Hey all, I've done brake pad replacements 100 times, just not on this truck. I cannot get the right front caliper off. I removed the top and bottom 18mm bolts. It was still on pretty snug, so I used a screwdriver as a wedge (gently) to get the caliper loose. The entire caliper is free, but 'something' is holding it on and not allowing it to clear the rotor. It almost seems like the brake line is too short to allow the caliper to come off. I would remove the line, but it seems unnecessary and I don't feel like bleeding the brakes. I feel like I am missing something obvious.

Blazer is a 2003 4x4. Any help would be appreciated. I'm banging my head against the wall. Brakes shouldn't take 2 hours for one side.

 

i think you took the wrong bolts out the bolts holding the caliper on are allen head.

 

The caliper is free and moving, but it won't come off. See these pictures... These are the dual pistons so I don't think they have the allen screws.

 

Can't tell from the pictures but it looks llike your pads have the anti-squeak shim plates on them. If so, pry these away from the pad and pull them off with pliers. That little bit of extra room helped me remove the calipers on my 2000 Blazer just this weekend. Good Luck.

 

By the top pic, it looks like he's got a severly worn rotor, and there's a lip holding the pads in. The OP will probably have to release the pressure on the bleeder in order to compress the pistons in order to clear the lip on the rotor.

 

When I did mine that little pin on the back of the brake pad was getting caught on the brake piston. Had to loosen the bleeder screw then pry the piston in more.

 

Try removing the caliper bracket and remove caliper and bracket as one. The bracket has to come off neways to get rotor off to resurface it. I would pry caliper/bracket off with pry bar/screwdriver. I bet you have a bad rust lip on that rotor thats holding on to the pads. Just pry it off.

 

I was able to get them off, finally. Thanks for the advice. I called a GM mechanic that I know. He was able to get the screw driver in there as a wedge. Using gradual pressure, we were able to get the pistons pushed back in to place which freed up the caliper completely.

Rotors are still okay for now, but I'm replacing them next time I do pads.

 

i always use a big "C" clamp to push the caliper piston back into the caliper bore before removing them. i did have a allen retaining bolt broke off in the knuckle. got it out by using a small cuttoff wheel then heating the knuckle with a torch, then used vise-grips to unscrew the stud out of the knuckle.