Standard Brake refurb

[mic_VR 3]

Evenin' all

 

At the moment my brakes are frankly shocking, really noisey and not getting even wear on the disks/pads. Basically they need a good refurb, front and rear which I'm happy to try and do myself but just wondering if anyone has done it themselves? how hard is it? can I get the parts straight from the stealers etc etc????

 

As usual, any help mucho appreciated guys 'n gals. :D

[KIPVW 0]

Hi Mate,

 

I had a go at this myself a couple of years ago and if i can do it anyone who knows how to hold a spanner the right way can do too :lol:

 

At the front i only replaced discs and pads though as the calipers were working fine but at the rear i replaced the discs and the bearings which sit inside the discs as they are pretty cheap to replace and easier to fit new ones than remove the old one's anyway, also new rear pads too!

 

I have a tool made by sykes pickevant? which winds back the pistons on the rear which makes the job a doddle, i also use it on the fronts too and use the old pad as a surface to press the piston back on those as well.

 

The rear brakes were seized too, the parts where the actual caliper slides on the caliper carrier where you need to use a spanner to stop it spinning as you bolt everything back together. One was rusted into the carrier solid so I had to replace the carrier bit with one from a scrap yard, to prevent this happening again i removed all of the slider posts/studs and really cleaned them up to remove all the rust as they had almost seized up too so lots of grease when they went back together and they move as smooth as silk now, but bear in mind mine doesn't see winter either :)

 

I then bought one of those easi bleed kits which uses pressure from an inflated tyre to push new fluid through, took about 20 mins for this little job and i didn't even remove the wheels as i have skinny arms to get in there while the car is on all four wheels, simply use some old clear pipe pushed onto the bleed nipple and a jar to catch the old fluid. My drive is dead flat too if that helps.

 

All parts were standard stuff from the dealers too.

 

Enjoy!

 

Kip.

[dinkus 10]

Yeah, as Kippy says - it's fairly easy to do. Me and Yan did my rear ones a few weeks ago.

 

I'd suggest the purchase of...

• Penetrating oil - WD40 will probably do, but PlusGas is far better if you can get hold of some. Squirt liberally and leave for 10 mins on ceased bolts.[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• Electrical contact cleaner/carb cleaner - good for cleaning bits up with.[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• Emery paper for cleaning up the pins if necessary and the sliders that the pads slide in[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• New disks & pads[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• Carrier pin refurb kits - includes the boots and the correct grease for re-greasing the pins[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• Copper slip for putting it all back togther. Get a smearing of it on the sliders and the backs of the pads to get everything moving freely and squeak free.[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• If you're feeling keen - calliper rebuild kits to replace the piston seals[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]
  
• Calliper paint to make it look all spangly after :)[/*:m:1f6aqkoa]

 

Also - make sure you remember which pins come out of which holes. They're different shapes and need to go back in the same place that you took them out of :)

[Toad 0]

Seal kits are easy to throw into the calipers. The rears need you to unwind the piston from the caliper, but this sort of helps in a way.

 

But a stick on the brake pedal to stop fluid escaping the system when the calipers are removed and get them all shotblast, be careful with the rubber seal on the handbrake mech on the rears. Paint them up and put a nice layer of copper grease around the aforementioned seal sto help prevent it corroding in the future.

 

Caliper carriers also like attention, I'd clean them, and file the pad guides square, paint the other surfaces, and fit new rubber boots on the pins.

 

The rears can be a bugger to remove, so use a punch to beat the allen key headed bolts a bit to help loosen them. if you need more clearence take the bolt out the bottom of the rear shock to let the akle hang a little lower. You might neet to beat the allen key in afterwards, but this will only serve to help.

 

Goodridge flexi lines are a reasonable investment (£55 at GSF)

 

Front Brembo (standard not drilled etc) disks from GSF are pretty good, EBC greenstuff front pads are alright too, genuine VW rear disks, bearings and pads normally do the trick for me.

 

oh,

 

And don't sleep with badgers...

[Badger 0]

Was that you? It was very dark...

[mic_VR 3]

Right, cheers for all the help guys. Most things suggested I've already done (100% my fault for not wording my question very well) like i've got new disks and pads all round, Brembo fronts with mintex pads and standard rear disks and pads from VAG.

 

Whilst I was doing them i did try to clean everything up suitably, wire brush to the calipers/carriers etc and cleaned up the carrier pins.

 

But going by what you guys have said I might have made a slight error in the fact that when cleaning up the pins I didn't necessarily put them back in the right spaces :( ......... how vital is that?

 

Judging by what you've all said I think I'm going to take the whole lot off again and do the job properly, painting caliper etc etc and replacing seals in the pistons. Do you know if I can get all the seals, pin refurb kits from VAG still or do GSF do full kits.

 

And anyone got a good method for cleaning up all caliper and carriers, not involving sand blasting because I'm a cheapskate and don't have anywhere round here that'll do it for me. :lol:

[Jim Bowen 1]

i'm kinda in the middle of the same thing, bought some 288 front calipers, rebuilding those, and still not sure what to do with rears, whether to get mk4 calipers or rebuild corrado ones

 

i cleaned them up with wire wheels that go in the drill, and some scotch pad type stuff, but they still not perfect.

