Changing rear brake pads

[skippy41]

When changing the rears do you need a piston winding tool, or can you just leave the pad in and use a long screwdriver to ease the piston back

[rotodiesel]

You need a piston winding tool.

rotodiesel.

[skippy41]

Do you need one for the Octy 2 as well???, If so where do you get one from and how much roughly, I would have thought you could have left the old pads in and used a leaver as thats all a winding tool does

Thats what I do with the fronts

Edited 3 October, 2008 by skippy41

[Gizmo]

You are right you don't have to use the winding tool, but you will need to be able to put pressure on the piston whilst winding it back in, much easier with the correct tool, they can be bought for £10 - £15 (Laser 1314 is the one for a MK1 Octavia, i would think this would fit most of the VAG range)

[rum4mo]

The thing is skippy41, two things have happened while the rear pads have been wearing away - first the calliper piston has moved out further to take up the wear on the pad and disc, second the handbrake mechanism which is a rotating screw, has been slowly working its way out as well - as and when it needed to. Pressing the piston gentle back home will still leave the piston not fully retracted - maybe you will not be able to get the new pads into the space created, if you use a G-clamp to do this then you will probably end up damaging the piston assembly. So, whatever method you use, you will always need to zero, or reset the piston back on its handbrake actuating screw. Using the windback tool is meant to let you do both these things at the same time.