How to Change a 1997 Ford Taurus Rear Brake Caliper

The 1997 Ford Taurus uses brake calipers on the rear wheels as well as on the front ones. If a rear caliper is damaged, replacing it with a new or professionally rebuilt caliper is much easier than rebuilding the current one. Because the rear brakes work with the parking brake, disconnecting a rear caliper differs slightly from removing and changing a front caliper.

Instructions

Removing the Caliper

1

Siphon out at least two-thirds of the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoir using a suction pump, turkey baster or other type of siphon tool. Dispose of the fluid as per your local ordinances.

2

Raise the car's rear end and support it on jack stands, then remove the wheel for the caliper you are changing using a tire iron.

3

Disconnect the brake hose from the caliper at its banjo bolt using a flare-nut wrench. Plug the brake hose with a piece of rubber tubing.

4

Press the parking brake lever with slip-joint pliers to relieve the tension on the brake cable. Grip the cable's end with locking pliers and disconnect it from the parking brake lever.

5

Remove the mounting bolts from the caliper with a wrench and remove the caliper from its mounting bracket.

Installing a New Caliper

6

Lubricate the replacement caliper's sliding pins with a high-temperature brake grease and make sure they can freely move within their bores on the caliper.

7

Pull the old brake pads out of the caliper mounting bracket and install new ones if needed.

8

Fit the new caliper onto the mounting bracket and over the brake pads. Apply a drop of thread-locking compound to the mounting bolts, thread the bolts into the caliper, then tighten them with the wrench.

9

Reconnect the parking brake cable to the parking brake lever using the pliers. Connect the brake hose to the caliper, using new sealing washers with the banjo bolt.

10

Bleed the brakes of air at the caliper, then refill the master cylinder reservoir with fresh brake fluid.

11

Reconnect the wheel using the tire iron; attach the five lug nuts in a "five star" pattern, connecting the nut furthest from the one you previously connected. Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack, then tighten the lug nuts all the way.