I have a 05 MCS and need brakes. To save money I’d like to do them myself. I’ve done front pads before. What tools do I need to compress the rear calipers? Can I buy them local at any auto parts or Sears? My pads are still good but the car sits at the airport during the week and the corrosion on the rotors is awful. Up to an inch in diameter and 1/8 inch deep! Atlantic British LTD has a good price on rotors and pads. I don’t need anything more than stock. Any thoughts?

 

You might want to check out OEM brake parts at Sewell Mini in Plano, TX. They have good pricing on manyy parts.

 

Harbourfreight sells the pads compression tool...
Many kits do not have the adaptor that is small enough for the mini calipers...in a pinch, i have heard of folks pushing hard with a tool, to twist it while pushing...with losts of cussing....works for a few folks, but at just a few $$ for the caliper tool from hf, why change getting stuck with the car appart.
if the rotors are corroded, be ready with a tourch, or a big hammer or a punch to free the torix bolts that keep the rotors in place...they can be replaced, or even left off if ...they keep the rotors in place on the production line...they are fine with the rims/calipers on.

 

What Zippy said and a link...

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-piec...kit-97143.html

 

major chain parts stores often have tools for free loan . . . you just leave a deposit

 

You don't need the tool, depending on the condition of your calipers. If they're stuck, then, maybe you do ... Just rent it out at Autozone for free, though they make you put down a refundable security deposit.

I make do with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Jam the tips of the jaws on the notches on the piston, squeeze, and turn. I've done dozens of calipers that way.

 

Yeah, not the easiest way to do it. The tool is cheap...

 

After doing this both with and with out the tool i can say the tool is worth the money and makes the job super easy. And you get to add something else to your toy collection.

 

planing on doing this soon, thanks for the help. Will post photos of the rotors. You wouldn't believe the craters in the rear rotors.

Skyhawk940

 

There is a much cheaper and easier tool. It is a cube a little over an inch on a side with different pins on each face with a 3/8 socket hole in the middle of each face. To use this tool you use the face that lines up best with the piston holes and put a short extension in the 3/8 inch hole with a ratchet attached. By pushing in slightly and turning the piston with the ratchet the piston will "screw" back into the caliper. This tool is only $6 at Harbor Freight...see:

http://www.harborfreight.com/four-wh...ool-68972.html

 

Interesting. I just used a pair of needle nose pliers in the pin holes, and they retracted quite easily. I'm all for new toys, but rarely used tools take up space in my limited toolbox space.

 

When i was using my MINI for an "airport car, one week on, one week off, my rear rotors were replaced due to rust when the fronts were about 50% worn...
The "tool" makes life much easier....i used zimmeeman rotors, they seem to be rusting quite a bit slower than the oem ones(which many folks say are pretty "SOFT and wear quickly due to their formulaion....most aftermarket rotors seem to have a few trace metals that help to limit corrosion, some harp on this fact like ebc, which claim a high copper content. The biggest pain was the torix bolts...rusted too...a torch to use some heat, and a metal punch broke it free....but just drilling it out was very close to happening.....like i said before, have spares on hand if you wish, or just skip using them on the reinstall if you want...mine were ok once loosesed amd unfrozen.