I am working on my 2008 Honda trx 250ex. I am replacing the front brake pads on the machine.

I went through and did the whole shebang... tire off, Pin covers off, pins loosened, Caliper bolts off, Pop out break pads, slide out pins.

Now this is where my problem is, my new brake pads will not fit into the calipers. I have tried taking the old brake pad and a C clamp, and compressing the piston that way, but no cigar. My left side caliper piston is about 1 inch out farther than the right aswell.

Neither will budge.... Im not too sure on what to do? The right side is almost able to squeeze in both brake pads, but there is no way there will be room for the disc in the middle.

Any Ideas on what could be the problem and why it is not compressing like normal? Maybe im missing a bolt or something silly.

 

The pistons need to be pushed back until they are level with the caliper. I use a socket and a G clamp for this, if it goes really tight, it usually means it is not going back "square" push it back out a bit via the handlebar lever and try again. Not familiar with the EX, and Recons have drum brakes, but assuming EXs are single piston, similar to 420s etc, the two halves of each caliper slide against one another on two pins, one in a rubber bush, the other a thick pin, greased and with a rubber cap over it. If this pin has seized it needs freeing off. I replace the caliper onto the stub axle without pads and the butterfly "pad spring" and knock the movable half of the caliper with a mallet, taking care not to damage where the pad holding pins go, until it frees off on the pin. If it won't free, I remove all rubber parts I can and warm the aluminium round the stuck pin with a blowlamp, then knock again. Really bad pins need unscrewing (they have an Allen screw fitting) once they are un-seized, and rust cleaning off, new rubber boots for them can be got in rebuild kits, or individually from Honda. Grease the bush that slides on the pin.