So I had to remove my rear brake calipers and figured it would be a straight forward deal. Removed the wheels, removed the two small bolts at the slide shafts, and expected the calipers to lift right off. They didn't ..

I finally figured out that the two "nibs" that Ford found necessary to put on the back of the brake pads were not allowing the caliper pistons to clear the pads. Two options ... C-Clamp to compress the pistons or pry bar. Well, I didn't have a C-Clamp that big so I chose the pry bar.

First one came out with just some minor cuts on the caliper piston surface. Second one required a bit more effort & the process took a hunk out of the caliper piston surface (where it meets the pad).

Take a look at the pic ... does this = Reman Caliper? Or, can I just run this way?

 

i'd be worried about that piston cracking.. esp under heat..

i'd go with a new caliper at this point just for peace of mind.

p.s. next time try to have someone pumping the brakes on and off while u tap on teh caliper with the bolts off..it would prolly have helped loosen it up to the point you could have just removed it.

 

I'm with the fanatic on this one.

It's damaged. Bad engine parts may leave you stranded, bad brakes can kill you.

Replace it!

 

tisk tisk, a c-clamp is less expensive than a new caliper.........

 

I'd go with a new caliper as well. When I pull my brakes I just remove both the caliper and mounting bracket at the same time. Then separate them once their off.

 

Yes a new caliper is in order.

 

New Calipers, party of 2, your table is ready.

 

C-Clamp $6.99, breaking caliper W/O proper tools = Priceless

Parts List
(1) Caliper
(2) C-Clamp!!!!!

 

lets see now all you really needed was enough clearance to slide caliper and pads off the rotor. why did you use so much force. a gentle pry, even a med/large flat screwdriver between the rotor and pad will do the job. once the caliper is off you have all kinds of room to remove the pads

 

The calipers wouldn't come off ... even though the service manual said to not pry against the piston, I did try that ... but it still would not clear the metal "nib" (which I was not expecting to be there).

Of all the brakes I've ever did, the back of the pads have always been smooth. I was not expecting a metal spike to be there, my best guess was it was being held in by corrosion and a "pry" would free it. I have a clamp for installing calipers; never had to use anything to remove one.

Nonetheless ... off to the parts store I go.

 

Had the same problem. Always change the brakes on all my trucks myself. Have a 2006 Ford F250, bought it 14 mths ago. Brakes have been fine. Just had it inspected last month.

This past week I noticed the brakes were dragging when I wasnt on the brakes, and weren't when I was on the brakes.

First time I've had to do the brakes on this truck.

Take off the passenger side rear, and the top of the piston is broken away like in your pic. Only in more spots. Like teeth.

Take off the driver side and the piston looks like someone smashed it with a sledgehammer.

On both it was the bottom piston - opposite the OP's.

Got on here to see who else has had this problem because I have never heard of or seen a piston just destroyed like this.

I don't abuse my trucks. Just for my construction business and farm. Pull some trailers (farm tractors, bobcat) once in awhile. Nothing extreme. Same as I do other trucks. This is the only one that the piston just crumbled.

 

Bahh, I did the same thing to my Jeep WITH a C-Clamp.

On my Jeep though, it only took enough off that it put a small chamfer on the outside edge. Didn't go all the way through like yours. I'd replace yours before driving it.

 

I always use a small flat board between the clamp and the caliper when I do mine. Ford owners watch out when you try to compress calipers.....you need a special tool (free for use at Auto Zone (with refundable deposit). The caliper has to be rotated and pressed in at the same time!!!

 

I have never rotated the caliper piston to retract nor use any special tool. On the caliper removal , I use a small but strong screwdriver and pry between the outboard pad and the rotor. These trucks do not use a screw type piston so no special tools required.Once the caliper is off ,I clamp the brake line and open the bleeder and use a large channel locks with the old pad on the pistons.Sometimes a c-clamp is needed but most times not. The reason for clamping the line and opening up the bleeder is that the old fluid and contaminates are not forced back into the system. One major thing I do is to make sure the pad is greases with caliper lube were it contacts the hardware because if the pads dont move freely, the slides will lock up and it will eat up one side of the pad. With over 40 trucks in our fleet (mostly plow only trucks average 500-600 miles per year) I go through the brakes every fall.

 

What are you doing with contaminants in your brake fluid? You're probably doing more damage by crushing pressure lines than by pushing fluid back through the system... If you're that sure that the fluid is bad, just replace the caliper and bleed it until clear.

The easiest way to compress calipers is to just use the old pads as a press block, and then compress with the c-clamp.