[ROVERNET - UK] 3500S rear caliper

[roger.matheson at bigpond.com]

I think removal is a better proposition because your problem may return with the next change of pads even if you freed up the piston short term.  Perhaps you mean you pulled the axles off the disks and not the shafts out of the diff.  In this case with the left rear wheel off and the axle hanging down, it is not too hard to remove the disk and calliper working mainly from the side rarther than underneath the car.  ( a major advantage) The last time I did this job was to fix a faulty ajuster.  As I recall it is not too hard to undo the handbrake linkage, and the main locating pin from this position.  With the calliper free but still connected to its hose it is possible to remove the calliper cover to investigate problems therin.  I assume that the piston has become stuck on old grease, and sludge on its rubber seal.  With the cover off you can (hopefully) unscrew the female part of the piston right out of the calliper by jamming the male part of the piston now exposed in the mechanism.  Clean it in petrol and compressed air (with particular attention to the threads.  Clean the threads of the male side of the piston and the seal still in the calliper, with a dry toothbrush washed out as required in petrol and dried before re use.  With the components clean apply some recomended calliper greese to the seal and screw the female bit fully on to ensure there is no fault in the threads. All going well remove and lubricate the threads with greese.  You should be able to screw the piston in without the ajuster clicking over.  If not the problems will remain and you need to overhaul the calliper.  Taking the calliper off means that it is cost effective to replace the piston seals, clean lubricate check the bore for pits/ re sleave if necessary.  If this is necessary consider that the drivers side may be basically in the same condition etc etc (gasp/hope/pray).  Reassemble.  Fit new pads (to both sides) , half shafts etc.  With the handbrake mechanism still diconected, turn the operating lever manually listening for the sound of the ajuster cliking over as the male thread turns in the female counterpart thereby removing excess space between the pad and the disk.  No clicking is bad news and spells doom for the corrct operation of the calliper.  In such a case, remove and recondition.  Succesful automatic ajustment will sound like Christmas bells or New year fireworks or both.  Fully reassembled check that the handbrake works well.  Test drive and brake heavily.  Tyre squeel from the front may suggest rear brakes are still not working.  Etc ETc let us know how it went.  Happy New Year  
---- Bill Robertson <rover2000nut at hotmail.com> wrote: 
> I've pulled the half shafts out and getting a look at the rear brakes 
> .........i was hoping to just clean the rotors up and put new pads on but the 
> passenger side piston does not want to turn back into the 
> caliper............i guess it was too much to hope that i wouldn't have to 
> remove and rebuild the caliper.....has anyone any suggestions other than the 
> rebuild
> 
> Bill Robertson
> 
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