Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Rear Disc Brake Caliper

DISC BRAKE CALIPERS

REMOVAL





1. Raise and support vehicle.
2. Remove the wheel and tire assembly (6).
3. Drain small amount of fluid from master cylinder brake reservoir with suction gun.
4. Remove the brake hose banjo bolt (5) if replacing caliper (4).
5. Remove the caliper mounting slide pin bolts (2).
6. Remove the caliper (4) from vehicle.

DISASSEMBLY





1. Drain the brake fluid from caliper.
2. C-clamp (2) a block of wood (1) over one piston.





3. Take another piece of wood and pad it with one inch thickness of shop towels (2). Place this piece in the outboard shoe side of the caliper in front of the other piston. This will cushion and protect caliper piston during removal.
4. To remove the caliper piston direct short bursts of low pressure air with a blow gun through the caliper brake hose port. Use only enough air pressure to ease the piston out.

CAUTION: Do not blow the piston out of the bore with sustained air pressure. This could result in a cracked piston.

WARNING: NEVER ATTEMPT TO CATCH THE PISTON AS IT LEAVES THE BORE. THIS COULD RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY.

5. Remove the C-clamp and block of wood from the caliper and clamp it over the dust boot of the first piston removed. This will seal the empty piston bore.
6. Move the padded piece of wood in front of the other piston.
7. Remove the second piston using the same procedure with short bursts of low pressure air.





8. Remove piston dust boots (2) with a suitable pry tool.





CAUTION: Do not scratch piston bore while removing the seals.

9. Remove piston seals (3) from caliper (1).





10. Push caliper mounting bolt bushings (3) out of the boot seals (2) and remove the boot seals from the caliper (1).
11. Remove caliper bleed screw.

CLEANING - DISC BRAKE CALIPER
Clean the caliper components with clean brake fluid or brake clean only. Wipe the caliper and piston dry with lint free towels or use low pressure compressed air.

CAUTION: Do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, or similar solvents. These products may leave a residue that could damage the piston and seal.

INSPECTION





The piston is made from a phenolic resin (plastic material) and should be smooth and clean.
The piston must be replaced if cracked or scored. Do not attempt to restore a scored piston surface by sanding or polishing.

CAUTION: If the caliper piston is replaced, install the same type of piston in the caliper. Never interchange phenolic resin and steel caliper pistons. The pistons, seals, seal grooves, caliper bore and piston tolerances are different.

The bore can be lightly polished with a brake hone (3) to remove very minor surface imperfections. The caliper should be replaced if the bore is severely corroded, rusted, scored, or if polishing would increase bore diameter more than 0.025 mm (0.001 inch).

ASSEMBLY





CAUTION: Dirt, oil, and solvents can damage caliper seals. Insure assembly area is clean and dry.

1. Lubricate caliper pistons, piston seals and piston bores with clean, fresh brake fluid.

NOTE: Verify seal is fully seated and not twisted.

2. Install new piston seals (3) into caliper bores (2).





3. Lightly lubricate lip of new boot with silicone grease. Install boot on piston and work boot lip into the groove at the top of piston (3).
4. Stretch boot (2) rearward to straighten boot folds, then move boot forward until folds snap into place.
5. Install piston (3) into caliper bore and press piston down to the bottom of the caliper bore by hand or with hammer handle.





6. Seat dust boot in caliper (2) with Handle C-4171 (1) and Installer (3):
^ 54 mm caliper: Installer C-3716-A
7. Install the second piston and dust boot.
8. Lubricate caliper mounting bolt bushings, boot seals and bores with Mopar(R) brake grease or Dow Corning 807 grease only.

CAUTION: Use of alternative grease may cause damage to the boots seals.

9. Install the boot seals into the caliper seal bores and center the seals in the bores.
10. Install mounting bolt bushings into the boot seals and insure seal lip is engaged into the bushing grooves at either end of the bushing.
11. Install caliper bleed screw.


INSTALLATION





1. Install caliper (4) to the caliper adapter (7).
2. Coat the caliper mounting slide pin bolts (2) with silicone grease. Then install and tighten the bolts to 15 Nm (11 ft. lbs.).
3. Install the brake hose banjo bolt (5) and new copper seal washers if caliper was removed.
4. Install the brake hose (3) to the caliper (4) with and tighten fitting bolt to 28 Nm (250 inch lbs.).

CAUTION: Verify brake hose is not twisted or kinked before tightening fitting bolt.

5. Bleed the base brake system.
6. Install the wheel and tire assemblies (6).
7. Remove the supports and lower the vehicle.
8. Verify a firm pedal before moving the vehicle.