Brake safety front caliper 4wd

My question is below these paragraphs.
I wanted to change my brakes. I haven't changed them since I bought this new to me car in November 2024.
Got the rotors and TRD pads from Toyota.
Working on replacing the brake pads and notice the lower inside piston of the caliper on driver and passenger side will not compress enough to allow new pad to fit in.
I notice The piston looks like a cup and it's rusted in side. I vise grip the shit out of my passenger side piston for about half an hour and it compressed enough to let me fit a new pad in. Driver side will not compress enough, just shy of a few millimeters if anything. Looks like more serious pitting and rust.
I ordered new calipers already, and I'm waiting for my order to arrive. They are going to be replaced that is no question.

My question is: while I wait for new calipers I need to drive something. This was driving and braking fine before I started the brake project. Nyc driving is really only about 30mph. Can I install my old rotors and pads and top of all the brake fluid that I bled out to drive the truck to get me where I need to go? Or has all my vise gripping done more damage that it's not safe to drive at this point?

 

Can you post pictures showing the calipers?

 

Yeh I'll send pictures in the morning. Thanks for response

 

I don't see a problem here. Getting both pistons to fully compress with vice grips is not easy. You need a compressor tool to make it easy.

$45 Lang Tools 279-5420 279 Brake Caliper Press

https://www.amazon.com/Lang-Tools-279-5420-Brake-Caliper/dp/B0079GQKDE

Are the pads worn normally? If you have a sticky piston you will see a unevenly worn pad.

 

I just had this happen on a long off-road trip! Heard the pad dragging at a gas station and turn out I was down to the plate on the pad and absolutely trashed my rotor! Had to replace the caliper.

 

Reiterating what has been pointed above, look at the pad wear. If they all have similar even wear, and you had no braking issues before the brake job, then your calipers were fine. What did you use to press in the pistons? You normally use the old pads to press in the pistons with a pad spreader. I used to use regular c-clamps which were a PITA on one side of the caliper, where the brake line goes in. I have since bought the spreader shown above.

Yes, you can use the old pistons if they dont leak. Wire-brush off the rust and remove any burrs.

 

Here are the brake pads


Here is driver side calipers inside that giving me problems. You can set my vise grip markings.

Here are outer pistons

I'm running to advanced auto now to get that caliper compression tool

 

I always used an old pad and a c clamp to compress my brake pistons. It always worked so I never thought about getting a real tool to do it.
Let us know how it works out for you.

 

Those brake pads look new....???

 

Yeh this thing not moving

 

I been dealing with this weird jerking after releasing brake and before coming to full stop.

Looks like fluid is now leaking out of the piston. I think it's corroded inside the walls of the piston. The bleeder valve is also wide open btw

 

I had opened the bleeder valve and was able to compress pistons with my bare hands. Except the inside lower pistons on each caliper. Passenger side I freed up once I vise grip the shit out of it. Driver side won't move. Then I bought this tool to help compress the pistons but it's not working. Brake Fluid is now coming out of the side of the upper and lower pistons. The bleeder valve is wide open

 

I think safe to say this caliper is not safe to drive if I'm seeing a leak like this


I will wait for the new calipers and figure out how I'll get to work in the mean time