I am replacing rear brakes and rotors on my '98 Disco with an EBS Performance Brake Rebuild Kit ordered from Atlantic British. Everything is finished up to refitting the caliper onto the rotor. The bolt holes are not lining up on the caliper with those on the axle. I have been trying for over 6 hours! Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do you have them on the right side?
The calipers are left/right specific.

 

What Spike said is true, but if you have one on, or left the brake line connected, then you haven't reversed them.
If that's the case, use a punch, or smaller bolt, to help align the holes. Once you get one bolt in, it's merely a matter of pivoting the caliper on that bolt to get the other one in.

 

Yes, they are on the right side; it seems the rotor is holding the caliper from aligning with the holes. Already checked the size of the rotor to make sure it was the right one, it is the same size, only difference is where the area where the pads seat is thicker because it is a new rotor. If I take the mud shield holder piece off that bolts between the axle and the caliper, then it opens up a 1/8" space and lets the caliper fit, but I know I can not leave that off, so I am still trying to figure this out.

 

You have the caliper spread as far open as it will go?

Fitting new pads and rotors on anything can always be a challenge.

 

There is no more space in the caliper to be had. The pistons are all the way pushed in and the caliper itself does not move.

 

Man this is a tough one, it sounds like you have the wrong brake pads or rotors.
One or the other is to thick and there is not enough space.
If you remove the dust shield and put them on then you will be to tight on the rotor with the pads and you either wont move or if you do the pads will be tight enough to overheat the rotors and boil the brake fluid as you drive.

I have no real advice for you one this, maybe Antichrist does.

 

You don't by chance have D90 front rotors on them do you? They are a lot wider than Disco, but my 3/4" so it's unlikely.
Have you measured the rotor thickness to see if matches the book value?
I may have a set of new Disco rear pads in the garage. Measure yours and I'll take a look to see how thick new ones are. You could have the wrong pads.
I've always used Wagner pads and rotors and never had this problem.

 

Well I bought the kit from Atlantic British at www.atlanticbritish.com and got the EBC Performance Brake Rebuild Kit. The kit included two different size rotors and when I called them they told me the smaller rotors go in the back. They are the same size across as the old ones; 11 7/16" and the hat measures a hair over 2 3/8". The brakes they included for the rear says they are for Disco 1 and D90 and they measure 9/16" from the back metal of the pad to the outside edge. The pads are not in the caliper while I am trying to re-install and I still cannot get it back on.

 

Could the caliper be warped and twisted from heat because the pad was worn all the way to the metal.