Changing Rear Brake Discs

Done a search on this forum, and can't find an answer, so apologies if this has been asked before……

Need to change rear discs and pads on a 2002 1.4 HDi…….

Do the callipers need to be wound back in rather than just pressed?

If so is there a specific wind back tool needed, or will any of the generic ones off eBay etc do?

matk wrote:Need to change rear discs and pads on a 2002 1.4 HDi…….

Do the callipers need to be wound back in rather than just pressed?

They need pressing in with a basic brake rewind tool, like these ones from eBay (here).


This is the brake rewind tool in action on the rear calipers.

Thanks for that, its 's I thought.

Do you happen to know if they wind in clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Many thanks for your post.

matk wrote:Thanks for that, its 's I thought.

Do you happen to know if they wind in clockwise or anti-clockwise?

C3driver52 wrote:They need pressing in

You turn the tool clockwise and the piston is pressed back into the caliper.

The piston doesn't need to rotate, it just needs even pressure over the surface of the piston to drive it back without doing damage.
The rotation of the tool is to drive the press along the thread.

Use the 'clockwise tool' from the set and the piston is rotated as it is pressed back into the caliper. Mine used the number 7 adaptor to fit well.

Thanks again for the reply...

Just so I can be clear then, the caliper piston presses straight back in, without any rotation? I was expecting to have to rotate so as to retract the handbrake adjustment?

If it does go straight back, I appreciate the tools you linked to, make the job a lot easier, but any reason I cant just use molegrips or a C Clamp, like I'd do on the fronts?

matk wrote:Just so I can be clear then, the caliper piston presses straight back in, without any rotation? I was expecting to have to rotate so as to retract the handbrake adjustment?

Haynes says it rotates clockwise as it pushes back in.

When I did mime a while ago, I just turned the tool clockwise and let the piston get driven back into the caliper and if it rotated, I don't recall it

C3driver52 wrote:The piston doesn't need to rotate, it just needs even pressure over the surface of the piston to drive it back without doing damage.

So this was a bit misleading, sorry.

The Citroen tool for the job is 0805.JZ but I don't have a picture of it.

Haynes also mention that its worth connecting up the bleed nipple and releasing the pressure through the bleed system to avoid pushing dirty fluid into the ABS unit.

matk wrote:If it does go straight back, I appreciate the tools you linked to, make the job a lot easier, but any reason I cant just use molegrips or a C Clamp, like I'd do on the fronts?

I don't like to use mole grips because its not guaranteed that the piston goes back parallel so you can put odd loadings on the seals. Same goes for levering the piston with screwdrivers



The brake rewind kits are so cheap, come with left and right handed threads and will do the fronts too making things easy and less chance of putting odd loadings on the hydraulic seals.

Right got you, totally understand now, thanks again for your help, forewarned is forearmed lol!

matk wrote:Right got you, totally understand now, thanks again for your help, forewarned is forearmed lol!

No problem, sorry it got off to a slow start.

You will need a 15mm open ended spanner that is not too thick to lock the nut while the bolt is removed to unmount the calliper.

When you have the calliper dismounted, remove the upper and lower rubber bellows and the bars they are attached to. This will need cleaning and re-greasing if the grease has dried. You may need new rubbers if the grease is contaminated.

You can get a kit of those parts here on ebay - the rubbers, bolts and slider pins.

New rear brake discs and pads on a Citroen C3 from euro car parts