Rowarrior

hi guys,

while checking the Vette (1980) I noticed the pad pin was gone on the left rear caliper. I have a new pin and I want to install it, but the caliper is a little out of place, how can I re-align it properly? notice the caliper holes are not lined up with the holes on the wheel assembly, the caliper is a little higher of where it should be.

caliper | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


I tried hitting gently on it with a rubber hammer, but it did not move,

do I have to open the bleeding nipples to release the preassure an then do it? any ideas owuld be greatly appreciated, thanks!

jb78L-82

You should be able to hand press the pad against the pistons on the side to be aligned or use a pliers to be the same to give some movement to the pad. Assuming that there is no damage to the pad material or backing plate from moving around in the caliper that is all you should need. If that doesn't work, I would suspect there might be other issues caused by the pad moving freely within the caliper body.

MelWff

You do know there is supposed to be a cotter pin to prevent the pad pin from coming out?

Rowarrior

Yes, the cotter pin and pad pin were both gone!

I guess its my pads that are lodged in there...

Mike Ward

It's supposed to be. It's bolted rigidly to a mounting bracket. You want to move the pads, not the caliper.

Rowarrior

you are 100% right... the pads which are "just there" I thought were part of the wheel assembly...


I will give them a go this evening...if they are really lodged in there.. any suggestions how to pull them out?

MelWff

gently insert a screw driver between the pad and the rotor and just slightly depress the pistons so you can align the pad pin hole with the hole in the caliper.

SH-60B

You should be able to easily re-align the pads to the caliper with a little pulling. Scary to find that pin missing, isn't it?

Rowarrior

Hello All!

thank you for your help, i got the pads re-aligned, and the pin thru.

Yes, very scary to see the pin was missing...from now on, i will check regularly all calipers have their pin !!

why does it happen ? is it just one of those things ?

MelWff

I have my car since 73. It doesnt happen unless the cotter pin is forgotten or perhaps someone reuses one that fails.

Rowarrior

that proves my theory, these things only happen to me and my vette! LOL

appreciate all the help, thank you!

4 speed

my 73 was missing 2 cotter pin, but both pad pins were still there.