I have just this minute come in from fitting these to my partners car. Not sure how long the rear brake had been sticking but only noticed it after I adjusted the handbrake - I was more sensitive to the sound as I was convinced it was because I had over tightened the hand brake and it wasn't releasing properly. I only realised it was the caliper at fault when I disconnected the cable to that side and still had the same fault (manually pushing the operating lever on the caliper solved it, until the hand brake was applied again. I left the cable off that side until I got these springs).

I went to TPS and used part numbers:

1K0615295 (Left side)

1K0615296 (Right side)

Total cost was under £5 inc VAT, and they were ordered in for the next day.

the springs work fine, but they don't stop the caliper from seizing, i've already renewed the o/s caliper when i initially thought that was the problem with the handbrake, pre spring fitting, now i need another caliper, not happy

1KO 615295

1KO 615296

These are the part numbers I used.

Both parts came to a grand total of £4.62 from TPS

This thread has gone on for so long, the correct part numbers will never be accepted!

Different part numbers will still get posted every time.

I've ordered and fitted the 7M0 615 295 and 7M0 615 296 "Sharan" softer (90°) handbrake return springs. In Europe (Croatia) the parts are registered under a new code 7H0 615 295A and 7H0 615 296. Cost is around 5 EUR.

 

The 1K0 springs are harder ones with ~180° angle.

 

Just wanted to report this so there is no confusion, as I've searched the whole thread and it took me a while until I understood what is what.

 

And another thing - check your handbrake cables, I've reset the caliper and put the return spring only to discover my right handbrake cable is seized and barely moves. Will take recommendations on good DIY tutorials, part numbers, etc.

1KO 615295

1KO 615296

These are the part numbers I used.

Both parts came to a grand total of £4.62 from TPS

 

Just ordered these, £4.96.... Just to give people a rough idea on cost.

A quick question..... Do the springs have to be fitted in pairs or can you fit them to just one calliper?

Our near side handbrake mechanism is sticking but the offside seems fine so does it hurt to fit just the one spring? If I fitted both would it be causing issues to the side that is working ok anyway?

Cheers

Dave.

Edited 1 December, 201312 yr by WaveyDavey

Couldn't imagine it would hurt to install on one side, but for the sake of a couple of quid and a few seconds to install them I'd probably just install both. Gives you the future peace of mind aswell

Well.... I got the 1K0 springs from the Skoda dealer yesterday (They have them as being for an Octavia) and then spent around an hour trying to get the first one on!!!! Gave up when it went dark and i was ready to hit summat very hard!!!

 

Then came and had another look on this thread again to check if i was doing it right and realised the concensus seems to be the 7M0 springs are the better option and a lot easier to fit!!!! (Ties in with what other people had been telling me that they are a 10 min job to fit both springs!!!)

 

 

So anyway i've ordered a pair of the 7M0 springs from the local VW dealer and they should hopefully be in tomorrow.

 

 

 

Mental note..... Next time ACTUALLY read the WHOLE of the thread before going off and trying to do the job!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave.

Dave how were you trying to fit them?

 

Easiest way I found was to measure the distance between the caliper, then compress the spring in a vice until the ends were the distance apart required.

 

Cable tied together, they go straight in. 

 

Simply cut the tie off once on the car

I was trying as per the techniques used earlier in this thread. I also then saw the posts about it making the handbrake very heavy so i'm gonna try the Sharan springs to see if they are strong enough to sort the caliper before then, if need be, having another go with the 1K0 springs.

 

 

No access to a vice though i'm afraid so god knows how i'll get 'em on if i do need to use them!!! :(

 

 

 

 

I thought you'd gone for the Sharan one's too though Sam?????

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave.

Edited 5 December, 201312 yr by WaveyDavey

Just started hunting this thread out again..............

 

....................realised that I posted on here that was going to do the "mod" when I rebuilt the rear callipers a few years ago.........

 

Guess what?....................I forgot didn't I ....................

 

Drivers side handbrake mech is defo now sticking 4mm down and the passenger side is 1mm off (which is what they should be from the stops). And I've had the pads off and cleaned/greased/de-rusted etc etc. all for the MOT (which it passed last week)!

 

I have already wd40 the pivot....defo need the springs now....bugger!

 

Now what was the part no???..............  ......................

 

........(I know 7H0 615 295 A....and..7H0 615 296)

Got the springs as listed above & done the mod...........no problems!!!

 

Points to note.

 

1. the springs are from the VW Transporter as the old parts (7M0) were VW Sharan & when you type that in it says N/A & gives you the 7H0 transporter part numbers!  I had an interesting conversation with my local VW parts centre!! Total cost inc. vat was £5.25.

 

2. chock front wheels & slacken of the handbrake cables.  Clean gunk/dirt off the holes in arms. Fit springs fully into the slots.

 

3. Then fully press brake pedal & release (do this 4 times), then whilst applying brake pedal apply & release the handbrake 3 times as this sets the mechs etc. all ok.  

 

4. now you can adjust the nut on the handbrake lever to tighten the cables! I adjusted mine so that the slack is taken up but the arms are still against the stops! This prevents undue strain on the cables, as normally you should have a 1mm gap between the arm & stop when the handbrake released!

 

5. final check is to jack one of the rear wheels up and turn the wheel. The wheel should turn very easy & continue spinning. 1st click handbrake on should slow wheel down, 2nd click should make it very difficult to turn even with lots of effort, 3rd click solid!, 4th click is just possible to apply on handbrake.

 

6. when adjusting the handbrake nut I have found that the yolk for the cables sits better if a "corner" of the nut is pointing upwards and a "flat" is on each side of the yolk 9corner at 12 o'clock, flats at 3 & 9 o'clock.

 

7. handbrake is the same force as before when applying, but defo "flies off" abit quicker!!

