My offside (right-hand) rear caliper is due to be swapped after nearly setting my brake pads on fire the other day... 
The handbrake was not releasing, which I solved just by cleaning and lubricating the pivot... but while I was doing that I noticed that it also has a weeping seal, which I won't have time to faff about with just a couple of weekends until the beast has to be MOT'd.
So, I've ordered a new caliper... but just out of curiosity I'm wondering if someone can confirm which way to wind in the piston if I need to. If I'm looking at the piston, with the caliper mounted to it's bracket, does it wind in by turning it clockwise (i.e. "the same direction as the wheel")?
And if so... just as an aside... then I presume the nearside (left-hand) one winds in by being turned anti-clockwise?
Usually the new calipers I've fitted have always been "pre-set"... and just needed a bit of winding in to make them fit... but the new one may not be pre-set so would need metaphorical "winding out" until the pad seats onto the disc.
Now, I know you don't actually wind pistons "out" unless you want to damage the calipers... so what's the procedure? I've seen "just pump the brake pedal"... but also in the recesses of "What I learned on Forums" I vaguely remember someone saying this is NOT how to do it...
Is there a proper way to get a new, wound fully "in" calpier piston seated onto a disc... or is it "just pump the pedal"?
Ralf S.
The handbrake was not releasing, which I solved just by cleaning and lubricating the pivot... but while I was doing that I noticed that it also has a weeping seal, which I won't have time to faff about with just a couple of weekends until the beast has to be MOT'd.
So, I've ordered a new caliper... but just out of curiosity I'm wondering if someone can confirm which way to wind in the piston if I need to. If I'm looking at the piston, with the caliper mounted to it's bracket, does it wind in by turning it clockwise (i.e. "the same direction as the wheel")?
And if so... just as an aside... then I presume the nearside (left-hand) one winds in by being turned anti-clockwise?
Usually the new calipers I've fitted have always been "pre-set"... and just needed a bit of winding in to make them fit... but the new one may not be pre-set so would need metaphorical "winding out" until the pad seats onto the disc.
Now, I know you don't actually wind pistons "out" unless you want to damage the calipers... so what's the procedure? I've seen "just pump the brake pedal"... but also in the recesses of "What I learned on Forums" I vaguely remember someone saying this is NOT how to do it...
Is there a proper way to get a new, wound fully "in" calpier piston seated onto a disc... or is it "just pump the pedal"?
Ralf S.
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