the putty knife, kinda hard to get that in there, thanks for the info on the tool as well, both great ideas. I was thinking taking the caliper off was the quickest way as well. But much easier to use the putty knife approach. What a ridiculous design... I have been doing brakes for 30 yrs on all types of cars, never did I see something as dumb as this... but, we all have to deal with that if you want to drive a vette..

qwank

its because there's springs behind the pistons. They're designed to have slight pad pressure against the rotors at all times.

tnovot

If you do a search, you should be able to find the thread that describes the right thickness and how to use a block of wood to hold the pistons/pads far enough apart to get the caliper started on the rotor.
Terry

75vetteman

i found it hard to do with really worn out pads, so i unbolt the calipers. i don't know why you would need to disconnect the brake line though, i didn't have to. there was enough slack to do it w/out disconnecting... i did find it easier to open the bleeder valve when re-installing the calipers w/ new pads in place. it's a crude method for a crude guy

Mod75

I took some brake fluid out the the master cylinder, had a old brake pad with the pads removed, just the metal left. Used this to pry the pistons back and slip the new pad in.

Took some time to figure it out, got to be fast.

my 76 ray

1 1/4 inch I used a piece of steel that I had cut off a 1 1/4 trailer hitch.

speedreed8

i use a short piece of 1 1/4 wooden dowell rod, in between the pads. as i slide the caliper into place the rotor pushes the rod right out and caliper falls into place.

my75baby

WOW, seems like a common annoyance LOL.. well everyone has a method and we all are driving the cars so it seems where there is a will there is a way. Thank you all for some great ideas. (Otherwise the brakes are easy as hell on this car).. I have the brake line disconnected already( b/c I replaced the trailing arm bushing, there is where you would figure I would have had the trouble... LOL, ) so the pistons easily slide in and of course squirt brake fluid all over the place.. I will try the spackle knife idea first, then work my way up to dynomite..

7T1vette

If the pads are pretty well worn, and you have been topping off the brake master cylinder as they wore, you need to remove fluid from the M/C to just above the fluid port(s). Then, before you pull each pad out, you can stick a wide putty knife in with the old pad and push the caliper pistons all the way back in.

Now, pull the old pad and install the new one. Just continue that process: remove fluid, push pistons back, remove old pad, install new pad. It's not that hard.

GD70

I used a plastic putty knife from Home Depot. I cut the sides down so it fit in the caliper. I pushed the pistons in with the putty knife as I slid in the pad. Took a few tries but worked fine. Also the plastic knife won't damage the piston surfaces.

Glenn