When brake calipers wear out you need to push back the pistons using a C Clamp. But what size C Clamp for brake caliper do you need? Would a 4-inch clamp work, or do you need a larger one? Answers to this question coming up.
I was working on my front brakes when I came across the term C clamp. I was told it would help push the piston inside the caliper backward. The first question that came to my mind was what is a C- clamp for brakes? And why do I need it? I had no idea about this.
I checked with many people who are experienced and they gave me some information. The next obvious question was: What Size C Clamp for brake calipers do I need? I came to know that the 4-inch C clamp is ideal for most brake calipers
The car’s brakes become loose from time to time; it is a normal problem for any car. If the vehicle is on the road, the brakes bring it to a stop, but most of its parts are unable to stop immediately which causes wear and tear.
When your brake calipers become old, you need to replace them. That’s where C-clamps come in handy. Clamps are specially designed hand tools that can hold two or more objects together. They hold the brakes tightly as you repair them.
Clamps are a very effective way of holding materials together and work well with wood, paper, plastic, certain metals, and brakes. This tool usually comes with an adjustable screw and a moving jaw, but some designs may have two screws as well.
Most types of camps are designed for temporary use, but some permanent designs are available. C-clamp is one of them.
You might also like to read: What Causes Drum Brakes To Lock Up?
What Is A C-Clamp?
C-clamps are a very common tool used in workshops and woodwork. The brakes need to be tight for any expected and unexpected situation, as they wear off with time. The C-clamp pushes the piston of the clipper back in position and keeps the brakes in workable condition.
There are several types of clamps available in the market; C-Clamp is one of them which is an effective tool for brake calipers. C-clamp is a clamping device designed to hold a piece of wood or metal.
Besides, it is also used for carpentry or welding. Now it is also used in vehicle servicing and repairs. The popular belief is that the name “C clamps” comes from the appearance of the clamp and its resemblance to the letter “C.”
In many cases, the C-clamp is also known as the G-clamp because when the specific screw of the device is inserted; the clamp takes on the shape of the letter “G.”
These clamps are named like that because it matches these letters of the alphabet. However, the C clamp is also known in the market as “Carriage Clamp,” and the word “C” comes from the word “Carriage.”
How To Use A C-Clamp To Push Back The Piston
Using a C-Clamp is an easy way of compressing the piston inside of your caliper. You’re still going to have to remove the caliper, however, it makes the task a lot easier.
What you need to do is to find a C-Clamp that is large enough to go outside your brake rotor. A four-inch or six-inch C clamp usually does the trick.
You have to pass it through the rotor and touch it against the back of your brake pad. Find a good flat surface on the backside of your caliper (not the bolt that is holding in your brake line) but somewhere flat. Then just slowly and steadily tighten up your c-clamp and you’ll see that you’ll start getting a gap between your pad and your caliper.
What you’re doing here is compressing the piston inside of your caliper. It’ll quickly bottom out. When your pads are worn out, you will have to go in further than when the pads are new . Now, just loosen your clamp back up.
Finding out the right size is usually quite simple. You just have to figure it out how big your caliper is, and how big a clamp will go around its back.
You might also like to read: Anti Lock Brakes Come On When Stopping: 4 Reasons And Solutions
Choosing The Right C-Clamp Size
The size of the C-clamp depends on several factors, such as
- The weight of the car,
- The strength of the brakes
- How much effort did you put into operating it?
A 4-inch C-clamp is usually sufficient to perform tasks such as relaxing the brakes or creating pressure in the brake caliper.
Appropriate size C clamps for brakes
C-clamp size does not depend on a single factor; it works behind various factors, including the weight of the bike, the strength of the brakes, and how much effort you put into operating it.
A 4-inch C-clamp is usually sufficient to perform tasks such as relaxing the brakes or creating pressure in the brake caliper.
The Five Parts of A C-clamp
The C-clamp comes with several parts that help the device function properly; these are:
#1 The Frame
The central part of this device is its frame, also known as its body. This frame covers most of the clamp, and it is made of hard metal.
Making the frame harder and more durable is important because it keeps that clamp stable when you are applying pressure on it with the screw. Another reason to make the structure harder is that the frame needs to endure pressure while you use it on a brake caliper.
#2 The Jaw
The jaw is also the effective part of the C-clamp that holds all the other parts of it through proper gripping. So, it is an essential part of the device. There are 2 jaws found on the clamp that are located opposite each other.
One of the jaws is stationary, and the other is movable. The moving jaw has a unique metal hole attached with a screw. You can adjust the Jaw easily with this screw. As a result, you can clamp work pieces of different sizes with the C-Clamp.
