Total Novice brake change help needed please!

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

Hi lads im really bad with the mechanics of my car so tend to leave it to the experts! but thought id have a go at getting my front brakes off as they seem to be binding! so can i please have some advice as the best way to get the caliper and so im able to copper grease the sliders up! Thanks Andy

[_Monkey 0]

Hi mate,

 

Are you just wanting to get off the caliper?

 

If so, it's quite easy:

 

Just whip off the wheel, and look at the back of the caliper, there's a 13mm bolt on there and just behind the caliper carrier next to it, is a 15mm nut that you have to hold while turning the 13mm one.

 

It should be tight, a lot of people tend to put these on with thread locker, so be prepared to get your knuckles skinned when it does give!

 

Just remember to loosen both of the 13mm bolts before removing either one, as the caliper will try to spin if you do it one at a time (that's what I found anyway).

 

Once off just pull the caliper up off of the disc and and pads should be accessible to grease up etc.

 

Hope this helps!

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

as you look at the caliper dave are these the two bolts at the back one at the top and one at the bottom have a rubbery sleve after the bolt? just wanna make sure its right? also can i just check do i need to release any pressure from the brake fluid or anything fella cheers Andy

[_Monkey 0]

Yeah, those are the ones, once the caliper's off, they can slide backwards and forwards (which tnd to get in the way when putting the caliper back on!).

 

As for the fluid, you don't have to touch anything where that's concerned.

 

But the caliper will be stiff to get off, I usually find gentle 'persuasion' from a hammer helps!

[G60Jet 1]

You can push the caliper pistons back before you undo the calipers, you can do this by hand without undoing the nipple (easy), but its hard, If you are changing the discs two just us a screw driver between the disc and pad and easy the caliper back, (but only if you are doing the discs too).

 

Personally i would only try pushing the calipers back if the car is on stands, they are a bit more stable than a VW/Trolley jack.

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

thanks for this gents will be a great help tonight!

 

(do the two bolts come totally out from the caliper or do they just need substantially losening)

 

then once the bolts are losened does the caliper pull straight off or do they need to be knocked back with hammer( dave just read again what you said about using a hammer to knock the caliper off gently)! are the pads left inside the caliper! sorry for asking silly questions just wanna make 100% sure what im doing?

 

one last thing as my brakes are binding the pads are quite attached to the disc! will they losen from the disc when i losen those two bolts?

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

i might do a wiki if this is ok dom although 95% of the people on the forum can prob do this with there eyes closed im sure there is a few out there like me that havent got a clue!

[_Monkey 0]

Yep, the two bolts come completely out.

 

The pads should be left in the caliper carrier, but more often then not, they come with the caliper.

 

The calpier does require a little tapping to loosen it off, but don't go nuts!

 

Might be worth mentioning that you can push the caliper piston back (very stiff!), occasionally they can move in a little whan you remove them, and you won't be able to put them back on, just push really hard and it'll move back slowly.

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

thanks for all your help guys i have a clear picture in my mind now of what ive got to do! will update later thanks andy

[DaveVR6 0]

take some photos, make a wiki-thingy!

[G60Jet 1]

you can just undo the lower bolt and loosen the upper onen then swing the caliper up, just watch the brake line doesnt get kinked/squashed.

 

you can hand the caliper off the spring using an wire coat hanger

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

hi all completed last night wasnt too bad at all! done with pics ready for wiki just pm'ed dinkus to ask him how to! im thinking now that one of my discs is slightly warped as it is still squeaking but only on a constant as if its touching one bit on every rotation and when i was spinning the disc last night it didnt seem entirely flush! could this be rite! very happy that i can now change my pads in future with relative ease!

[colinstubbs 0]

Well if you do have to change the discs you just take off everything you've just done and then undo one screw, Viola!

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

thanks colin yeah i noticed that! thats half the reason im gonna change tham as looks real easy! plus i havent totally eliminated the squeak! but is about 10 times better! ive just been writting up the wiki now so if anyones as stupid as me it might be of some help!

[_Monkey 0]

I had a similar problem, I had the hub off and changed the bearings, that still didn't fit it, turned out it was crappy pads, I put some Pagid fast road pads in (very good) and they haven't squeeked since!

[2cc 0]

Well if you do have to change the discs you just take off everything you've just done and then undo one screw, Viola!

 

Not quite, you will have to remove the caliper carriers before you can remove the discs. They're held on with two hex head bolts, 18mm or 19mm (they changed sizes somewhere along the way); torque to 125Nm (92lb ft).

 

Torque figure for the caliper bolts is 35Nm (26lb ft)

HTH

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

mate yeah i found out why mine has been squeaking must have same prob as you coz they were sh*tty halfords pads on there so am gonna change the whole set up asap its either that or the disc thats warped coz somethings making it squeal and its not the right squeal for a wheel bearing! just money defficient! at mo fella!

 

how much you loving the lighter nights thou!

 

yes 2cc is right the caliper carry needs to come off first! some monkey seems to off slightly rounded the head on my top carrier bolt so not going to touch that till i get a new bolt does anyone know where i can get one from?

[_Monkey 0]

And that really isn't fun if they don't play!!

 

I ended up having to cut them off with an angle grinder, then cut the old disc in half so i could slide off the carrier and wind out the bolts with a pair of mole grips! :?

 

It took me 2 hours just to do one side!!!

 

And 15min to do the other! :roll:

 

 

Yeah, lighter nights rock! :sunny:

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

dave what bolts did you replace them with are they pretty standard or vag items?

[_Monkey 0]

I know a guy who is a VW specillist, he had a bucket full of bolts he'd had off of VW's Audis etc, found a couple in there.

 

Gotta feeling they might be vag.

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

it looks like i might be going that way dave with mine! will get the pads in first just to see if the squeak stops then if it does will order new discs up after anyway and refit the old pads just till the new discs come!

 

also on the drivers side one of my 4 wheel nuts its slightly rounded! does anyone know if i have to get these from vw! or can i get them from elsewhere?

[_Monkey 0]

You can get wheel nuts from any scrappy foc!

 

Just find any old VW/Audi whip one off and stick it in your pocket!

 

While you're there have every fuse/relay/bulb outta the car too!

[iow_corrado_g60 0]

ok will get down there when ive got the discs etc! wheel wont be off till then hopefully! gona send wiki to dinkus! tonight cheers for help dave

[_Monkey 0]

No worries mate, good luck! :thumbleft: