Hi all. I tried to replace my wife's brakes yesterday, but the right rear brake caliper is stuck to the rotor. The electric parking brake is disengaged and I tried compressing the caliper with a C-clamp with the bleed valve open to no avail. I can't turn the rotor, so the pads are pretty well stuck.

I have the "special" tool to rewind the piston, but with the pads gripping the rotor, I can't get to the piston to retract it.

I searched and found the FAQs, step by steps and hints here, but nothing seems to address the problem of a caliper that wont let go.

Anyone know of any tricks to get the thing to back off?

 

I take it the car won't move then?

You can usually get pads out, even if awkward, and then yes wind (screw) the piston in.

Sometimes there's a lip on the rotor due to wear and you have to grind it off to get pads out, in case that's the problem.

 

If the pads are stuck to the rotor how did you drive the car? Have you been having any rear brake fires or warped rotors?

I would bet that the EPB is still holding them on.
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Oops! Sorry JagV8 I posted before I saw you did.
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Thanks for the replies.

@ JagV8 - Yeah, the car will move if I put the wheel back on, but I can't turn it by hand. You hit the nail on the head about there being a lip on the outside rim of the rotor. I was hoping there would be a way to disengage the pads enough to go over that lip.

I guess I'll borrow a grinder and get after the rotor. They're worn enough to replace anyway.

@tbird6 - I considered that the EPB was still on, but the cable is slack.

I don't know if disconnecting the cable and manually applying and then disengaging the parking brake would help. I wanted to ask first because I don't want to make the grip any tighter than it is.

 

No idea how a c-clamp could be used to compress a caliper?

+1. Try tapping the lever that the cable is attached to with a small hammer.

 

Thanks Mikey! I'll try that.

 

Mikey has a good point! The piston needs to rotate and be pushed in. Just pushing won't work.

I have had to remove the cable completely to allow the spring loaded arm to relax enough to get the pads out. Are the pads worn badly?
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Yeah, I tried removing the cable and it didn't help. What I finally did was use a chisel and a 3 pound sledge to force the pad off of the rotor. Found that the left rear was difficult as well, but not quite as bad as the right.

The pads were paper thin, almost to the metal. I remember back in the day that brake pads had little brass pins in them that made a squeal when they wore down that far. These didn't have them.

Thanks all for your ideas. Put together, they helped me get the darned things replaced.

 

A few whacks with a rubber mallet sometimes helps to get pesky calipers off.