I know this sounds lame,
but I tried to do my brakes today.
After getting the damn calipers off, I could not get them back on the truck and then to make things worse, I lost my daylight..

Now the truck is sitting out there on blocks with no drivers side brakes.

Can anyone tell me how to put humpty dumpty back together again?

 

Did you press the pistons back in??

If not take one of the old pads, and then take a big C Clamp and predd the pistons into the caliper. I have a feeling that you did not prees the pistons in, and because the new pads are thicker you can't get them back together.

 

how is it that you cant get them back on? What did you take them off for? If its because you put on new brakes you need to push the pistons back into the calipur so it will fit over the newer larger brakes. There is a tool for this but i just use a 2x4 and a large screw clamp.

 

rats, beat me to it

 

Also there is one end of the caliper that has to go into the pad bracket.There is a nub that sticks out of the caliper and it is squared off that has to go under a lip on the brakcet they slid the caliper onto the bracket.also make sure that your bushings [caliper bolts go thru] are slide back so they do not hange on the mounting boss for them.Stan

 

I just replaced my rotors today with Brembo OEM rotors... started to run into the same problem... then I just took off the entire caliper assy from the spindle and everything worked smoothly...

No more fried rotors and new pads... brake shudder is gone and I am a happy camper...

 

I did have the caliper depressed, and it still was too tight.

Is it possible that I have a right and left hand pad on the wrong sides?

I mean, are there different pad thicknesses, or are all 4 the same?

I will try again this morning when it is light.

 

The pad with the break wear indicator is on the outside and the other is on the inside.

I've done this twice and don't remember having trouble the first time at all but I had trouble getting it appart this time. That is why I just removed the braket from the spindle and took it appart that way.

I hope this helps.

 

just a thought.

make sure the rubber boots between the spindle and the caliper are compressed.

the calipers install in a rocking motion

left front:

The pads lock into the 'notch' on the lower end of the caliper then lock in to position at the upper end.

Right Front:

The pads lock into the 'notch' on the upper end of the caliper then lock in to position at the lower end.


Note:

Remove the reservoir cap on the master cylinder when compressing the pistons with the C-Clamp. Just DONT forget to replace it and pump the brakes a until if feels solid before driving...

Bob