Disc brake spacer

[Roger1968]

I am going to remove my front wheel so I can get the bike into the car.
If the hydraulic disc brakes operate by touching the brake lever how can I open up the pads before refitting the wheel?

 

[bikingdad90]

Usually a piece of cardboard folded in half or a folded up piece of paper is thick enough to fill the gap.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Best to put some kind of spacer in betweeen the pads for transport. As above, a thick piece of cardboard, doubled so that it stays in place will work, or Shimano do small, plastic things: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/shimano-brrs505-pad-spacer-y8n218000/

If the lever does get depressed then something like the ParkTool tool for spacing the pads works, but very much best not to let it happen in the first place. https://www.parktool.com/product/hydraulic-brake-piston-press-pp-1-2

 

[bruce1530]

As said above, a bit of plastic or cardboard will keep them in place. If you need to lever them back, a plastic tyre lever's the tool I use...

 

[si_c]

When you got the bike you might have got a small parts box, you'll likely find a set of spaces in that box if you have shimano brakes, they're usually orange and you can just fit them between the pads to space them properly during transport. Looks something like this:

If not some folder up cardboard should do the trick.