Replacing pads on the front and found that the piston boot has popped out of it's groove in the caliper. What am I looking at to try and put it back?

I know the proper thing to do is to pull the piston out, clean off the light dirt and surface rust, then put the boot back in place. I'm short on time as I've just returned home for the weekend before going back to my job for three weeks. A 650 mile trip.

If I pull the pistons out I'll probably need to replace the seals too, right? Last thing I wanted to have to do is rebuild calipers and bleed the system. I'm tempted to put the old pads back in so I don't have to push the piston in, then regroup for the next visit home to the garage.

I'm hoping someone will tell me a quick way to pop the boots back in but with the pistons all the way back in their bores for new pads, they'll need to be spotless.

Argh.

Erwin

Last time I did the job a reman caliper was ~$60 at the local car quest. If you can get the caliper off without destroying the flex line that's probably the fastest money-vs-time way to fix this. I know a caplier seal kit is probably only ~30 or so but it takes a fair bit of time to rebuild a caliper.

The local parts places were really gouging on the flex lines last time I checked (~$45 vs ~$15 at FCP) but that wouldn't break the deal for me whereas you need the car back right away.

--
1998 V70 AWD->FWD Turbo 200k+

If you have 2mm+ of pad left, then just push the boot back on as best as you can and save the real work for when you have time.

Just be easy on your stops to save pad material.

Klaus
--
Always willing to listen, just not able to take direction.

Thanks Klaus,

The local AutoZone can have a pair of front calipers by noon tomorrow. I've ordered the IPD heavy duty sway bar end links today too. My OEM are shot, again.

I'll do the brakes tomorrow and end links next time I come home. Should have ordered new strut bump stops as mine are rotting but that job requires strut removal.

Regards,

Erwin

Even better! Calipers are easy to replace, just make sure you buy a tube of synthetic brake grease and put some on the slide pins and anything else that needs it before installation.

If you haven't already, try loosening the brake line nut before picking up the new calipers. You should be OK even with a regular box wrench. Just bleed the lines enough to get the air out if you are running short on time. Do a full flush later.

The sway bar endlinks are real easy to replace and IPD has the best. When you order strut spring seats, get a set for the XC90 - OEM. They fit and last a very long time. Your bump stops should be OK.

Klaus
--
Always willing to listen, just not able to take direction.

FWIW when I did my struts a couple of months ago I didn't order new bumpstops because I thought they would be okay - but when I got them apart I could tell they were toast. Pass side was esp bad.

--
1998 V70 AWD->FWD Turbo 200k+

Unless you take some really hard bumps, the struts shouldn't get to maximum compression anyway. Leave them for a lazy afternoon. BTW, if you 'scribe' the strut location, you might not have to get an alignment, but you should get new bolts - 52lbs + 60 degrees is a lot of torque.

Klaus
--
Always willing to listen, just not able to take direction.

Klaus,

Good tip. Scribing locations was something I learned to do when working with broadcast videotape machines in the '80s and 90s. Those days are gone but it makes it easy to get things back together very close, if not exactly where they were.

As far as the bump stops, they're in place, what might be left of them. I don't know what the OEM would look like new. The shaft boots are loose and bouncing around on the lower end of the shaft. This car seems to bottom out harshly on minor potholes or sinking cold patch repairs, even at the 35mph residential speed limit. I'm weaving down the road trying to miss any pavement irregularity. Seriously, the sound in the cabin is shocking. BAM! Something has to give.

If the struts should have any high-speed compression damping, it's not enough. The front springs can't keep the suspension from crashing to the limit. The car passes the "bounce test." In the garage I can push down on a front corner and the suspension rebounds and settles immediately. On the road it doesn't pogo either, just lets the bigger hits come straight through to the body.

Erwin