Hi, Sorry for yet another rear caliper thread. I am just rebuilding the rear calipers - all going well, currently stripped & cleaned and l am about to put them back together. However, I am worried about the refitting of the piston dust boot and its retaining spring; I just ripped the original boots off and prised out the springs as per the how-to (which kind of glosses over the details of the replacement!) Does anybody have any tips re the refitting of the boot? Do you do it with the piston in place and wound fully in? Or can you fit it and then slip the piston through it? Do you fit the spring int the boot first or try to thread it in once the boot is in place? I am more used to Land Rover calipers which don't have these refinements (but do have more pistons).
The order which worked for me was this.
Piston removed
New boot
Insert spring
Insert piston - stretch boot over using a fine screwdriver with a long blunt shaft. You could use some brake fluid to lubricate the boot for this bit.
Work the boot upwards as the piston is screwed inwards (in stages) the inner lip of the boot should ride upwards as the piston retracts.
Good luck
Ah Ok I can visualise that, thanks. Just trying to avoid rending of rubberware, nobody wants that. :( Nigel
Mods: Sorry,I should have posted this in the Maintenance section.
Just to complete this if anyone needs it, I had success fitting the piston first, pretty much as far down as it would go, then putting the boot over it, using a small blunt screwdriver to help it over the top of the piston, and finally fitting the spring. It's one of those jobs that seems very fiddly the first time but isn't so bad.