2002 1.9 TDI elegance estate

hi guys/gals - after successfully doing the fronts, thanks to the mine of information on here, a few months back. I need to do the rear discs and pads.

I'm aware of the windback needed on the calipers (as opposed to the straight push back on the fronts) but a couple of questions:

1 - Anyone tried one of these to do the job: Draper 3 8 Square Drive Brake Caliper Wind Back Cube 52334

2 - if they're rubbish I may get a more expensive tool / kit but is the caliper a right handed or left handed wind back?

Thanks as always

Get the proper one, if I remember correctly they are under £20 and pust as well as winding the piston in, which is what it required. Halfords sell them as do most other motor factors I think.

Clockwise to wind in, anti-clockwise to wind out.

I've got a Halfords one, does the job fine.

Had one for a 4x4 Sierra, tried to adapt it for Skoda use ,,,,,,,, then slung it!

20 squids is well worth it.

I got a Laser windback tool from a motorfactors.

I've got a proper one - Southampton if you need to borrow it!

Haynes says you can use circlip pliers instead to save you buying the tool.

I picked up the Laser Rewind Tool from Halfords, made the job very simple, think I paid just under 20 quid for it.

As for the Haynes manual, aye, you maybe able to use pliers to do the job, but I found it nigh impossible, you can use the pliers to turn the piston, but you still need to push the piston in at the same time, pain in the **** imo.

Forget that - it's hard enough with the wind back tool. Sometimes it will jam if you use the push as well as wind function, I then mout the caliper and manually turn and push it. I also lube under the dust seal with a little brake fluid as it frees off the staines/lubes the piston as it pushes back through the seal preventing seal damage and seizing.

Get the tool/kit, I have one with about 9 different ends for all sorts of different calipers and it gets a regular work out. Last time on someone's car who had spend half a day trying to wind the piston in....

Greg.

Haynes says you can use circlip pliers instead to save you buying the tool.

Haynes says you can use circlip pliers instead to save you buying the tool.

It would be very difficult to use circlip pliers I think. I made my own tool, but it wasnt easy, but I was in the middle of nowhere when I started the job (and had not checked what tools I needed!)

Thanks for the offer Johnnycatbiscuit, but decided to bite the bullet and get the laser one from halfrauds, offered to do my Dad's Golf ones in a couple of weeks, so will probably need it for that anyway.

Now all done (hopefully) successfully !

For info I borrowed a mates circlip pliers set and Gclamp, gave that a go for 10 minutes in the hope that it would work and I wouldn't have to get the windback tool out of the packet so I could just take it back but it was stiff as hell and an awkward position, I could have done with another pair of hands, then it started to p*ss down with rain so I thought sod it and just used the tool . . . piece of p*ss with that,.

The yorkshire blood in me doesn't like spending money but I, like others, recommend spending the 20 quid for the effort it saves!

The yorkshire blood in me doesn't like spending money but I, like others, recommend spending the 20 quid for the effort it saves!

Same here, used to do my MkII GTI with a pair of pipe grips, but lost too much skin that way. On the upside, from my point of view, the proper tool was only about £12 when I bought mine, but that was about 18 years ago

Haynes says you can use circlip pliers instead to save you buying the tool.

Yeah Haynes is a big liar! I tried it. Fail.

You need the tool.

What ever happened to Haynes, he never used to lie, now he seems to just make stuff up to fill the pages!

Hello schmooser,

As said you will need the "Laser 1314" rewind tool as piston is rotated clockwise (both sides) whilst pressure is also applied onto piston head.

You will find your draper tool is too small, and in effect useless (I got one, so I do know).

Price for "Laser 1314" varies from place to place, but I can guarantee tool will pay for itself the first time you use it, against garage labour charges.

Invest in a small tube of copper-based grease for when carrying out the job.

Good-luck. Ian.

Hello,

I replaced rear discs and pads at the weekend, haynes said I should slacken off the brake bleed nipple to stop dirt getting in the ABS valves as you wind the piston back in.

I couldn't undo the bleed nipple and thought being more manly with it would snap it. Is it unwise to not bleed it at the same time?

Cheers

Phil

It'll be fine, ignore Haynes!

The bleed nippes on mine are bloody tight too though! There shouldn't be any dirt in the brake lines to push back anyway.

I think maybe Haynes assumes your car is old and rusty, and the brake lines are made of paper!