Changing front pads on 4-piston caliper?
 

Is this incredibly difficult? I had issues rotating the caliper when I was changing the single caliper rear brakes. Is this going to be like next to impossible for me to do, or is receding the pistons in a 4-caliper system much easier?

Get the stupid tool.

The tool would probably make things a breeze, but I had no major difficulties pushing in the front pistons. For the rear, next time I'll probably just buy the stupid tool.

I've GOT the cube-looking "tool" from autozone to twist the calipers, but that's gonna be hard to use on the front where you can't probably fit the tool and the wrench inside the caliper.

you don't even need to take the calipers off. front pads are easy. they slide right out the front. you should be able to push the pistons back in with a little force with a screwdriver or something pressing against the rotors. if not. you need to rebuild them.

Doing the front pads is the easiest thing on the car, the rear is a little more difficult.

i just undo the bottom bolt and push the pistons in with a c clamp

Piece of cake on the front 4 piston. Remove pad clip. m springs, then pull out pad pins. I push 2 pistons in using the old pads, then remove pad and shims. Install new pad and shims, then start on the other pad.
The reason I do it this way, 'cause if you remove both pads and push in on 2 pistons, pistons on the other side come out. Reverse for installation of hardware.

Take the cap off the MC Turbonut. Should stop it from doing that.

worked good for me.. cept I can't get the FRIGGIN' ROTOR OFF BECAUSE OF THOSE STUPID SET SCREWS.. both of those bastards stripped.. now I'm drilling 'em out.. screw 'em.

You dont need to remove the calipers to change out the front pads! Just take off the retainer for the dowels holding in the pads and slide the pads out. Piece of cake. As far as pushing the pistons back in, you just pry on the old pads with a screwdriver while the are still in to push the pistons back in. Like said before, the front pads are one of the easiest things to do on the car.

autozone will have the cube tool for the rear brakes. before you take the front caliper off use a screwdriver and pry the rear brake pad on the rotor to push the pistons into the caliper. and those set screws, the tool for it is an impact driver, they got that at autozone too.

Ok so if youre rebuilding them, how do you get the pistons out? I don't have easy access to an air compressor where I am :(. Am I SOL?

After you remove the four bolts that hold the calipers together, you now ave two halves.
you can just get a set of channel lock(being careful) and get a good grip on them turn them in a circle from side to side to help loosen them up then pull straight up and they should come out...helps to have the calipers clamped down, as mine where hard to get out cause they had been sitting for a long time.

Aren't you not supposed to seperate the 2 sides of the caliper like that? I thought I read in the manual somewhere not to take those bolts off. Will doing that hurt anything or cause any problems?

i wouldnt, id be afraid of the channels in there for the brake fluid

be afraid of what? that they wouldn't line up right etc?

If no air compressor, try putting pieces of wood between the pistons and the rotor, leaving the one that is stuck open to move out. When brake depressed, the piston will move out from the pressure. Then move the wood around. I've always used air pressure with caliper off, but can't see why this wouldn't work.

after reading this thread i decided to finally do my front breaks........sooooo easy...... took me like 20 min, and thats jacking up the car and stuff. the only minor setback was, was trying to figure out how the stupid spring thing goes back in..... take a good mental pic before you take it apart. other than that.....there is absloutly no need to take off the caliber. the pads just slide out the back of it....as for the pistons... i just took some big ass flyers and pulled the pads away from the rotor.. and it was fine.