In posting this i realise i may recieve alittle flack but i've done some research with conflicting results. Now i know my cars quite well, this afternoon i replaced my ball joints and inner and outer tie-rod ends quite easily but for the life of me i cannot get my calipers off! I have a fresh set of brakes,bearings, seals and rotors just waiting to go in. My problem is the front, my haynes manual shows pin removal, i have to pins to remove.. The other shop manual i have seems more accurate but shows only having to remove 1 bolt and being able to pivot up fo access. It looks to me like there are 2 bolts on the backside which connect the assembly there is also the one lower bolt on the outer side which the manual does show. Problem is it seems in order to properly access the lower inside bolt i have to remove the base of the strut? I refuse to take her to a shop.. please help me out!

 

Remove the 17mm bolt in front of the caliper. then it should slide out.

Now, If you want to remove the caliper bracket, you will need unbolt the 2 17mm bolts where the strut and knuckle meets.

 

I see what you mean but when i remove those bolts, will there be pressure from the springs forcing the strut down making it hard to put back together?

 

Thats the easy part. You need to put pressure or drop the lower control arm. Wedge a large pry bar or pipe or anything similar against the frame into the lower control arm, then have a friend sit on it. That will give you enough room to install it. I've done it alone many times.

 

I found that it helps to unbold the tension rod from the control arm... Makes it easier to get everything back together...

 

Thanks for the info guys, anything else that can be added is appreciated. I'm pulling her apart again today andi 'm sure i'll have some problems.. Thanks again!

 

What am I missing with this conversation.

Apply penatrating oil to all bolts FIRST. PB Blaster, WD 40 or something else that has worked for you in the past.

Take out the lower caliper bolt & the caliper will swing out & upward while hanging on the pivot slide pin, when the caliper is mover far enoug & has allowed you to take out the anti rattle spring, the brake pad backing insulation thin metal & the pads continue rotating the caliper out & upward untill you can move the caliper inward towards the car motor & you will have the caliper in your hands with the brake line attached. Use some wire to fashion a hanger so that the hanging caliper don't stress the brake line. Wire the caliper to the suspension spring.

Next remove the two bolts which hold the caliper bracket to the strut. Use GOOD wrenches. The upper bolt is easy. The lower bolt is a bit of a BITCH but you can get it off without removing any other parts of the strut & or ******* with any other parts of the lower control arm or the lower control tension rod. When taking off the lower bolt use a GOOD thinner BOX wrench to lossen the lower bolt. Use a large screwdriver between the steering arm & the wrench head to keep the BOX wrench on the bolt head. If I remember correctly I stick the large screwdriver in from the top side. Once you get the lower bolt loose use an open end wrench to turn the bolt out untill it is free of the calipre bracket.

Notr trying to **** with anybody on this thread but it's not a big job if finished as per the above comments. Take your time & use GOOD wrenches.

 

use two wrenches for leverage, that bottom bolt is a bitch since you can't get an impact on it.

 

Thanks for the help guys, especially for the detailed reply i just got. Makes more sense now for sure.