Rear Brake Calipers Removal

Steve

Member
Need to work on rear brakes so will put the car up on ramps to have a look first, from reading various posts it seems it may be best to drop the diff down to ease access to get to calipers and maybe remove a disc, can this be done leaving the car up on the ramps or do I have to take the road wheels off??
Not used to working on this end of the car, so I haven't yet sussed how the weird rear suspension works! I have new brake hoses to fit, so old ones can be just cut which may help.
 
You can remove the calipers without removing the diff or the wheels, but the car will need to be supported under the base unit to allow the wheels to hang free so that the driveshafts and discs can be removed.
 
As Harvey says :cool:
You need to be able to push the wheels out a bit, otherwise you can’t slip the unbolted inner drive shaft end off the disc as the disc has a ridge round it.
It helps to lower the diff slightly but it’s difficult to support if you’re taking the discs off (as it can’t be held by the drive shafts).
I would leave the diff in situ & take the discs off as this helps with winding the caliper cups back before you put new pads in. There’s a special tool for this, but with the discs off you shouldn’t need it :)
 
I did this job when I first got my car. I left the discs and driveshafts in place, but did have to raise and lower the diff a few times before I got everything off. Some fixings were inaccessible with the diff up, and others required the diff held secure to undo as they were quite tight.
 
If Tom has succeeded with that method, I’d go along with that. My recollections of caliper fixings is a bit rusty..;)
 
Possibly because you have a better selection of tools than I did when I did the job, or better access under the car?

My car wasn’t on the road when I bought it and some things were seized. I initially dropped the diff to get better access to the flexi brake hose which I couldn’t remove from the body without fear of rounding it or breaking something. It also gave me access to free a seized cotter pin on the handbrake linkage. Once I’d dropped once, it wasn’t a hard job to lift it up or down on a trolly jack as I needed.

On the calipers, it was the spring loaded cover plug I had trouble undoing. The metal folded ones that cover the allen key headed pins that the calipers pivot on. These were very tight, and none of the tools I could get past the handbrake linkage would grip very well. To get a better access, I removed the handbrake linkage quadrants. I could then get a better fitting tool on the cover plugs. The diff needed bolting back up again to undo these fixings.

It should be noted that if you remove the handbrake linkage quadrants, the calipers have to come off to refit everything as the internal actuating pins drop down into the holes where the quadrants fit.

I’m sure there are several ways to do this, but this worked for me with the selection of tools I had.
 
You don't have to remove the quadrants, it's enough to remove the stop screw, you can then rotate the quadrant enough to get a thin wall socket on the cap. But you do need a fairly thin walled socket. The workshop manual procedure leaves the diff in place.

Yours
Vern
 
Thanks for the info guys, will look at it this week, may try leaving one wheel on a ramp whilst removing other wheel and jacking on floorpan, as have limited space due proximity of neighbours holly hedge, but will take precaution of loosening the wheelnuts in case do have to take it off and support on underneath if necessary. Considering laying car up for winter and worrying about it in the Spring as I'm getting old (70+) and don't like the cold and no garage.
 
I'm a lot less keen to work outside this time of the year than I used to be. The good thing with the calipers is that once they're off the car you can take them inside to work on them. The kitchen table makes a good workbench....:D
 
I'm a lot less keen to work outside this time of the year than I used to be. The good thing with the calipers is that once they're off the car you can take them inside to work on them. The kitchen table makes a good workbench....:D
I prefer the dining table, much more room. Mind you, the kitchen table is always closer to the sink I suppose, ideal if you have greasy parts and fairy liquid;)
 
A tip I have for removing the rear calipers is get the rear wheels on a set of drive on ramps, (jack up and place under or reverse up).

Then jack the rear of the car which lifts the body and gives you a bit of extra space to work.
 
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Oh how apt this thread is for me.
I have just moved the car in the garage and discovered a pool of brake fluid under the rear of the car. When I re commissioned the car in Jan 2016 one of the rear caliper's had a pitted hydraulic bore, I cleaned it up and fitted new seals, it has held until now.
During last year I acquired a set of rear calipers and these turned out to have spotless hydraulic bores, so I rebuilt those knowing that sooner or later I would need them. Well today is that day !

Its great knowing that everything will come undone and I can just swop them over.
I just have to decide whether the diff output oil seal that is showing a tiny hint of moisture on one side gets done now or not.
 
As Harvey says :cool:
You need to be able to push the wheels out a bit, otherwise you can’t slip the unbolted inner drive shaft end off the disc as the disc has a ridge round it.
It helps to lower the diff slightly but it’s difficult to support if you’re taking the discs off (as it can’t be held by the drive shafts).
I would leave the diff in situ & take the discs off as this helps with winding the caliper cups back before you put new pads in. There’s a special tool for this, but with the discs off you shouldn’t need it :)

Over the weekend I rebuilt 'Hazel's' rear calipers as one wasn't working - the piston seal had gone after only 3 years....

I tried to do the job with the diff in situ, but then couldn't undo the brake hose between the calipers. I could have taken both off together I suppose, but decided to drop the diff by removing the 3 bolts in the back plate:

IMG_5450.JPG

I lowered it on a small trolley jack & gained around 5 or 6 inches of working space which was tremendously helpful & much easier. It saved a lot of swearing too :cool:. It's handy to keep it on the jack as trying to push the diff up again to get the jack under is difficult due to its weight.

For the sake of 3 bolts, I'd recommend it. You don't need the rear wheels off the floor either (assuming you're not removing the discs); the diff drops enough without, so there's not a lot of messing really :). Of course, the diff's not going to fall on you either (but mind your fingers when lowering it & when putting it back!
 
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