 

was going to buy a sandblasting setup, still might get this as its taken ages to clean the calipers so far

 

pete griff has some good pics of his brake refurb from bigandred

[fla 9]

My front wheels sound as if they bind very slightly. Is this normal ie should the inner brake pad actually remain in contact with the disc at all times, or should they spin quite freely (bearing in mind i have disconnected the driveshafts)?

[weetos 0]

My front wheels sound as if they bind very slightly. Is this normal ie should the inner brake pad actually remain in contact with the disc at all times, or should they spin quite freely (bearing in mind i have disconnected the driveshafts)?

sure its not the splash plate catching? it does run v close to disc and easily bent

[was8v 0]

Couple of tips:

 

The slider pins aren't available on their own only as a complete carrier unit. So its a scrapyard job (early Mk3 GTI/VR6 C G60) if yours are foobarred.

 

The rubber slider boots are available as are new caliper seals from VAG.

 

Every carrier bolt I have ever taken off Mk2s or corrados has been stuck fast or rounded previously. A 12 point metric socket (I forgot the size) socket hammers perfectly over it and lets you use a breaker bar. Probably best to get a couple of replacements in before starting - the replacements use a larger size allen key head presumably to stop them rounding.

[Jim Bowen 1]

 

But going by what you guys have said I might have made a slight error in the fact that when cleaning up the pins I didn't necessarily put them back in the right spaces :( ......... how vital is that?

 

 

 

:

 

 

same here?

 

how important is it?

[n3p 3]

Revival..

 

Does anyone know if:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-Golf-II-III-Front-Brake-Caliper-repair-Kit-5415_W0QQitemZ270259077679QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270259077679&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

 

is what i'd need to sort out my front 288s? chars 8)

[dukest 0]

seems to only cover early vr's and not the later ones with the 288s so i dont think they'd be right.. could be wrong though :shrug:

[mic_VR 3]

For the 288's from a mk3, which use the 54mm ATE calipers, you need this kit Caliper repair kit - 54mm

 

I've used these guys recently for my own brakes and they were really helpful and the stuff was sent same day 1st class.

[was8v 0]

Revival..

 

Does anyone know if:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-Golf-II-III-Front-Brake-Caliper-repair-Kit-5415_W0QQitemZ270259077679QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270259077679&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

 

is what i'd need to sort out my front 288s? chars 8)

 

 

[strike:3mrlb6nx]Cheaper from VAG. £8.50 for seal kit and about a fiver for the little slider boots and bolts.[/strike:3mrlb6nx]

[Jim Bowen 1]

when i went to VW it was £12 something for the seals and dust covers, didn't ask about the bolts, but the rubber boots that cover them were £5 each :!

 

i don't get VW sometimes

[n3p 3]

Cheers guys!

[was8v 0]

when i went to VW it was £12 something for the seals and dust covers, didn't ask about the bolts, but the rubber boots that cover them were £5 each :!

 

i don't get VW sometimes

[boost monkey 0]

Not sure if anyone mentioned but the socket that fits nicely over a rear carrier allen bolt is a 16mm, IIRC.

 

Was8v, you should lay on the charm with your dealer :luvlove: although some of them are just n0bs :lol:

[Supercharged 2]

Odd I paid £8.50 for a full set of 4x seals and 4x dust covers and then not more than a fiver for a box with 2xboots and 2xbolt (these came in a really manky old box that looked like it had been hanging around for 10 years).

 

This was I think 3 months ago. My dealer never gives me any discount either.

 

I think thats becuase you bought the repair kit rather than parts seperatly...

 

Other thing is the rear carrier bolts from MK3 are 1mm longer, still fit fine and are always instock at 45p each as opposed to £2 for the Corrado ones!

[neil w 0]

Just for info the caliper pins are only available from VW as part of the carrier assembly at £140 plus for each rear carrier BUT the carriers are the same on the AudI A4 (B5) models and Audi very nicely sell the pins separately for an awful lot less.

[was8v 0]

Odd I paid £8.50 for a full set of 4x seals and 4x dust covers and then not more than a fiver for a box with 2xboots and 2xbolt (these came in a really manky old box that looked like it had been hanging around for 10 years).

 

This was I think 3 months ago. My dealer never gives me any discount either.

 

I noted that down wrong, £8.50 was for the little boots and bolts, the caliper seals were more.

[colinstubbs 0]

Just for info the caliper pins are only available from VW as part of the carrier assembly at £140 plus for each rear carrier BUT the carriers are the same on the AudI A4 (B5) models and Audi very nicely sell the pins separately for an awful lot less.

 

I upgraded my rear calipers to mk3 golf ones years ago. Would I have had to change the carriers or would I still have the originals? :scratch: Long time ago!

 

Pads need changing, the last time I did them the pins looked manky, cleaned up ok a but i promised myself i'd change them next time, rubbers too!!

 

I'm just wondering if the Audi pins would fit whatever I've got at the rear!!! Do you have a number for the Audi items please???