I'm assuming that installing front brake pads on the 07+ XK/R is a fairly simple installation. If I am wrong please correct me.

On the rear brakes, is there a special tool needed to compress the rear pistons? Are there any special tips which will help make the job easier?

Thanks in advance

 

The rears are simple with a piston retractor tool to rotate the pistons back into the caliper. You can use a pair of needle nose pliers but Harbor Freight has the tools for about $35 or you can usually borrow them from Autozone for free. It's usually good practice to connect a bleeder line and drain out the stagnant fluid from the caliper out the bleeder rather than forcing it back into the brake lines/abs/mc. also remember to take the caliper apart at the slide pins not at the mounting bracket and to use a good quality synthetic caliper lube for the pins when reinstalling them

 

do you not need the box /module to release to rewind the handbrake cables ,when changing the rear pads?

 

It's not needed for rear pad replacement.

 

Sounds like it is the same as my wife's VDP...I just put rear pads on and rotated the piston with long nose pliars. It was not pleasant...think I'll get the tool...

 

What do you mean when you say "take the calipers apart at the slide pins and not at the mounting bracket"?

 

The rear calipers have 2 slide pins that connect the floating piston assembly to the bracket which mounts to the spindle with 2 bolts. The sliding pins are covered by a rubber cover with a plastic cap. you pop off the cap and remove the pins with an allen wrench.

 

If you were replacing/turning the rotor you would need to remove the mounting bracket to get the rotor off.

 

It would make it easier but if you try to pull the whole assembly at once you wont get the pads past the ridge on the edge of the rotor. Unlike the fronts where you can just compress the piston by pushing on the pads the rears wont retract with out the tool so you need to pull the center section first.