Review: 5/5 Cobra Tools Brake Caliper Rewind Kit

backseateducation

Club Moderator
Feb 1, 2014
14,622
14,427
Cornwall
About time I posted a review of this. Available under various names, this one is the same as mine. All about the same price.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universa...592243?hash=item3d88e323b3:g:Is4AAOSwopVcuTM5

22 piece caliper rewind kit. Includes adaptors for many different pistons and two threaded tools depending on whether the piston has to be turned clockwise or anticlockwise as you push it back. Plastic case seems sturdy enough.

Good points - Very reasonable price, easy to use, good quality

Bad points - none

I couldn't be more pleased with this kit, I've used it on a lot of cars now and it helps tremendously.
5/5 on all fronts!
 
That's EXACTLY the same as the one I bought last year.

The price isn't though, I think I paid £35 :giggle:

Oh well, needed it in a hurry from the local motorist's discount store.

Its nothing to do with the kit, but when you have a semi seized piston, it can sometimes be hard to know which way, left or right hand, is the correct way to try and free them off. Clearly the manuals should say, but I'm not convinced they are always right. Obviously the wrong way can make things worse.

At that price I wouldn't hesitate - Thanks Matt...
 
Same here, except mine is my pals (we decided wisely last year to co-ordinate purchases of tools, or at least check first, as we don't need to duplicate). I think it's worth every penny too.

I agree with Noel too, the ACW / CW rewind can be confusing, EXCEPT I'll put it down to operator error! :)
 
I know I shot down the tool for damaged nuts and I still stand by that, but this is a steal and will help not only you, but also everyone in your family or friends who know that you can service rear brakes and who want to leverage some sort of familial guilt in order to get you to work on their car because convincing them to take it to a garage is way more effort than just bloody doing it.

Since using pliers sucks, and if their pads are worn enough - which of course they will be - you may struggle to get the piston back onto the thread. This toolset is just something else to fix whatever piece of automotive asshattery that they have settled on. Even if it has a Griffin (Gryphon?) badge front and rear.

Bought, without question. Nice one, Matt!
 
Those of you who followed my recommendation, just keep an eye on these. While using mine today to replace the front pads on my brother's Civic (which otherwise was incredibly simple), the end that holds the adaptors in place sheared from the thread. Might be my heavy handedness, but maybe one to watch out for.
IMG_20200531_102817.jpg
 
Thanks for the heads-up, Matt. I haven't had to use mine yet but it's something I'll bear in mind.

Since we're not talking about aerospace tooling here I'll just assume it's a one-off. Excrement occurs, right? But if I experience any shenanigans (in like 3 years when I actually manage to go through a set of brake pads :oops: ) I'll be sure to report it.