 

I've always slackened off the handbrake cable to let the levers return on to their rests and "stuff" the VAG advice on car with rear discs. You probably find that with these springs fitted and the pistons working correctly that even when the levers are on the rests there is still plenty available free travel left on the lever and in fact it will only need as you say a max of four clicks to be fully on. This was also the way I kept things on my B5 Passat  and it has the external springs fitted as standard - different callipers.

Just an update to my situation.....

 

Got the Sharan springs before Christmas and fitted them in 5 minutes. I'd given the mechanism a good going with WD40 already but have now also purchased some spray on grease as a more harder wearing lubricant. I've given it a couple of applications of the grease and all is now fine.

 

 

The caliper no longer binds but i have noticed that it is still not fully releasing. The mechanism releases to about 2 or 3mm from it's stopper so it may be that if the discs and pads were new rather than worn that the caliper would be binding again but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it as i think the discs and pads will require replacing at the next service towards the end of the year.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave.

Edited 12 January, 201412 yr by WaveyDavey

Another quick update as my previous post was going on what i'd seen a couple of weeks before when i put the last lot of grease on the caliper....

 

 

I've just checked it tonight and the caliper is now fully releasing the same as the other side is so looks like the pair of springs at six quid and the tin of spray on grease at six quid has sorted the issue.

 

Better than the price i was looking at paying for the new caliper and fitting.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave.

This thread is a testament to why this forum is so good!

As with most people who've looked into doing this - I fitted new pads and discs and after 500 miles they began binding on quite badly. Awful smell, very hot OSR disc and wheel and poor fuel economy were the obvious symptoms. Oh and the handbrake was operating as the single least useful thing I'd ever witnessed.

VW garage in Chester supplied the springs 7H0 615 295 A and 7H0 615 296 (they did ask if I owned a VW Transporter) for about £5.20 all in. Took me two minutes to fit them (as per post 80 in this thread) lying under the car - no need to even jack it up. Sprayed a bit of WD40 on the mechanism and loosened it off. Just applied the handbrake and brakes a few times and released them to test it was working fine. Job done.

After a few days and a fair few miles the handbrake is great and the mechanism is releasing to the end of its travel.

Only thing i'd add to that TommyH is to apply some spray on grease after the WD40 as this will be longer lasting than the WD40.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave.

Hi all,

 

I have the dreaded rear caliper binding / seizing problem, my rear pads were changed a few hundred miles back and the handbrake has gone from bad to worse to non existent! Until I manually un-seize them by pulling up on the arms. My off side rear wheel is a lot hotter to touch than the drivers side, although this also bites / seizes also, I can even hear a high pitch screech / scraping when driving sometimes where the pads are rubbing the discs I guess.

 

I've read the whole of this extremely useful & helpful thread and I have ordered & received the 7H0 VW springs via my local TPS, I thought it would be worth trying this spring fix / upgrade first to see if it would hopefully cure my problem for under a fiver!

My only problem is that I'm unsure on how to fit them as my caliper arms look different to all of the pictures in this thread, please see attached image

 

 

My car is on a 54 plate, so maybe it's an age thing? The calipers have Lucas branding on one of the green plate on the opposite side.

Does anyone else have these? Or have come across these before? Any fitting advice would be gratefully received & appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance, Stu.

Edited 22 May, 201412 yr by S7uart

I think that you have the "anti mooing" dampers fitted to your rear brakes. Maybe just remove these dampers and fit the springs as described - note, I know nothing about these dampers, just that they were fitted to minimise/stop unwanted noises when reversing (I think) slowly, but probably only on request from owner during warranty period.

 

All these rear callipers on these cars are "Lucas" or more correctly TRW as they bought over that part of Lucas. Remember to remove the calliper and pads and clean everything up and make sure the levers are freed up as you can't expect these springs to sort things out while everything else is seized.

Edited 23 May, 201412 yr by rum4mo

Thanks for your reply rum4mo, that makes sense and I have come across mentions on the internet about the "anti mooing" dampers when Googling my problems but never come across any images. I'll try taking them off (looks like they are only held in place with a alan key bolt) and see how I get on.

 

Thanks for all of your advice and knowledge it certainly helps.

 

I'll let you know how I get on as someone else may come across this problem / situation also.

 

Kind regards, Stu.

ok I have this problem my self now, my rears look the same as the pic just above this (S7uart's Pic) 

 

is the procedure different for this calliper? im wondering if they are not genuine callipers, maybe they have been changed in the past? 

 

either way I have just ordered new discs and pads as they are looking a bit rough on the back, but need to sort the handbrake issue too.

 

Any Ideas?

 

 

Cheers

Dazzler  

Have realised now that it is the anti-cow device (somthing about mooing).

After giving the handbrake lever a wack it is free for a mo, it was jammed solid. So soon as the new discs and pads arrive will get it apart and clean it up.

Anyone got any tips for fitting the springs with the antimoo.

Cheers

Daz

Edited 12 August, 201411 yr by dazzler22

Well an update on the mrs' car..... as per above i fitted the springs back in December and they sorted the issue till a couople of weeks ago when the dodgy caliper finally went / seized altogether. I knew at the time it wasn't going to be a permanent fix but at least it lasted long enough to split up the money we were paying out on the car as when i initially fitted the springs the car was already havign a major service, cambelt change and a new radiator so at least the springs meant spreading the total costs over a couple of jobs rather than all being done at the same time. Autohaus Dolby did the work and even fitted the spring back onto the new caliper they fitted.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Dave.

Well my update on this. £150, 2 New calipers, discs and pads, 1ltr of brake fluid and all works again.... Seems like it was the fix for mine!

(Caliper that was sticking was doomed. As a new caliper was 50 it seemed silly not to just get 2 New calipers.)

Cheers

Daz