New Chrysler Back Brakes?!

[1989 Eliminator]

So I was attempting to do a simple brake job on a 2009 town and country for a friend and I could not believe how hard the back brakes were. The issue I was having was not being able to push the piston back in the caliper. I tried a C-clamp, prying it, loosening the bleeder screw then trying both again. Nothing. That piston was not moving. I was scratching my head on this one. So I thought Id do a little research.... Comes to find out that modern technology has changed a few things. The back brakes are disc brakes on this van but for a safety feature when the hydraulic system fails, the mechanical emergency brakes still work. How the mechanical brakes works is when the emergency brakes are applied, the pedal pulls the cable which then TURNS and PUSHES the piston outward to compress the brakes. So to re-compress the piston, you need a special calpier piston tool you can get from the auto part store that turns and pushes the piston back in.

 

I have NEVER heard of this before and thought id share with you guys.

[onlyinajeep726]

Got to love Chrysler...  Glad my sh*t is AMC haha.

[Pete M]

yeah, my dad learned that the hard way too. :doh:

[FrankTheDog]

Isn't that how the Cadillac Seville brakes work from the seventies?

They're basically a 1/2 ton truck caliper with a lever on the back that cams the ebrakes into position.

Not sure how they work exactly.

[Automan2164]

This isn't a Chrysler thing... This has been on tons of stuff since the '70's or '80's. My super and I were reminiscing about it while I was doing the rear brakes on a '13 Ford Police Interceptor with said calipers the other day.

 

Rob

[dasbulliwagen]

You don't need a special tool, but it sure does help. if you can find something that will push the piston in while at the same time allowing you to screw it back in you should be able to get this done. I have done it before with only a pair of needle nose pliers with the points in opposing slots on the piston while pushing in on it and turning it in at the same time. This screw action takes up for wear in the rear pads and allows the parking brake to still work with wear on the pads.

[jvd]

I had a vw passat that you had to turn in the piston on the calipers too. My brother in law and I fought with the brakes for what seemed an eternity, his dad gets home from work walks up and goes "ya know you have to twist that back in" and walks away. Funny to me now over a decade later.