Remove the fasteners holding the caliper to the spin-
dle. There are several methods of attaching the caliper to
the spindle:
On some vehicles, the caliper is held by bolts which
thread into the caliper and slide on the spindle
through steel sleeves or bushings, Figure 13-5. These
bolts can be standard capscrews, or may have round
heads with an internal Allen or Torx® fitting.
Other brake systems use bolts which thread onto the
spindle assembly. The caliper slides on these bolts
through hardened steel sleeves and/or bushings. See
Figure 13-6.
On some vehicles, the caliper is held in place by rub-
ber or metal clips or bushings. The bushings, also
called support keys, are in turn held by screws or
bolts, Figure 13-7. The fasteners can be removed and
the clips or bushings lightly tapped out to remove the
caliper. The fasteners shown in Figure 13-8 are
removed and the clips are lifted off to free the caliper.
212 Auto Brakes
Caution: If the pads will be reused, do not
damage them by prying. It is usually pos-
sible to pry on the metal shoe portion of the
pads to move them. On some calipers, the pads can
be loosened by pushing the caliper housing forward
with a large C-clamp.
Figure 13-5. A—This illustrates Allen head mounting bolts
used on a brake caliper. B—Torx
®
t head bolts and the bit
needed for removal and installation. (General Motors)
Torx®
head
mounting
bolts
Bracketa Br
Torx®
socket
Allen head
mounting bolt
Ratchet
wrench h
Figure 13-6. A brake caliper that uses caliper guide pin bolts
that, when installed, thread into the spindle.
Figure 13-4. Using pliers to lightly force the inboard pad and
piston away from the rotor. This allows for easier caliperr
removal. (Pontiac)
Caliper
Inboard shoe
Adjustableu
p
Suspension
s
Rotor
and pad
Piston s
pli ers
Brake line
p
st rut
B
A
Caliper guide
pin bolt