Urgent Assistance Needed, Pushing Brake Piston Back

[LukePolo]

Guys,

I'm doing my rear rotors and pads.

There looks as if I need a special tool to screw the piston back into the caliper??

Any assistance will be appreciated.

Merry Xmas,
Cheers,
Luke

[alexaescht]

Urgent Assistance Needed, Pushing Brake Piston Back

Replaced pads and rotors on the TDI a month or two ago.
Yes you need a 'caliper piston wind back tool' as the piston is threaded internally and needs to be 'screwed' back in to be pushed all the way back.
I used a cheap tool (which I wouldn't recommend as it was stupidly difficult to do with it) but it did work with only slightly bleeding knuckles by the end of it haha. I'll add that the cheap tool had to be modified a little with a file to allow it to fit in the grooves on the piston.
If funds allow, I would recommend one of the more expensive tools which turns and pushes the piston back at the same time - much easier and would cause less swearing than the cheap tool.

Cheap tool: Stanley Rear Disc Brake Piston Tool - Supercheap Auto
Better tool: Amazon.com: ABN Precision Brake Caliper Wind Back Tool Kit - 12PC: Automotive
Not sure if the second link is the correct one for the Polo, but just showing you as an example of what it is.

Let me know if you need some more help.

Alex.

[LukePolo]

Cheers for the links Alex,

I'm in urgent need to do this as it's my only car.

Willing to sacrifice my knuckles..

It seems that I'm twisting and twisting this screw but it's like it won't grip and pull back... Mean's I need more pressure right?

[alexaescht]

Yep you have to push really hard while twisting to get it to start, then once it's started going in it gets really hard to twist... Not fun. It'll get there eventually though.

I ended up re-attaching the caliper to the slide pins on the car with the rotor removed to help hold the caliper a bit. Then I put a clamp between the back of the caliper and the front of where the slide pins attach to stop it being able to move backward. That allowed me to push hard while turning and freed up my other hand to help with the pushing and turning.

If you need more help, shoot me a PM and I'll give you my number. Happy to talk you through it if you need.

[LukePolo]

Alex you're a legend, thanks for your help.

Ended up making a little tool of my own.

took me about an hour to get that drivers side piston back, the passenger side went straight back in with ease.

Lot's of silicone spray too lol.

Cheers,
Luke

[alexaescht]

Urgent Assistance Needed, Pushing Brake Piston Back

Good job mate! Such a relief when you start to notice it going back in haha.

Hope the rest of the job went well, and that tool looks pretty neat. Nice.

Merry Christmas.
Alex.

[banong]

release the brake oil nipple and use rubber mallet to push the brake piston back into caliper. I use this method 1000 times lol.

[alexaescht]

Urgent Assistance Needed, Pushing Brake Piston Back

The rears are threaded though - bashing the piston with a mallet will do nothing.

[h100vw]

The rears are threaded though - bashing the piston with a mallet will do nothing.

Except maybe breaking it.

Gavin

[Guest001]

release the brake oil nipple and use rubber mallet to push the brake piston back into caliper. I use this method 1000 times lol.

Should have gone to SPECSAVERS.!!!!!

From the OP

" you need a 'caliper piston wind back tool as the piston is threaded internally and needs to be 'screwed' back in"


Did you miss that bit.

[LukePolo]

Just quietly, I'd prefer not to break my brakes... Lol

Will say though, they wore very very oddly, my front inner and outer pads still have an even 5mm on each side after 75,000km the rear inner pads on both sides were almost worn right down with 1mm left and the outer had 2mm.. Replaced the rotors too which wore nice and even.

I think it's done alright considering this is the first time I've ever needed to do any brake pad or rotor maintenance. I did flush the system at 60,000km/ my two year mark

[alexaescht]

I've found the rears to wear faster than the fronts too, but I've never had the front pads/rotors replaced because they had worn excessively – only because the front rotors start to shudder under braking.
My car had the original factory rear rotors on it until I did that brake job just a few weeks ago, with 120,000km on them after two sets of pads (factory & one replacement set). Still enough disc left to do the job but definitely needed replacing at that point!