#3 The Screws
Another vital part of the C-clamp is its threaded screws which are usually used to control the jaw movement of the adjustable C-clamp.
C-clamps do not use ordinary screws. In most cases, the ACME form of screw is used in the tool because this screw is much stronger. This ACME screw helps the C-clamp to grip more securely.
You might also like to read: No Brake Fluid To Rear Brakes When Bleeding: 6 Reasons Why This Happens
#4 The Handle
The handle of the C-clamp is an essential part that is attached to a screw with the device. As it is used to adjust the clamp’s jaw, it also helps to operate the entire C-clamp.
When you close the clamp jaw, you must first rotate the handle clockwise until the screw is tightened, then turn the handle anti-clockwise to open the jaw. So the importance of the handle in the C-clamp is immense.
#5 The Sliding Pin
The C-clamp has a unique sliding pin handle that aids in gaining extra leverage while tightening the jaws. The sliding pin handle is usually made of durable metal and is attached to the screw by the collar, which makes it stronger.
Steel or cast iron is used to make the C-clamps, but smaller versions of C-clamps are made with sheet metal.
You can find a small flat edge at the top of the clamp, where you will discover a threaded hole through which a large threaded screw extends downwards.
C-clamps are commonly used in woodworking to hold surface materials when cut or drilled. In some cases, people use the C-clamps to keep wood or metal joints together.
- The C-clamp contains double-rolled threads to aid quick clamping and stability.
- The C-Clamp features a larger swivel pad that reduces marking on the work surface and increases stability.
- Its large handle is convenient for more significant clamping pressure with less labor and less hand fatigue. So you can use it to lose the brake or brake caliper.
How To Use a C-Clamp?
The device works by adjusting the screw under the frame of the clamp. You can change the C-clamp by turning the screw under the clamp frame until the pressure required to hold the work piece is reached.
While tightening the clamp; the workpiece is placed between the flat edge of the screw and the flat edge of the frame. A 4-inch c-clamp can perfectly work for the brake caliper. You can do the job with C-Caliber very quickly and easily; this work is as easy as a changing pad.
Where are C-clamps used?
Besides the brakes or brake calipers of the car, C-clamps, in some cases significant as G-clamps, are commonly used to hold materials made of wood or metal.
Different industries such as welding, carpentry, automotive, and many more use C-clamp clamps to make their job easy. C-clamps are used in the wood industry to stabilize pieces of wood.
You might also like to read: Do I Have To Bleed Brakes When Changing Pads?
Frequently Asked Questions
#1 How do you use a C-clamp on a brake caliper?
The pistons in the brake calipers have to be compressed to remove the old brake pads; in this case, a C-clamp or a unique brake tool is required.
The use of a C-clamp makes brake service relatively easy. So, just as professionals use this particular tool, it is also essential to keep it at home for personal use.
C-clamps are beneficial for brake or brake calipers. The brakes need to be tight for any expected and unexpected situation, as they discharge the edge in all these situations. The professional usually use the C-clamp to keep brakes in workable condition.
#2 Do you need a C-clamp to change brakes?
You don’t need to always have this C-clamp with you. Professionals use this tool to fix the brake problem when your car is sent to the service center for a car brake problem. But keeping it at home will make your job easy.
Especially if your vehicle has multi-piston brakes, you can keep this tool with you. Earlier, people used to do the single-piston brake job alone without C-clamp.
But it used to take a lot of time to do the work, and in many cases, people could not do it in the right way, or it made them tired. So now this tool is essential to do the job quickly and in the right way.
#3 How do you retract a caliper piston with a C-clamp?
The square-cut seal of the C-Clamp helps the Caliper piston to retract back. This tool allows the piston to retract back into its housing.
Many people often manually push the piston inside; in this case, this square-cut seal does not work. It can make you tired.
So the square-cut seal will make the job easier. The seal is designed to help the piston retreat back and helps in many other cases, such as quick brake pad wear, brake drag, or brake pulling.
You might also like to read: When Do You Need To Bleed Your Brakes? 3 Ways To Bleed Your Brakes Correctly
A Few Final Words
The working of car brakes cannot be thought of without C-clamp. So this tool is not only available in the service center, many car owners keep it in their home garage for the convenience of work.
This is because C-clamp brakes or brake caliper-related tasks have become much easier, which was a lot of time-consuming before.
Thank you for reading the article, we hope we answered your query and also explained a new trick to service your brakes! If you have doubts about this method or any other questions regarding C-clamps, feel free to write to us in the comments section and we will get back to you.
