cfjan

Searching through the forum and the only DIY on brake pad changes are on iron rotors. To push the pistons back, people comment on using big screw drivers / pliers against the rotor and push the pistons back.

That's fine for iron rotors but I don't think PCCB would like that. Does that mean all PCCB owners need one of those Giro pad spreaders?! ($200+!) How do you guys do it?!

This is for a 6GT3 but I figured that I'd post it here because there's more traffic in the 7-GT3 forum and more folks w/ PCCB it seems..

Thanks!

Edgy01

Looking forward to the answer myself. Fortunately, I'm no where near needed new pads. (Simple street miles). I would think the less expensive solution would be large screwdrivers and pieces of wood.

mental dental

Funny you should post this today....took our PCCB-equiped 997 RS to a local specialist to be shown how to change the front pads myself. They used an item like this
Piston spreader

The backing plates have lips at the top bottom and in the middle that this spreader will fit into. Was advised to wind the top and bottom of the plates fully open and then check using the mid-point.

cfjan

Thanks for the info! I have seen that tool on eBay too, but just wasn't sure if it opens wide enough for our big calipers... Good to know those will work.. instead of the very nice but expensive Giro tool..

mikymu

There are many ways to push back the piston and it's not hard and you can even do it with a chop stick. The question is what are you going to use as pivot to press in the piston? Never use PCCB as a pivot even though it can stand >500 F temperature but it will crack and chip like a chalk. I know you may not like to hear this but it's worth the money to buy a proper caliper spreader and even then you still need to exercise extreme care not to hit the PCCB. The above mentioned ebay spreader should work but alot of time you press on the upper piston then the lower piston pop out. Wider face piston spreader makes the job easier.

I usually put a water line foam pads that you can get from Home Depot around the edge of PCCB when I work on the brakes

cfjan

Mikymu, helpful information as usual.. so do you have one of those Giro spreader? That's wide enough to push all 6 piston at once?

mental dental

As long as they open wide enough this type of tool works fine.

I ordered one of these just now....worst case it doesn't open wide enough and it goes back!

cfjan

Please keep us posted!!

Bob Rouleau

I use the worn out pad to puch the pistons back in, or a piece of wood. I lever against the caliper and not the rotor. I have never needed a pad spreader and I change pads a lot. Note, I used this technique on my 996GT2 with PCCB with no problems.

cfjan

Bob, so you remove the caliper so the rotor is not in the way? Not sure how you do it when you said you lever against the caliper... ?!

mikymu

Hey cfjan, I have the Girodisc caliper spreader and it is wide enough for both front and rear calipers by using different size paddle on the spreader as shown below. Notice how close the caliper spreader is next to the rear PCCB? You really need to exercise care not to chip the ceramic disc. I have no doubt that regular shops and even dealer will chip your PCCB with a brake job but they don't tell you about it and it's small enough you don't notice.

Like other have mentioned there are many ways to spread the piston apart. I don't trust myself to do it right that's why I have the Girodisc spreader. It has pay for itself many time over since I am always working on my brakes for one reason or another lol

Front caliper



Rear caliper

cfjan

Very nice, so by changing the orientation, the spreader has different size paddles.. got it.. I might just get one as I can use it on my car and my wife's Cayman S as well. I always change pads / rotors myself on our other cars but less cares are required on the Toyota and Honda...

mikymu

You got it. Just one less thing to worry about. I am as cheap as it comes for DIY but these Girodisc spreader is money well spend IMHO

I just regular C-clamp for my Honda Odyssey and BMW M3

savyboy

I invested in a GiroDisc spreader as well. Craig at RennStore will hook you up.

You have a $9000 set of brakes as an option and you already know the price of the rotors. This tool is the way to go.

cfjan

Ordered one of them GiroDisc spreader.. man oh man, is this hobby expensive...