Rear discs & pads change on my 2.5tdi difficulty level?

[Royrover]

Been notified that the rear discs & pads are nearing the end of their life. Just wondering what kind of a job it is to do DIY??? AND are the handbrake shoes inside the drum on the Superb???

 

Any experience / explanations appreciated.

 

Regards

[Phil-E]

If it has rear discs and pads (which it will being a 2.5 TDI) then there are no drums or shoes. The handbrake uses the pads/discs.

 

It should be a pretty easy DIY job.

 

Have some wire brushes to hand and give the carriers etc a really good scrubbing down.

 

You will also need to wind them back in to get the new pads in.

 

As long as you have a good assortment of spanners, sockets and a racket with a decent length to it you should be fine.

 

Make sure you stick plenty of copper grease on the carriers and back of the pads too.

 

Phil

Edited 10 July, 2014 by Phil-E

[Gaz]

..... and a racket with a decent length to it you should be fine.

 

Phil

 

Someone watch Wimbledon by any chance? 

 

Gaz

[dieselV6]

Check discs first if they still have the required thickness and not too much lip. You may consider replacing both discs/pads. I use hard pads, and rear discs do not last more than 2 pad sets.

 

Aside from requirement for a calliper winding tool and a torque wrench, it should be an easy job. Make sure you put a tommy bar in before removing the wheel.  On older brakes, the piston seals may be going, worth checking/replacing as neccessary. Have a steel brush, sandpaper and some anti-seize grease ready, brush for all calliper-carrier and pad spring/calliper contact points, a little anti-seize for pad-calliper and pad spring/calliper contact points. Do not get any grease on the disc.  Make sure you replace the bolts holding callipers, these at least originally were stretch bolts, not to mention low profile bolt heads that can round off and prevent calliper removal after repeated use. Torque settings are in Hayes or Elsa, or someone will contribute below this post

[Phil-E]

Someone watch Wimbledon by any chance? 

 

Gaz

 

Haha! Well spotted.

 

Got a funny image of the OP stood next to his car with a long tennis racket looking puzzled!

 

Phil

[Royrover]

Excellent!!! Thanks guys, never had the rear wheels off on this one yet, but it sounds simpler than doin them on my old Vaux Omega, it had shoes inside the disc & was a right PITA! (so that's why I was wonderin)

 

Another quick Q??

 

The outer CV boot front left has split, what are you guys opinions on those 'easy fit - split' type gaiter???? the ones you glue the seam, any good??? OR is it hub out & fit a proper one??? 

 

Thanks in advance

[dieselV6]

Best to use VW/Skoda/Audi CV boot kit and make sure you get the correct diameter bolts (2 different diameters depending on power/gearbox), though I recently saw ECP had something that looked reasonable too. New VAG boots are much tougher than old ones and many pattern ones, think plastic not rubber, and so far none has failed on my car in the last 3 years  (and I swapped 3 or 4 rubber ones in 5 years before).

 

It is not hub out job, no point risking suspension geometry changes. Just put front of the car on stands, pull out ABS sensor on the serviced wheel  to prevent damage, undo driveshaft bolt, disconnect the driveshaft from gearbox (6x star screws), and with some steering movement you can get the whole driveshaft out and service it on a bench. Make sure you clean the old grease thoroughly, split boot lets water in and invites corrosion/damage. Before you put a new boot, tape over ridges on the driveshaft (where the narrow part of the boot locks), this will prevent damage during installation, remove tape afterwards, then put in the new grease (2/3 into joint, the rest into boot).  Hammer+piece of wood to get CV joint off/ back on, and a torque wrench + at least 1m long breaker bar to torque the wheel side bolt properly. Remember to push the ABS sensor fully inwards after the job.

 

The first time I did the CV boot replacement it felt messy and daunting, but as with everything, repeats were much easier, though my supply of old cloths in the garage diminished considerably after each CV joint cleaning job.

Edited 10 July, 2014 by dieselV6

[Gaz]

I never managed to get the glue-together ones to actually seal properly.

 

Have used the stretchy one's and they seem okay.

 

OEM all the way for me now though.  You can feel a noticeable difference in the weight and quality.  As DV6 points out, it's not a hard job an you'll feel much better about doing a proper job.  I'm still getting through the old socks my son grew out of as he was growing up - some of the best rags on the planet!

 

Gaz

[rwbaldwin]

A can of dismantling fluid (PlusGas, etc) works wonders on rusty bolt such as on the rear brakes. When doing the CV, it is vital that the shell, cage and ball bearings go back in the same place they came from. The OE CV boots last so much longer than most of the alternatives.