G'day thrillseekers. Need a bit of advice here.

Whenever I overhaul my brake calipers, I have a lot of trouble with the dust boot. i just can't seem to get the boot into the groove in the caliper body, especially at the rear, while I am putting the piston back in.

Any body have any suggestions or solutions that work?

Cheers

are you trying to fit the piston into the calliper with the boot already in calliper,or with the dust boot on the piston,from memory it works better with it on the piston going in to calliper

as said boot on piston,grease the piston with rubber grease,fit the boot in to the recess and look all round to make sure its fitted,i use both thumbs to push the piston in,wiggle it slightly to start on the seal and it will push in easy.make sure the front pistons are perfectly clean,the chrome pits and peels-get new ones,the rears are aluminium and ok,change the brake fluid in the system-flush out wear rubbish and water thats accumilated.

The main problem I have is keeping the boot in the groove as I push the piston in. I usualy put the boot onto the piston, pull it down the piston about 1/2 waystetch it a bit and try to get the boot into the groove in the caliper. What usualy happens is the boot comes out of the groove, particularly at the "rear" of the caliper (where the caliper body "folds over"the top) and frustrates the buggery out of me!

I have tried putting the boot in first, and trying to slide the piston through it, but that doesn't seem to work.

I guess persistence is the answer. I generaly have a spare caliper kit in case I put a hole in the dust boot when I try to push it in with a screw driver or something stupid like that .

before you try again,have a good look at the groove and lip in the front,the lip rusts and get bigger and the groove can rust also,clean the groove so it looks like new,clean the front lip so theres no rust,clean the rubbish out of bore-very clean use metho,try the boot to see if it fits,then assemble it-----may take a few tries

You need to beadblast the grooves in the caliper bore to get the rust/corossion out. You fit the O'ring ( dry ), then grease it up with either silicone grease or silicone caliper assembly lube.
Then fit the dust boot to the piston, lube the lip of the boot that goes in the groove, with silicone lube ( like oil ), then as you fit the boot lip into the groove, use a small, blunt flat screwdriver to assist in getting the boot in the groove.
When you think you have it all in the groove, twist the piston around, dragging the boot around. This will show if you have it all in the groove.
Then start to push the piston in the bore.
Once it is started, use the small screwdriver to pry the top of the boot out, and put a little of the silicone lube in there, as this helps the rubber slide over the piston.
Then push the piston in tiil nearly seated, then pry the boot out to let out the trapped air between the piston and boot.
Then push it home, place a block of wood in the caliper, so as to let it ( the piston) have a little travel, fit the bleeder nipple, and apply compressed air to the caliper, and check how the boot unfolds as the piston comes out to the wood, then push the piston back in, it should be easier than before.
The compressed air also lets you know if you have pinched the O'ring too.

I know these aren't Ford calipers, but you get the idea. They must be spotless for trouble free assembly & operation.
I also use the silicone grease for the caliper slides too.

 

 

Attachments:

Lance's P76 rotors for AUII ABS tone wheels 07 009.jpg [ 418.27 KiB | Viewed 125 times ]

Lance's P76 rotors for AUII ABS tone wheels 07 038.jpg [ 458.81 KiB | Viewed 151 times ]

Lance's P76 rotors for AUII ABS tone wheels 07 039.jpg [ 440.69 KiB | Viewed 112 times ]

Lance's P76 rotors for AUII ABS tone wheels 07 053.jpg [ 567 KiB | Viewed 146 times ]