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Best Rear Brake Piston Tool

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Hogan773

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
What do you guys find is the best tool to screw back the rear caliper piston with the "+" sign in it? I feel like I used a big screwdriver, or maybe I took a pair of needlenose pliers to act as two "prongs" to get into one of the grooves, and then stick a screwdriver between the handle to create a "handle" to twist it. Can't recall, but somehow I did it two years ago without a special tool. I know this could be risky if you slip and the pliers scrape the piston boot or something. Maybe I just took the long screwdriver and sort of pulled it to rotate the piston.

Now that I am putting in another order for some brake stuff for my other Honda, thinking if I should invest in a tool. At my rate I will probably be using it once every 4-5 years or so.


Cube? Like the Lisle 28600? https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-28600-...Lisle-28600-Disc-Brake-Piston/dp/B0002SQUFY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Seems like a low-cost way to get a tool, but some people complain that it slips and it is awkward to try to turn it while keeping pressure on the piston too so it doesn't slip off

Full set like this? https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-20733A...ool+kit&linkCode=sl1&tag=floorjacked-20&linkId=7e81ed04041534830c71d7dfa9bc52b4

Seems better although also seems like overkill since I just need one of the heads. Yes I guess in the future I MIGHT buy something other than a Honda but who knows? So to get this whole thing in the plastic case etc to use once every 4 years?

Other good options I'm missing? I know you can "rent" at Advance Auto etc and basically you are just buying one of those big kits like #2 above, and then you have 90 days to return it for full refund. I guess no reason I couldn't just do that, but takes a back and forth trip to the store. So I spend some time and gas money to borrow a set.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
DrD said:
Did Honda switch to a threaded piston in the rear at some point? The piston in the rear calipers for my 05 is a standard push it back in with your fingers or a clamp design.
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Someone else had said that the brakes on 98s-17s are all the same so I don't know. From what I've seen all Honda REAR brakes are the "+" style that screws back in rather than just push
 
#6 ·
Hogan773 said:
Someone else had said that the brakes on 98s-17s are all the same so I don't know. From what I've seen all Honda REAR brakes are the "+" style that screws back in rather than just push
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Maybe on the cars (Civic/Accord)? Our 05 van definitely doesn't have the threaded pistons - they have standard pistons, and the e-brake is the drum style brake in the hat of the rotor. (I was curious if maybe they did something different for the touring, but they only show one type in the service manual, too)
 
#7 ·
The screw in pistons are used when the parking brake is part of the caliper. When that is the case you need a tool to screw the pistons in. I've used a simple pair of needle nose pliers on those before. I do have a cube type tool that goes on the end of a 3/8" ratchet extension that has 6 different sets of ears for various caliper models and I did use that the last time I had one in.

The Odyssey has a drum brake style parking brake so it does not have these screw-in style calipers. You can simply push them in as normal.

I did do a rear brake job on a 97 Ford Probe a while back that actually had an allen head bolt, under another bolt, on the back of the caliper that had to be turned in order to retract the caliper. It also had the parking brake as part of the caliper.
 
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Discussion starter · #11 ·
John Clark said:
The screw in pistons are used when the parking brake is part of the caliper. When that is the case you need a tool to screw the pistons in. I've used a simple pair of needle nose pliers on those before. I do have a cube type tool that goes on the end of a 3/8" ratchet extension that has 6 different sets of ears for various caliper models and I did use that the last time I had one in.

The Odyssey has a drum brake style parking brake so it does not have these screw-in style calipers. You can simply push them in as normal.

I did do a rear brake job on a 97 Ford Probe a while back that actually had an allen head bolt, under another bolt, on the back of the caliper that had to be turned in order to retract the caliper. It also had the parking brake as part of the caliper.
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Ohh then silly me. That is why I don't remember having an issue screwing them in, because on my Odyssey apparently they weren't the screw in type! Sorry guys. I will ask the question over on the Accord place.
 
#12 ·
Hogan773 said:
Ohh then silly me. That is why I don't remember having an issue screwing them in, because on my Odyssey apparently they weren't the screw in type! Sorry guys. I will ask the question over on the Accord place.
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I replaced the rear brakes on my daughter's Accord EX a few weeks ago. I used the tool below because I had it for a previous car but I could have spun it in with almost anything that fit in the groove. It really was easy to screw in to compress unlike the Audi the tool was bought for.

https://www.harborfreight.com/disc-brake-pad-and-caliper-service-tool-kit-11-pc-63264.html
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
OdyinNH said:
I replaced the rear brakes on my daughter's Accord EX a few weeks ago. I used the tool below because I had it for a previous car but I could have spun it in with almost anything that fit in the groove. It really was easy to screw in to compress unlike the Audi the tool was bought for.

https://www.harborfreight.com/disc-brake-pad-and-caliper-service-tool-kit-11-pc-63264.html
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Thanks

Amazon has a bunch of these kits and they are like 16-20 bucks. They all look the same and probably are. I might watch and pick up one on a Warehouse deal or something, just for the convenience of not having to make 2 trips to an Autozone to borrow one and return it, especially when I'm not likely to be buying anything from them in the way of rotors or pads. Only reason I hesitate is that I might be doing this rear brake job ONCE (if at all) depending on how quickly the rears wear down. Right now at this pace it might be another couple years before they get so low, as long as I keep them serviced and freed up. So maybe best to just wait until the time that I actually know I am doing the job, and then either get a loaner set from a store or buy one. Does seem like I could easily stick a flat piece of metal in that groove and just turn it. Perhaps putting a spanner wrench in there would fit and could turn it. If the edges of the wrench are too rounded it might not work. Could also imagine taking some needlenose pliers and then taking a screwdriver through the handle of the pliers and using it to turn like a T-corkscrew. I'll bet that would work too
 
#14 ·
Yeah, I could have used just about anything on that Accord but I had the proper tool...lol. The ones you list are quite a bit cheaper but as often happens, we did not have time to wait for something to be shipped when the Audi needed brakes so off to HF we went.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
OdyinNH said:
Yeah, I could have used just about anything on that Accord but I had the proper tool...lol. The ones you list are quite a bit cheaper but as often happens, we did not have time to wait for something to be shipped when the Audi needed brakes so off to HF we went.
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Yes I was quite surprised to see HF so expensive on that item. Usually I think of HF as having super-low prices on stuff so I would have thought their kit would be around $20 too. Of course they always have the 20% coupon so that helps a little
 
#16 ·
Hogan773 said:
Thanks

...snip...I might watch and pick up one on a Warehouse deal or something, just for the convenience of not having to make 2 trips to an Autozone to borrow one and return it, ...snip...
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You could do what I did:

I borrowed it and didn't return it. I forget the price ($30?) well over 10 years ago. Once I realized how well it worked and that it has adapters for all sorts of cars, I decided to keep it. I've used it on Fords, Hondas, Mitsubishis, etc. Push in and Screw in styles. Well worth the $30.
 
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#17 ·
Hogan773 said:
Ohh then silly me. That is why I don't remember having an issue screwing them in, because on my Odyssey apparently they weren't the screw in type! Sorry guys. I will ask the question over on the Accord place.
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that video I shoed you did come from an accord, if you follow it or just watch the time mark I wrote down you can see how I twisted it off
 
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