Help Please! Cougar AWOL

[work_in_progress]

Long story short, I decided to do my brakes and rotors myself because they were due. I've never done them before so I educated myself and bought parts and went at it. In my eagerness I mixed up the rear and front rotors, so I went to swap them out. Everything good for the most part so far, EXCEPT... well A) One of the rotors has a nice big pit in it -_- and B) My calipers won't fit over my rotors anymore, even my stock ones that were just below accepted tolerance.

What gives? I drove for 30 min with just my front drivers rotor and pads switched out, got home switched out front pass. Next day, swapped out both rears, noticed my problem, went to fix it and now it's a no go. Car is in first, no parking brake on.

Caliper all the way back, check.I played with it for ten min... Inside pad clipped in all the way, check. Opened up the bleeder to relieve some pressure, check. Still won't fit over the rotor...

Break time, sorry for the HUGE post, I'm really tired, worn out and have to wake up early tomorrow.

while I'm in this section, I was curious to know what my stock size rims were. I started a thread earlier but I forgot to post my born on date, which is 06/24/99. I've heard that there are some many variables when it comes to knowing what size you had. And I don't know if this is just happening now, but my speed seems to be off (from the speedo and digital readout) about 3-5mph around the 70mph mark. So maybe I'm thinking I had stock 15's? Currently running 16.



Took my first Gojo shower tonight, I smell like an orange.

[BlackBetty]

You have the sport package since you had rear discs so your rims are stock 16's.

You can verify your speed with gps and as far as your brakes I have no clue, I'm sure someone with a little more know age will chime in.

[work_in_progress]

My GPS was the thing that tipped me off to a problem. 3 different units all read about 78 when the speedo and digital readout only read just under 75. It's off from about 55MPH+

[JScullin]

I've read that, like, 5 times and still can't picture what you're saying.

First, AWOL = absent w/out leave. You're Cougar took unscheduled time off-base? It sounds like you're saying the rotors in the back are too thick? Or are the calipers fitting over it but now they won't line up w/the bracket because the rotors are too big?

[Terse]

You could have the dealership look up your VIN and they could tell you the original wheel size.

[work_in_progress]

I've read that, like, 5 times and still can't picture what you're saying.

First, AWOL = absent w/out leave. You're Cougar took unscheduled time off-base? It sounds like you're saying the rotors in the back are too thick? Or are the calipers fitting over it but now they won't line up w/the bracket because the rotors are too big?

Yes I know what AWOL means. Where I'm from it's used as a slang term meaning someone going crazy and checking out. Again, checking out is also used slang. And if we're getting technical, I believe AWOL could also refer to any time not reporting for duty not exclusively on-base.

I'm sorry if the OP was garbled, I mentioned I was extremely exhausted, frusrated, and had to be up in 5 hours for work. What the problem boils down to is, I removed my caliper -with new brakes already loaded- in order to replace and incorrectly sized rotor with the correct one. When I tried to put the caliper back on it would not fit over the rotor. And I'm at a loss what I did wrong.

Maybe it will come clear to me as I start working on it fresh tonight.

[work_in_progress]

Nevermind, figured it out.

[BlackBetty]

What was it?

[iceberg65]

had to compress the piston?

[work_in_progress]

had to compress the piston?

Yupp. /sheepish