I was trying to change the pads on my 02 sentra gxe, front disc brakes today and have an issue.

So there are two retaining bolts holding the caliper in place, only the lower one has to be removed, and it swings upwards using the top one as a hinge. The problem is that when I take the bottom bolt out, the piece the bolt is screwed into is supposed to move in and out a bit with some play, but it looks like it is welded in there. When I take the other side brake off the piece moves up and down like its supposed to.

I can't get the new pads in there if that piece doesn't move, because the new pads have more material on them and the piece needs to move outward for the caliper to fit around the pads.

Basically, the only ways I know of fixing it is to get a new caliper. Has this ever happened to anyone and is there another way to fix it?

12/28/2009 7:29:42 PM

So, the piece I am talking about is part #13. It screws into part #1, which is supposed to move in and out of part #2 freely (#2 is some sort of rubber thing that can move)

12/28/2009 7:33:28 PM

take a big hammer and bang that bitch. it will move.

12/28/2009 7:33:37 PM

^ you could do this, but be careful you don't fuck it up. Use a rubber mallet if you have one. Try and loosen the other bolt and then try and move it.

If it was me I would take both bolts out and not even worry about the pivot and sliding the new pads in. More than likely you will have to c-clamp the brake piston anyways because you won't have enough clearance for the pads to slid around the rotor. Just take the two retaining bolts off and do it...that's what I would do.

I see what the japs are trying to do and it's a good idea, but it seems like it would be cumbersome to work with when you still have one bolt in.

12/28/2009 7:43:31 PM

^I actually did take the top one all the way out, it still will not fit even with the piston pushed all the way in. It is barely not enough room....I even tried leaving the shims off because it is so close....still no go.

Got to dark to keep working, so I put the old pads back on and will try it sometime when I get another day off. It fit because the pads are pretty worn down so I can't leave them on there to much longer...

I did try hitting it a bit with the hammer just to see if it was a little stuck, but it didn't come out with moderate pressure and I don't want to screw it up if it is possible to salvage the caliper, those things aren't cheap.

Any other ideas?

12/28/2009 7:47:26 PM

You can get a caliper kit from Advance for a couple of bucks with the new caliper slides, bolts and boots. Prob the best option when you get it all removed.

12/28/2009 7:52:52 PM

sounds like a job for our good friend pb blaster

12/28/2009 9:23:50 PM

Quote :

"it still will not fit even with the piston pushed all the way in"

You are sure that you have the brake piston pushed all the way in? If so then the new pads should BARELY fit over the rotor when you slide the caliper back down.

Or, are you sure that you purchased the right pads for your car? It sounds like you are close.

Are you clamping down the pistion with a c-clamp, it may take several turns over a period of time to push that fluid back into the fluid reservior...so be patient, make a couple turns on the clamp until you can't turn it anymore, then after a few seconds you can turn it again because the fluid pressure reduces against the brake piston head. This is how I did it on older vehicles and it should be the same.

So you can get the new pads on the caliper with the bolt still in? If so then you should be fine. If I was in Raleigh I would help you out, however I'm in CO for a while.

Keep us posted.

12/28/2009 9:40:21 PM

^Yea the brake piston is pushed all the way in, I used a c-clamp to do it like you said. It is very close and I know I have the right pads on there because I took the other wheel off and the pads fit perfectly (I put the old ones back on there too because I don't want one side to have new pads and the other old).

I'm at a loss for what to do for right now, but I can drive on it for a couple months like this. When I get a free weekend i'll try one more time to just get the pin to move with a hammer. Autozone does have the screw/pin sets so if I can get the pin out of there, maybe I can just replace it. Does the pin need to be pressed into the caliper, or how does it mount in there? That is assuming I can get the old one out without damaging the caliper

12/29/2009 12:43:22 PM