prying brake pad away from rotor

[pjm1]

I have a stupid question here - I apologize... In some books and threads, I've read that to get your brake rotors spinning freely (such as when you want to adjust your parking brake), you can use a screwdriver to pry the brake pads away from the rotor. I think - but I'm not sure at all - that the best place to do this is from the outside of the caliper with the screwdriver pointing in towards the axle. In one of my rear brakes, I was able to get one pad away pretty easily but the other i can't seem to get a screwdriver between the rotor and pad. And when i spin the wheel, you can tell there's definitely some resistance from that brake pad. Here's a picture of where I'm trying to do this:



Does anyone have a suggestion for how to get that brake pad from rubbing on the rotor? I think I shouldn't use too much force on the screwdriver as I don't want to damage anything. Again, sorry for such a basic question and thank you very much for your help!

Pete

[john walker's workshop]

Visegrips between the tab on the pad and the hole for the pin. Take the pins out. Easier on the inner one.

[sugarwood]

Basic questions are how you get started.
Props for taking the initiative to try fixing your car on your own.

Getting into the game late is very hard, as very few peers work on cars, particularly as adults.
Many experts on this forum were lucky enough to have a friend or mentor to show them how to fix cars, at a young age, before they had kids.
Not everyone is so lucky, especially these days, with so few people fixing cars, especially in our neck of the woods.
I am also clueless, but if you ever need a hand, or borrow tools, let me know. I live about 15 mins. from you.

To expound on what John said,
you can punch those pins out with a drift punch.
You can then use those ears to skewer with a pick tool or screwdriver.

You can also use vice grips to compress the brake caliper piston.
(Open the reservior cap first)

[sugarwood]

I shot a quick videos when I adjusted my brake. Maybe it will help you visualize this repair.



My old notes from this repair:

I found it impossible to adjust the star with the rotor on.

Trying my first parking brake adjustment.
I could barely see into the rotor view hole with my light.
Didn't see anything that looks like a sprocket.

So, I decided to try removing the rotor to look inside and adjust it and see what's happening.
I got the lower caliper bolt off using 3/8" ratchet with 19mm socket.
Had to use a pipe on the ratchet to break it loose.
Then I just used a ratcheting wrench to spin it off (a few degrees at a time)

It wasn't clear if you need to detach the hard brake line to move the caliper.
Some insisted you need to detach the brake lines and re-bleed the system.
But, I was able to move the caliper aside without opening the brake lines.
This was done by prying off the retaining clip at the hard/soft coupler.
This allowed me to push the entire brake line back and rest the caliper on the suspension.
I had to remove the brake pad sensor clip in order to have room to pry properly.

On a related note, I was struggling with how much to adjust the parking brake shoes so they would not rub even when disengaged.
What I did to test for rubbing was to reset the brake to “zero”. Then I put the rotor on and spun it to see what the baseline should feel/sound like (no rubbing)

It was too difficult for me to adjust the sprocket with the rotor on. (Expand until fully engaged, and then back off 4 clicks) So I had to repeatedly remove/adjust/replace until it felt close. At one point, the rotor would not go back on, then I backed off the parking brake a bit.
I was told this was wrong, so this might be a repair best left for a professional.

In my final config, there was a minor rubbing sound only for like a few degrees of rotational travel. Not sure if this just meant the entire mechanism just needs to shift and settle (since it can be shifted around) I figured if it was too tight, it would be rubbing at all 360* of rotation.

[JSV798]

I think that the screwdriver is used to push back the piston AFTER you have removed the pads. Trying to insert a screwdriver between the rotor and the pad is not something I have ever attempted. Remove the pads by drifting out the pins and then pull the pads out. I usually find that the pads are quite tight and have to use a metal bar in the hole where the pins go to lever them out.
I don't use a screwdriver to push back the piston as it may jam the piston; I use a piston retraction tool.

[pjm1]

Thanks a lot, John, Sugarwood, and JSV. I made some progress today thanks to your helpful advice!

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by JSV798

I think that the screwdriver is used to push back the piston AFTER you have removed the pads. Trying to insert a screwdriver between the rotor and the pad is not something I have ever attempted. Remove the pads by drifting out the pins and then pull the pads out. I usually find that the pads are quite tight and have to use a metal bar in the hole where the pins go to lever them out.
I don't use a screwdriver to push back the piston as it may jam the piston; I use a piston retraction tool.

I wouldn't use a screw driver on the piston itself, very easy to go through it

what you want is pad spreaders

[sugarwood]

If you're truly at zero, here is a very helpful list of tools we compiled for a beginner.
A very worthwhile investment that pays for itself quickly.

Let's create a (realistic and sensible) list of tools for a first time DIY'er

[HarryD]

Your pads are fairly new. If you are not able to turn the rotor by hand (with the car out of gear), you may have a problem with the caliper pistons not retracting. This may be due to old brake hoses that have swollen shut.

[RWebb]

amazon has pad spreads for $30 & up

there is a thread I started in O T about them

a Jorgenson pony clamp works well; C-clamp works ok

[Quicksilver]

For retracting pads my go to is my "BigAzz™" Channellocks.
https://channellock.com/product/480/

[eastbay]

I will say that if your wheels and rotors don't spin freely normally, there is something wrong in the braking system. Having to pry the pads apart to get movement is your first clue.



Could be seized caliper pistons, bad master cylinder, no free play in push rod, the list goes on.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by eastbay

I will say that if your wheels and rotors don't spin freely normally, there is something wrong in the braking system. Having to pry the pads apart to get movement is your first clue.



Could be seized caliper pistons, bad master cylinder, no free play in push rod, the list goes on.

Or old swollen brake hoses that retain pressure.

[Kraftwerk]

How old is 'old' for brake hoses?

[GH85Carrera]

If you don't know how long it has been, or if they were replaced with cheap Chinese made parts, change them again with ATE hoses.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Kraftwerk

How old is 'old' for brake hoses?

I used to say 10-15 years, but maybe 20.

If you do not know the age for certain, then change them asap.

see my sig.

[pjm1]

Thanks a lot, guys - l appreciate the good advice. Looking forward to trying it out when I get back in the garage this weekend!

[pjm1]

Hi guys,
Thanks a lot for all of the help. Just wanted to follow up - I was able to use some channel locks, per the good suggestions above, to get the brake pad away from the rotor and now everything is spinning freely. This allowed me to complete my parking brake adjustment. I've gone from 7-8 clicks and the car not firmly stopped, to 3-4 clicks with the brake on tight. Feels good!
Thank you for all of your help!
Pete

[cmcfaul]

learn something every day. Vice grips looks like a good suggestion. I always jus get in there with a big screwdriver enough to remove the pads. Then turn the screw driver sideways and compress the pistons the rest of the way.

Chris
89 Carrera