Features:

  • Works on twin and quad piston fixed calipers, as well as single and twin piston floating calipers
  • Centrally located ratchet evenly spreads force in a parallel manner to prevent misalignment of pistons
  • Ratchet technology gives a full 360 degree swing so that the spreader may be placed at any position
  • Extended reversing lever allows for easy change from spreading to retracting
  • Made in the USA
  • Works on calipers from 1.7" to 3"
splendid device

I was a brake tech for a while at a local Meinekes and would get dual and quad piston calipers in a lot so i finally ponied up for this puppy and let me tell you something; this thing is tits. Never met a caliper it wouldn't fit in. And I love the rathetching device. Would and do highly recommend. UPDATE:JUN22-2019 It's still tits. Have had zero complaints with it and have set to see one like it. Great product. Would definitely buy again.

Fantastic tool!

No more messing with a c-clamp and pieces of wood! Granted this is a more expensive option to the cheaper alternatives, this thing feels quality. I've got a few other tools from Lang, and they're actually very nice. Made in the good ol USA! It feels like something Snap-On would literally rebrand with a custom handle and sell it for 220 bucks. It's got a pretty good heft to it, but it works great! Completely resets my dual piston calipers evenly, so no more having to bleed the air out for uneven pistons and guesswork. I would recommend that, with ANY tool that has threads and applies pressure, like a ball joint press or vise, put some thick automotive grease on the threads. It lubricates and adds a thin barrier against pressure wear on the threads, and extends the life of your tool significantly!

Wonderful tool for brake jobs!

Where has this been all my life!? I don't know how or why I hadn't bought one of these before. I've spent nearly 20 years doing my own brake pad and rotor swaps and always used fingers or a c-clamp to push the pistons back in. Working with some fancier 4 piston Brembo calipers I decided to avoid the c-clamp and buy this tool so I didn't scratch the paint on the calipers. This tool is so easy to use and so simply effective in its job that I feel like an idiot for not buying one 20 years ago. As has been said it does require load / pressure against the face in order to engage the ratchet mechanism in or out, but that just means that you squeeze it for the first few cranks until it makes contact with the pads or pistons and then just crank. When you're done you flip the switch and change the direction, give it one pull on the handle, and it's free to remove from the calipers. Then just squeeze it with your hand to apply the light pressure required to close it back up for the next brake caliper. The front calipers on my car are quite dumb. Had to compress the pistons all the way it before I could remove the metal spring piece that pushes down and keeps the pads in place. Then I needed to put the pads back in, mount the caliper, and hit the brake pedal to get the pistons back out so I could remove the damaged dust boots and install new ones. Once done I had to press the pistons back in before I could get that metal spring back in place. Probably saved me 20 minutes per corner over using a c-clamp.

Easy to use

The first one I received was seized up and broke when I tried to use it. Being a technician for many years, however, I understand that sometimes there are defects and that doesn't necessarily mean the product is poor quality. The exchange process was very easy and without hassle. I now have a functioning, ratcheting caliper press that I couldn't be happier with. This tool works well and fits most calipers. My hands do not get fatigued from the constant squeezing or turning of other press tools, and the pistons retract straight every time.

Damn , so easy to use.

So easy to use , stress free I can't believe it took me this long for a tool that can do the job without damaging the caliper pistons . Is a little tricky to hold the plates from he press bc they rotate if not enough initial pressure against the caliper, once u mastered this simply step, everything after that is just easy. I do small increments at the Time to allow the fluid going back to the reservoir. An excellent buy

Lang Tools 279 Brake Caliper Press .. Where have you been all my life?

Lang Tools 279 Brake Caliper Press .. Where have you been all my life? I purchased the Lang Tools 279 Brake Caliper Press for changing all 4 rotors and brake pads on a 2010 Acura TL AWD. For the past 20 years, I have always used the tried and true "C-Clamp" technique when changing brake pads on all my vehicles ... but this tool makes the job much easier ... especially with quad pistons. The ratcheting action is smooth and simpler to operate. The heady duty press plates distribute the pressure to the caliper pistons evenly. No more fumbling around with clumsy C-clamps and metal and/or wood spacers or cheap caliper presses -- this caliper press is the only one for me. One feature request for a future version of this tool. It would be helpful to be able to have a mechanism where I could easily attach/detach the handle. Once pressure is holding back the caliper pistons, it would be nice to detach the handle to get it out of the way while leaving the press in place. For quick brake pad changes this way not been necessary, but for longer jobs ... rotor replacement/resurfacing, bearing repacking, etc it would be nice to have the press and caliper left in place without the handle dangling around in the way. Just a thought ..

I wish I'd bought this 40 years ago.

This tool is definitely worth the money and it's cheaper here than at NAPA. They sell the same tool but it may have a K-D label. On this spreader, the steel tool pads stay parallel so you can easily press back single piston, dual piston or four piston brake calipers with it. The pistons don't bind since they're being pushed straight back into the caliper bore. There's no real effort needed to move them back just place the tool in the caliper and ratchet the piston(s) out of the way. After I used it the first time I really did wish I'd bought it years earlier. You can buy a tool for half as much or you can keep jamming caliper pistons back with c-clamps, channel lock pliers or pry bars but this is just too easy and you're far less likely to damage the brake caliper by using this well made tool.

Works great when it fits in opening. Same model as Snap On’s Bluepoint version.

Skip the tool truck (Snap-On’s Bluepoint) and buy directly from the maker and save $$$. Lang is one of the brands many tool trucks rebrand for an even higher mark up. Very handy tool when the space allows for it. Doesn’t always fit if the caliper is small or the piston is too far out. Definitely more convenient than the conventional manual winding caliper tool. Ratcheting mechanism takes some time to get use to as it doesn’t always turn unless you hold the center still when it has slack (think of a turning a ratchet with a socket attached and having to sometimes grip the socket before you turn the ratchet again for the swing). I use this weekly in an automotive shop and it hasn’t let me down other than if it didn’t fit!

Works Like A Dream

I used this tool for the first time while changing my rotors and pads today and was very pleased with it's performance. I was able to quickly and easily spread the 4 piston calipers on my 4Runner with this tool. It is very well made and feels very sturdy. I only wish I had this tool years ago. Yes, it's a little pricey but well worth the investment.

Glad I gave Lang a second chance, this tool works great.

Saves time and is much easier to use than most other brake caliper presses. It also fits nearly all calipers, meaning the assorted caliper presses I've bought over the years have become mostly obsolete. It will even push the big 4-piston Brembo calipers in evenly, smoothly, and quickly. The only negative about this tool is that sometimes the ratcheting mechanism is a little touchy, and I'll have to hold the "paddles" with one hand to get it to ratchet. This doesn't happen often, and it's still a better design than pretty much everything else I've tried. My previous experience with Lang Tools left me wary of giving them a second chance, but I'm glad I did.

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