thats a good idea, I will take the caliper off and try my air impact wrench at the local gas station. Here is a new question: When I disconnect the brake cable from the caliper, is all the brake fluid going to leak out? Thats probably a stupid question, anyway I guess I need to plug it with something.

consider it a chance to change the brake fluid, or use a hose pincher, or 2 coins and vice grips

 

go for it !!!!!

Can't wait to give it a try. I will let ya know if it works out, but it may be awhile (or a couple of days) because it is raining like crazy in California. I got to work inbetween rain storms and I have no garage.

My drivers side one was pretty bad when I started... I belive my pistons were protruding 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. The drivers pads were to the metal and starting to eat the rotor, so they cant get much more extended than that.

 

And it sounds as if yours arent as bad as mine were so yours should thread in.

 

Make sure the parking brake lever isnt engaged (either inside the car OR on the caliper)

 

I had the best luck putting the car on jackstands and sitting on my little rolly stool (a beer cooler would work too) I slid the caliper off (but left it hooked up) and opened the bleeder screw slightly as well as opened the master cylinder.

 

I laid the caliper on top of the brake assembly piston facing up, then used my biggest wrench to turn the little cube thing. (a big craftsman 1/2 inch drive ratchet with a downsizer to fit the cube in)

 

The big thing that helped me was afew whacks with a rubber mallet first, then I pushed down as hard as I could and turned. Try to turn TOO hard and the cube slipped out. I chewed up the cube a bit, but I think it should last for afew more brake jobs.

 

I agree with the theory that using vise grips on the OUTSIDE of the piston could do damage. My calipers were pretty nasty and the cube worked, so try a mallet too.

there's another type of tool that i have heard about on another group that they use for the XT6 (same type of piston in the caliper). i'm not sure what it's called but it works much better...anyone know?

 

i'm tempted to use an old piston to drill through it and see how deep it is. i'd like to drill a hole and tap it so i can just thread a bolt in there and turn it with a wrench. those cubes can be very annoying.

I have the same problem:banghead: .

I have the special cube tool thing that I bought from Napa. It connects to my rachet and then you are just supposed to screw it in while pushing. How hard do you need to push and turn it. My piston will not turn. The tool just keeps on slip off the piston. The piston is supposed to screw in clockwise, correct? I try to hold the caliper up while push and screwing it in. How can I secure the caliper so it stays still while I push and turn with all my might?

 

I had the same problem, having never done brakes before.... I didn't know about the slide bolt removal...

 

you need to leave the calipers bolted on, and remove the caliper slide bolt. then the pad braket/piston assembly pivots up, and you can push on it with as much force needed to turn the piston back in.....

I'm tellin you guys, loosening the caliper housing, and working the caliper/pads over the rotor, then tightening it all up, is the easiest and most foolproof way to do this task.

 

Problem with needlenose pliers and other tools is that you'll never be able to build up as much pressure as your hydraulic system can. And hydraulic pressure is what it takes to seat a sticky piston all the way in...

 

good luck, John

I got the brakes done!! I took the calipers off and had my brother-n-law hold the caliper against a bench with the piston facing the sky. Then I just used my 3/8 rachet with the cube. It was that simple and I didn't need to use the air impact wrench. The trick was just to remove the calipers from the car completely and have sombody hold it steady.

Hey guys the tool you want to use it the one shown down in the link. Even though the ad is for the complete set, I've seen the individual pieces sold in various parts stores. This tool make the job real easy.

 

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ProductDisplay/s-10101/p-3184/c-10101