Brake caliber installation - 1993 Buick Century

Heres what you will need to do this type of job. First you will need a rachet and metric sockets with an extention if available. Also you will need somthing to press the caliber piston back into place a special tool or some kind of press would work . A plastic auto hammer to knock the rotors loose, somtimes they can be difficult to remove. Pliers would be needed as well as a screw driver to help mount the caliber or pads back into place. One thing to keep in mind is that if you indeed are replacing the rear rotors, it is recommended to get new pads as well. This is for the reason that old pads will cause break sqealing since they are not surfaced perfectly straight for the new rotor. Step one will be to get the caliber of the vehicle so if there is a medal clip on one of the studs just use the pliers to rip it off. Then use the rachet to remove two bolts holding the caliber. After you remove those bolts, there should be another two bolts holding the caliber bracket as well, do the same procedure in removing those. IMPORTANT do not let the caliber hang by the brake cable, put it on a stand or in a location where it is not free fall hanging. Now you should just have the rotor left, try pulling on it to see if it breaks loose, if not then use your plastic hammer to bang in the back of the rotor and knock it loose that way. If I remember correclty those rear rotors will have brake shoes underneath. Do not wory about those they are there for your emergency brakes. Now put the new rotor on and make sure it is securley installed on the wheel hub. Install you'r bracket first, then begine to install your caliber back into place. NOTE the caliber may not install to easy onto the rotor for the reason that you will need to compress the piston inside with either the special tool or some type of press. If you compress it and you hear brake fluid dripping down, it is nothing to worry about, its just the fluid being pushed back by pressure. Install the caliber and pads the same way as removal paying close attention to the other side if your not sure of how the originally were installed. When all this is finished look up brake bleading on YOUTUBE.com to accurately bleed your brakes and remove any air inside that may cause spongy or moister inside your brake lines.

Hope this Helps!

First thing to check is the slide pins on the calibers. Make sure they are clean and free of any rust. If not, replace them. If they are not rusty then clean & lubricate them with a very small amount of grease. Your brake system on this vehicle is 20 years old. Have you ever changed the brake fluid? If you are like most people the answer is no. I recommend you flush the entire brake system and install fresh DOT3 fluid. Look closely at the flexible brake hoses that connect to the caliber. They may be collapsing and I recommend you replace them on a 20 year old vehicle. I would also recommend you replace the calibers on the front. With new calibers, brake lines, and fresh fluid you should have great brakes. If you still have the problem replace the master cylinder.

Jack up car, remove the wheels, take out the two retaing bolts on the brake caliber, slide caliber up off brake disc, remove old brake pad, use a C-Clamp or big pair of Channel locks to compress the piston in to the brake caliber, Insert new brake pads onto caliber, slide brake caliber back over brake disc, reinstall the 2 retaining bolts. put tire back on. Repeat this till you have replaced all pads that you are going to change. ***Caution.. Before putting the car in gear, crank it up and pump the brake pedal till you have a firm brake pedal. If you fell to do this you will have no brakes due to the pistons on the calibers are compressed and are not seated on the discs.

loosen lug nuts. jack car up. Take wheel off. take the 2 bolts out of caliber. then remove the caliber from rotor and then remove the brake pads. push back piston with piston pushing tool. insert new brakes into caliber and return the caliber onto the rotor. put the 2 bolts back in and return wheel by tightining in a star order and you are now ready to roll

To remove the front disc brakes , you must remove the break caliber assembly . Keep in mind that on some brake calipers a special Torx Drive T40 or T45 must be used to remove the caliber bolts from the spindle assembly . Also , Allen (Hex) bolts are sometimes used . Be sure you have the right tools .
1. Properly block both rear wheels at the front in the back of each wheel.
2. Loosen the lug nuts on both front wheels one turn on each nut.
3.Jack up and support the front of the car on Jack stands with the wheels one to 2in. off the ground.
4. Remove the two bolts on the inside of the caliber the secure it to the spindle .
5.Once the bolts have been removed the caliber should pull straight away from the rotor and spindle assembly .
6.Remove your old brake pads , clean the assembly , properly lubricate the moving parts as necessary , especially the floating sleeve as the assembly is called a floating caliber which means half of the Caliper is bolted to the spindle (inner) but the other half floats (outer).
7.Use a large see clamp centered between the caliper piston and caliper housing to push the piston all the way back into the caliber cylinder by turing (1 turn at a time) the screw until the piston is flush with the caliber face .
8. Install your new brake pads .
9. use the reverse procedure to assemble everything back together. Good luck and be safe....

Thats how I have done it on 2006 250. No C clamp.

