rfdude

Searched far and wide for help on removing this pesky retaining spring. You know the one I'm talking about. It's just a wire and it fits under a clip on the outboard brake pad and past two small posts on the caliper to hold the pad in place.

Trying to remove this retaining spring before doing anything else = FAIL

It is IMPOSSIBLE to get this retaining spring out without compressing the piston and removing the caliper pins. So - leave the darn thing alone until you get this done.

Remember to work this retaining spring advice into the more detailed explanations about brake service you can find on this site.

It is much easier to retract the piston in place before taking the caliper pins out. I prefer to clamp the brake line and open the bleeder screw myself - but to each his own. A quick trick is to use 2 stanley wonder bars (pry bars). Put the short curved end of the pry bars under both ends of the caliper, pull back and voila your piston retracts. Retract it as far as you can with the pry bars. Remove the caliper pins (7mm hex). Now it will take you 2 seconds to take the spring out - if it hasn't already fallen out.

You can also compress the piston the rest of the way by hand once you have the caliper off, no C clamp or tool required, just leave the brake bad in place and push on it.

The caliper weighs a ton...so I use a jack stand to set it on and just lean it against the wheel well. Then you don't have to hang it.

When to reinstall the retaining spring you ask?

After you have the new pads and your caliper back in place, BEFORE you put the caliper slide pins back in. Start by putting the retaining spring under the clip on the brake pad and then get both ends where they need to go. There is enough play in the caliper to make this happen. Don't worry about putting the wire past the 2 small posts on the caliper which are there to hold it in place - you will do that later. With the spring under the clip on the brake pad and the spring ends in place - put the caliper pins back in. After you put the caliper slide pins in and pump the brakes to snug everything up - now use a screw driver and pliers to get that darn wire over the 2 small posts and you're finished with the retaining spring (clip).

Solem

I searched high and low for information on this. RFDude you were the only hit that came up on this. The hardware (clips) have been hard to find. Had to use the old ones.

I would add this to your instructions above, which were awesome.

Loosen cap on fluid reservoir and put rag around it (or loosen bleeder screw and attached hose/bottle to catch fluid)

Compress the piston before removing any parts with a clamp (I used a lighter duty bar clamp and placed the adjustable screw end on the outer pad)

Once compressed the spring clip literally falls out, remove the pins and disassemble.

Passenger side: 2.5 hours trying to find information on how to remove clip. 1 hour pissed at the lack of information and the fight to remove it incorrectly. 10 minutes paying homage to RF Dude. PS - not quite impossible to get the clip out as the manual says - extent of instruction "Remove Spring", but wouldn't recommend doing it any other way than described in these 2 posts

Drivers side: 30 minutes start to finish.

I hope this helps others.