I'm replacing the rear rotors and pads on my 95 x300 as suggested by my failed annual safety inspection.

Since it has over 100K miles, I thought it might be worth rebuilding the calipers while I'm in there.

My plan it to glass bead or walnut shell blast them clean, pop the pistons, then replace all the seals. Finally, a lick of paint before they go back on.

Any words of wisdom from those that have traveled down this road before. I've done this to other cars, but not my beloved x300.

Thanks!

 

nobody?

 

Tim, I believe your skills might be too advanced for most users... :P

 

Tim, take a look at the calipers before you tear them apart. Atleast on the X-Type, there is a pentahead bolt (5 sided bolt head) that holds the internals of the caliper in place. If it is like the X-Type, it is a 14mm socket that you need. It can be found on E-bay for around $20 delivered to your house. You can go through say Snap-On, but be ready to pay a pretty penny. From there, the rest of the caliper is going to be like what you have dealt with in the past. Just remember that to get the piston back to where it needs to be to install, one side turns one way, the other side turns the opposite way.

 

Thanks firecrow and thermo.

The pistons turn in? I've never seen that on calipers that had separate parking brakes. Aren't the parking brakes a mini drum brake inside the caliper?

 

Yep. The inside of the disc is the 'drum'.

 

That's what I thought. Parts arrive today and tomorrow. Work commences Friday evening.

 

Thinking about it, when I changed my rear discs & pads, I didn't have to turn the pistons to retract them, so I'd expect them to come straight out as usual...? There's no reason to expect them to be like the X-Type though, if that's your only point of reference Thermo?

 

Ziggy, my reference comes from helping a fellow member with his XJ (I want to say it was a 2004, but something in the early 2000's at a minimum). His were essentially identical to my X-Type. Maybe the older units were a slightly different design and therefore I am mistaken. If they have a separate drum on the inside, then yes, they just push in as I am familiar with that setup too.

 

I'd bet that the newer ones used an integrated parking brake setup. That's , as it's pretty much the norm now for rear disk brakes, no?

I looked at the photos on Rockauto for the later rear calipers, and it looke like they had an integrated parking brake.



Hopefully, smooth sailing for me - I better check to make sure I have brake fluid.

 

The new rear pads and rotors are finally on. The caliper brackets and pads were nasty with scale and rust. I bead blasted and painted the springs and caliper brackets, used copper grease on all the metal-to-metal contact surfaces.

The caliper pistons slide right in with a little assistance from a 4" c-clamp.

I hear the rear rubbing a bit more than I think they should, so I may tear into the calipers - I have the rebuild kits, just in case.

Here's a question. I have glass bead in my blast cabinet. Should I:

• drop the calipers in there, as is, blast them clean
• pop the piston after blasting
• paint the caliper
• replace the seals
• reinstall the piston

How should I prep the caliper piston for the new seals? Glass bead blast them, then polish with 1500-200 grit paper?

 

I would pop the piston out first before blasting and seal the inner cylinder.
If you have a cylinder hone tool you can use it to clean the cylinder.
No need to polish I think, just handle it with some extra fine steel wool 4/0 and brake cleaner. Be careful putting back on the new seals ;-)

 

Sounds like a plan. Thanks!