Rear Brake help! 1 side done, problems with the other!
 

Hello, it's been a while since I've posted so please forgive my absence.

I'm some what mechanically inclined and decided to replace my rear brake pads. Normally I leave the brakes for my mechanic, but being laid off and broke i decided to do them myself. Being snowed in helps too.

I got the drivers side done with no problems. But when I tried to compress the piston on the passenger side I cannot get it to budge.

I removed the brake fluid cap, i turned it clockwise a dozen or more times, I'm using a heavy duty 6" C clamp and putting enough force on it to bruise my hands. I can't even get the clamp to budge a quarter turn.

Is it possible that it has gone so far out that it won't go back?

Am I supposed to turn it counter clockwise on the passenger side?

Any other thoughts, suggestions, questions?

Thanks

-Chris
2005 Mazda 3s sedan, 2.3L, rear disk brakes.

forgive me because i havent actually seen the rear brakes on my 3 yet...

but...

if you put enough pressure on the piston to bruise your hand, you may have already damaged the piston.

there's more than one type of piston, one being the one that you CAN compress with a C-clamp... the other being a screw type. the piston actually spins, like a screw to compress the brake pads/rotors. you can screw/unscrew them sometimes with needle nose pliers or snap ring pliers, but the actual tool to do it runs about 5 bucks from autozone and hooks up to a ratchet.

give it a try! if the piston head has a design on it, and isnt hollow (like the front) then thats what you have to do.

good luck!

Yes, the 3 has the spinning pistons. Basically you can you a pair of needle nose pliers to spin several times and then compress, spin a little more and compress. It was how I did the other side it worked great. The passenger side is not cooperating.

I'm going to play around with it this morning again and see if just needs more turning, but I doubt that is the problem...

hehe... just thought about something...

did you disconnect the parking brake cable in the rear... if thats the one you're having problems with...

iono, ran out of ideas

OK got it done!!!

The piston had come out so far that it was un-seated. I rotated it the piston the opposite direction and it popped out. i was then able to get it screwed back in.

That bad news is that I let some air into the lines... when i took if for a drive around the block the brake was going all the way to the floor... yeah not good... so now I get to bleed the brakes, lucky me.

Has anyone here done that on there 3? My understanding is there is a bleeder valve or screw on each caliper. Is that correct? which one is it? Can this be done with out buying any new tools (1 car owner, snowed in neighbors)?

Thanks again!
-Chris