Over the weekend my friend and I were replacing all of the break pads for the front and rear (we only had time for the rear). So I bought hawk hps all around we began the work on the rear etc etc. As we took off the old solid rotors and put in the drilled and slotted, removed the old break pads and put in the hawk hps. The caliper would not close in fully we tried to figure it out and we were just cursing at the thing for hours Anyways, strange thing is we put the old pads on and the caliper closed fully with no problems. I've already done searching and I have found a similar problem like mine but it did not give me a definite solution. That is pretty much my question on how can I have the caliper close fully with the hawk pads?

 

Did you move the piston back into the caliper?

The rear brakes you have to spin them back in clockwise I believe.

And if you did, I am assuming you didn't go from solid rear disks to vented?

 

from what i have read (dont know from experiance) but the non-vented rear break rotors arent as thick, and if your old rotors were non-vented and the new drilled/slotted rotors are for the vented rear it wont fit. you said that the old pads did fit, that could just be because they are worn down enough that it clears the rotor, so you might need to buy the calipers for the vented system to use the new rotors.

 

I did spin the piston back with the specialized tool but it didn't go all the way back. I assume that would be the problem... Any solution?

 

Actually, i did compare the vented/slotted rotor to the old non vented rotors (i eyeballed the sized between). If you say that i need new calipers for the rears then I guess that might be it... And I just looked up in mazdatrix for rear calipers for vented rotors. It's damn expensive and I am a poor FC owner

 

it'd be a lot cheaper to just buy some used ones off of someone on here or a junk yard (maybe $50-$75) then buy the caliper rebuild kit from mazdatrix for $39.25. a little sand blasting and work. definatly cheaper then $195.19 for the factory rebuilt ones from mazdatrix. but if the rotors matched up pretty close, you shouldn't need new calipers.

 

another thing to check, i read that there is a small peg on the back of the brake pad must go into the recessed part of the piston face, if its not the rotor wont fit between the pads.

 

I'll will have to check up on that. Thanks for the advice!

 

Rebuilt Rear Calipers from CarQuest are $120 a piece I think.

 

So if I'm understanding this right I will need different calipers if i wanted to use drilled/slotted/drilled and slotted rotors?

 

When screwing in the rear caliper piston, make sure that when it is all the way in the two pie shaped intentation on the piston are virtical - so the piston looks like an "H" when you look at it. Then the little peg on the back of the pad will just fit into one of those recessed pies. Also be sure that your parking brake is off!

 

You need a special tool to recess the pistons back into the caliper. Go down to the auto parts store and tell the clerk your problem. They'll be able to help you out. I only say that 'cause I forgot the name of the tool.

 

You need the bigger calipers if you are going from a non-vented disk to a vented disk.

 

I got them. Can't wait to put these babies in this weekend.

 

If the piston doesn't go all the way in it is probably seized.

And FWIW autozone sells reman calipers for $152. $52 for the core. So about $100.

I just replaced one last weekend.

James

 

Yes. My advice was more of a "what to do" once he got the bigger calipers, and needed to fit the pads into them.

 

CRAP!!! I meant to quote the one above your post.

I lose.

 

I think one of the calipers I was working on is seized but its alright now that I got another pair of calipers that go with the rotors. All I need to do is to rebuild them.