LUVTruck.com

has anyone tried to rebuild the front calipers? i've got one that i can't push the piston back in. also, are two and four wheel calipers the same? i'm getting closer to being back on the road. thanks all.

I've rebuilt several, and it is a big hassle even if you know a lot of tricks. There is a plus to it though. You can get away with not bleeding the front brakes much when I take them apart. You let the caliper fill up with fluid, then push the piston into it once it is filled. There should be very little air in the caliper and the whole system that way. Just make sure the MC doesn't go empty while it fills, and that it is close to empty when you put the piston into it.

The other good trick is to use the truck to push the piston out. Pump the pedal until it pops the piston out. It can be messy, but works WAY better than trying to rig something up to use an air compressor.

Clean up the lip of the bore that is outside of the seal with some fine sandpaper, as it is usually what causes it to stick. Don't try to hone anything beyond that though, just taking a little bit off can be enough to let the piston get off at an angle and bind up. (Or so I've been told) The piston itself may be really nasty too if the chrome covering has rusted off. I've run them that were not too great, but I've got enough spare parts now that I just find one in good shape before I open the ones on my truck up, just in case.



There is a different part number on the 4WD caliper assembly, but I believe it is a difference in the hose and 2WD ones can be made to fit if you put the right parts together. 81+ LUVs use a different completely and are not interchangable with earlier years, not without changing a lot of other parts over at least.

Any chance you know this part number? I have two sets at the shop and not sure which is for the 2wd and which is for the 4wd.