i recently purchased a replacement set of front and rear brake pads for my 93 240. i replaced the front ones fine, but the back ones are giving me hell and im wondering if anyone is familiar with my situation. the pistons on the rear calipers are not compressing (pushing in) at all. i am using a 6" c-clamp and they are not budging!!! the front pistons compressed fine just like the ones on my old sentra. is anyone familiar with what's going on?! let me know so my rear brakes stop grinding and skeaking (its pretty embarrasing)! thanks.
Do you have ABS? If so a special tool specifically designed to "screw" the caliper in rather then compress it in is necessary. My 95 240 has ABS, and the rear piston has some cut-outs of sort along the edge of the piston. The tool(which can be picked up at an auto parts store) literally fits into those cut-outs like a puzzle, allowing you to screw the piston back in. The tool uses the opposite side of the caliper to apply the force while you twist. If this still does not work, you may have a frozen piston. In that case, the piston will have to be replaced.
I am under the assumption that it has to do with having ABS. Does the rear piston has those cut-outs I was talking about? Whether you have ABS or not, that tool will most likely be what you need.
yeah the rear piston has those cutouts, and ive already fixed everything......still dont know if i have abs or not.....im looking to order rotors, and they have them for my car for either abs cars or non-abs...need to find a way to know for sure.
Its pretty easy actually. When it rains next, just apply the brakes hard. If the rear just locks up and you skid, you don't have ABS. If you hit the brakes hard and the brake pedal itself begins to pulse, you have ABS.
Don't know about the 240SXs in the US, but the cars here have an ABS box under the bonnet (hood) towards the firewall on the left hand side. I suppose in the US, if the same exists, it would be on the right. Anyway, it looks like a box made from cut aluminum with lines running in and out of it. That's what it is for the GT-Rs. I don't have ABS in my 180, which is fine since I don't want it anyway.
LOL....yes that would be the SAFER way to find out! Thanks Kenji, totally forgot about that. Yes if you open your hood, the ABS sending unit will be on your left hand side back by the firewall. Its gray with a bunch of ABS lines coming out of it.
240sx rear caliper troubles!
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