Raise and secure on stands after breaking loose the lug nuts and parking brake on for front pads.. Remove wheels and spread old pads back to push cylinders back in their bores on calibers to allow for thickness of new pads. Remove the 2 sliding claiber retaining bolts and rotate caliber out of mount and secure with wire, boungie cord, or rope to take weight of caliber brake hose. Remove old pads, install new, and reassemble in reverse order. Lugs on alloy wheel should be torgued to 95 foot lbs. Block front wheels, release parking brake,and do the back ones the same way. After completing, pump brake pedal slowly several times to seat new pads. If you move the MPV without pumping first, you will have no brakes to stop. If brake fluid level is high in master cylinder, you will need to take some out first to make room for returning fluid from caliber pistons being returned to their bores prior to any brake work. Rotors should be replaced or turned if scored or warped to have better clapping of pads to rotor surface.

You can sometime just pull it off but sometimes you will need to take a screwdriver and push the brake pad back on the caliber piston side. This will force the piston back and allow you to remove the caliber. After you remove it you will need to compress the caliber piston fully back in order to allow room the install the new pads and get them back on the rotor. Sometimes you can fully compress it while the caliber is still installed. On some vehicles like Honda you need a special tool in order to compress the caliber. Most auto parts stores will lend you the tool if you buy the pads from them. Be sure and loosen the master cylinder fill cap to allow the brake fluid to expand in the master cylinder. Clean everything off with spray brake cleaner before installing the new pads and clean the new pads throughly. Be sure and install pads in pairs. Do both front wheels or both back wheels not just one.

jack the truck up and take the passangers tire off. look behind the rotor you should see 2 bolts holding the caliber on to the rotor. loosen those and take them out. from there you should be able pull up on the caliber this will take the caliber and pads off together. take the pads out of the caliber and install the new ones .

BECAREFUL not to twist or bend the caliber to much or you will bend the brake line.....

once you have installed the new brake pads in the caliber. put the caliber back on the rotor. if they will not fit release the bleader valve to release the pressure. than you should be able to slid the caliber back onto the rotor. once you have done that close the bleader valve. reinstall the 2 bolts to hold the caliber in place. put your tie back one. Follow these steps for the other side.

now once that is done. you might want to blead the front breaks.
what you do is have someone help you. fill the brake resiviour with brake fliud. than start your truck.
Have someone in the cab to press the brake. What you want to do is turn the wheel so you can get to the bleader valve. once you can get to it open it up. have the person in the cab other truck press the brake until you see a steady flow of brake fluid coming out of the caliber. once you see that have the pseron press the brake once more and hold it to the floor.
close the bleader valve.

now do the same thing on the other side. But, make sure you check your resivour fluid first.
This is to make sure you don't have any air in the lines. after you are done with both side put it in gear and hit the brake make sure you stop......... If that works go about half the block down and hit the brake again to make sure you stop......
once you have done that and are comfortable with the way the truck stops than ou are good to go and now know how to change the brakes for future refrence..... be aware the back brakes are diffrent.........

let me know when you are ready for the back brakes.
do not blead the front ones if ou intend to do the back brakes afterwarwords......

if you are only doing the front brakes you must blead the the passanger side first......... if you do not have the bolts holding your caliber on than you will have a pin the you will take a hammer to and knock it out that will release them....

jack the truck up and take the passangers tire off. look behind the rotor you should see 2 bolts holding the caliber on to the rotor. loosen those and take them out. from there you should be able pull up on the caliber this will take the caliber and pads off together. take the pads out of the caliber and install the new ones .

BECAREFUL not to twist or bend the caliber to much or you will bend the brake line.....

once you have installed the new brake pads in the caliber. put the caliber back on the rotor. if they will not fit release the bleader valve to release the pressure. than you should be able to slid the caliber back onto the rotor. once you have done that close the bleader valve. reinstall the 2 bolts to hold the caliber in place. put your tie back one. Follow these steps for the other side.

now once that is done. you might want to blead the front breaks.
what you do is have someone help you. fill the brake resiviour with brake fliud. than start your truck.
Have someone in the cab to press the brake. What you want to do is turn the wheel so you can get to the bleader valve. once you can get to it open it up. have the person in the cab other truck press the brake until you see a steady flow of brake fluid coming out of the caliber. once you see that have the pseron press the brake once more and hold it to the floor.
close the bleader valve.

now do the same thing on the other side. But, make sure you check your resivour fluid first.
This is to make sure you don't have any air in the lines. after you are done with both side put it in gear and hit the brake make sure you stop......... If that works go about half the block down and hit the brake again to make sure you stop......
once you have done that and are comfortable with the way the truck stops than ou are good to go and now know how to change the brakes for future refrence..... be awar the back brakes are diffrent.........