1988 subaru brakes

Some people push them in with C-Clamps, but I am pretty sure that is not recommended as the shaft can bend. Sometimes, when I can't swing the caliper out of the way because it is holding the pads on too tight, I carefully use a C-Clamp across the caliper just to relieve the pressure enough so the it can be moved.

Once you have the caliper clear, use this tool: it looks like a little cube with tabs on each surface. These tabs correspond to the tabs in your caliper piston (since a cube has 6 surfaces, there are 6 different configurations. One will fit your model). You put a wrench into the square hole in the middle of the cube surface and turn clockwise to turn the caliper in.

Here's a picture of the tool:

Not sure the '88 is the same, but the '82 my son had as his first car required the pistons to be screwed in. If so, you'll see the cast depressions in the face. CW to screw in, IIRC. No amount of pressure with a squeezing tool budged it a micron

Hi,

If your '88 uses the same calipers as my '90 Loyale 4wd (US version of your car), there's a "special" tool shown in my Haynes book used to screw the pistons back into the calipers. It looked strangely familiar: the local hardware store sells a perfect copy as a manual lawn sprinkler valve key!

As others have said, if you have the "screw in" pistons, don't just jam a C-clamp on the piston.

Rick

When we did it, our "special tool" was the tip of long-nose pliers! Y'all watch this!

Mike

Aughhh!!!! That's a FORD tool! Used 'em on a Lincoln once... worked just fine! ;)

Rick

Don't attempt to use a C-clamp. The pistons have to be screwed in. A dull chisel has worked for me in the past.

But on a Ford ya have to use a pipe wrench to turn the long-noses. That means ya have to set yer beer down or have yer buddy holt on to it.

do i have to push the handbrake lever in so the worm screw will bite in? i tryed with an old caliper with out doing that didn`t work that well.

Michael Pardee wrote:

That's what beer hats are for. :)

You're already at the edge of my experience, but no - we just started turning. bgd's post may help you more than I can at this stage.

Mike

Hi,

The handbrake must be released first so the piston can be screwed in--is that the question? Afterwards it may take a series of "apply the handbrake then release it" cycles to get the handbrake readjusted on some cars, though I don't recall my Subie requiring it.

Rick

yip that it is. i tryed on an old caliper and was screwing it clock wise for ages and it didn`t go in at all. also the caliper was not on the car when i tryed. this is my very first subie and im lost on how to fix it and don`t have a workshop manaul for it.