Nobody likes swapping brake pads, and one of the most annoying parts of the process is getting the caliper pistons fully pushed back into the caliper body to make room for the fresh pads. We never seem to have the right tool on-hand, so we instead reach for any lever within arm’s reach: a block of wood, a pry bar, or even a brake pad turned on its side. All those methods put your costly brake components at risk of being damaged. Pressing hard, sharp objects against the discs, pistons, or dust boots can gouge, tear, or scrape them, while using an expensive racing brake pad as a lever is the perfect way to have the pad compound crack or separate from the backing plate. These types of implements are also particularly ill-suited for trying to concurrently retract all three pistons on each side of a six-piston caliper. They typically aren’t long enough to cover all three pistons at once, which means the pistons are popping in and out like an evil game of Whac-A-Mole! Fear not, we have your solution. The Essex Caliper Spreader Tool V2 is the perfect companion for quickly and easily swapping brake pads. It’s versatile, compact, easy to use, and costs less than a single set of brake pads!

Versatile

We designed the Essex Caliper Spreader Tool V2 to be the perfect size for all the calipers found in our AP Racing by Essex Brake Kits. Whether you’re running one of our Road or Competition Kits, with Radi-CAL or conventional calipers, this tool has you covered. The end plates are longer than most other commercially available spreaders, which means they’ll cover all three pistons of a six-piston caliper at once, while still being short enough to fit inside four piston calipers. Ours also has a longer throw, which means that on most calipers you can fully retract the pistons. Our spreader also works great with a wide variety of other aftermarket and OEM calipers. The end plates are tall enough to reach down into many of today’s calipers that use brake pads with taller radial depths, which is particularly common with carbon ceramic disc systems. It also has a great range of travel and will work on brake discs of just about any width, with a max tool spread of 94mm.

Confirmed caliper fitments below. As we and our clients confirm more fitments we will add them to this list:

• AP Racing Radi-CAL Competition Calipers- CP9668, CP9669, CP9660, CP9661, CP944x, CP945X
• AP Racing Conventional Competition Calipers- CP8350, CP5060, CP5040
• AP Racing Radi-CAL Road Calipers- CP956x, CP954x

Protects your Pricey Brake Components

The brake systems on many of today’s high-performance street or racing vehicles are loaded with expensive components. Many contain delicate painted caliper finishes, stainless steel or titanium caliper pistons, ceramic piston caps, and carbon ceramic discs worth thousands of dollars apiece. Wielding a screwdriver or other tool not designed for the job of piston retraction around these pricey components is a recipe for costly mistakes.

Durable and Portable

Manufactured completely from steel and aluminum, there aren’t any fragile plastic bits to bend or break. Store it in your toolbox or track box alongside your other go-to tools without worrying about hurting it. The steel end plates are zinc coated for corrosion resistance, and the entire unit is very compact. It doesn’t have long handles, so it’s easier to fit it into tight spaces up inside your car’s wheel wells. It also tucks away neatly for travel, and you don’t have to worry about whacking your car, your wheels, etc. with it.

Quick and Easy to Use

Using the Essex Caliper Spreader Tool V2 is a breeze. First, loosen the cap on your brake fluid reservoir and insert the spreader into your caliper. Squeeze the lever a few times, and your pistons will be retracted into their bores evenly. If needed, you can even rotate the spreader plates up to 360 degrees and adjust the orientation for maximum clearance. Note: Full instructions, including adjustment of spreader plate rotation, are available in the Technical Specifications tab (scroll up and look underneath the blue ADD TO CART button).

Caution: You shouldn’t have to exert extreme force on the tool to press the caliper pistons back into their bores. If you’re trying to use this tool on an OEM caliper and having to squeeze extremely hard, this likely isn’t the correct tool for the job. Some OEM calipers pistons are screwed, not pressed, back into the caliper body, and others are retracted by turning a screw on the side of the caliper body (thank you NA Miata rear calipers!). Also please note that brake fluid is corrosive and can remove the finish from the handles if it is left on there.

Affordable

Spreader Plate Rotation Adjustment Instructions

1. Loosen the Rotation Adjustment Nut (see above) by turning counter-clockwise with a 1 1/16" open end or adjustable wrench.
2. Rotate the Spreader Plates to the desired position for proper clearance/angle in the wheel well.
3. Tighten Rotation Adjustment Nut by turning clockwise with wrench until snug.

Operation Instructions

1. Vent your brake master cylinder reservoir cap by loosening it several turns. Leave the cap loosely in place on top of the reservoir, to prevent debris from falling into the fluid.
2. Ensure pistons are free of major debris/dust that may be stuck to the sides. Cleaning this off will protect caliper seals and potentially extend time between rebuilds.
3. Push the Release Lever to unlock the mechanism and slide the Spreader Plates close to each other, so they can fit between the pads or caliper pistons.
   • NOTE: Press against the old brake pads when possible, for the safest and most even force distribution.
4. Insert the Spreader Plates into the caliper as far as possible.
5. Carefully clamp against the pads or pistons by squeezing the Advancement Lever until resistance increases and the slack is removed.
6. Squeeze the handle firmly and observe the pistons retracting.
7. After 1-2 seconds, squeeze the handle again, repeating this until the pistons are completely retracted.
8. Push the Release Lever to unlock Spreader Plates and carefully remove tool from caliper, using the Pull Knob to increase clearance (if needed).

***DO NOT OVERLOAD THE CALIPER SPREADER WITH ADDITIONAL PUMPING AFTER PISTONS ARE RETRACTED. STOP ONCE THEY ARE FLUSH WITH CALIPER BODY***

If excess clamping force is used against the caliper body after pistons are fully retracted, it may cause the tool to jam up and it may not release properly. If this occurs, and the release lever does not relieve pressure on its own, careful tapping with a hammer while pressing the release lever can be used to free up the tool. See diagram below for tapping location.

Video