How to Compress Rear Brakes

Each of the brake calipers on your vehicle has a round metal piston that sits directly behind the inner brake pad. When you depress the brake pedal, the piston is forced outward and pushes against the brake pad which, in turn, pushes against the rotor. As your brake pads wear down, the piston protrudes further out of its bore hole. This helps to decrease the amount of time before it contacts the brake pad when you attempt to stop the vehicle. Since the piston never completely retracts from the brake pad, you have to manually compress it for the new brake pads to fit over the rotor.

Instructions

1

Raise the hood of your vehicle and locate the brake fluid reservoir. Remove the filler cap from the reservoir and set it aside. Use a clean baster to suck up half of the brake fluid in the reservoir.

2

Place wheel blocks in front of both front tires. Loosen the lug nuts on both rear tires 1/4 turn counterclockwise with a lug wrench.

3

Raise the rear end of the vehicle with a jack. Place jack stands on the forward side of the rear tires beneath the frame rail. Lower the hydraulic jack slowly until the vehicle completely rests on the support arms of the jack stands.

4

Remove the lug nuts on both tires with a lug wrench and take both tires off the wheel studs. Examine the brake caliper on the driver's side. Locate the piston at the rear of the inner brake pad. Before you remove the brake caliper, the piston must be forced down and level within its bore hole.

5

Place an 8-inch C-clamp around the body of the brake caliper. Wind the screw portion of the C-clamp down until it makes contact with the surface of the outer brake pad. Slowly continue winding the C-clamp shut--clockwise--while observing the piston. Once you cannot see the body of the piston protruding outwards, stop winding the C-clamp and take it off the brake caliper.

6

Remove the two bolts that secure the brake caliper with a socket wrench. Place a 5-gallon bucket next to the caliper. Lift the brake caliper off the rotor and set it down on top of the bucket. Repeat this process to compress the rear passenger's side caliper piston.