Hi..

My Octavia 1.9tdi estate 2002 Needs a rear brake overhaul..drums/shoes worn, cyls leaking one side as well!

Any of you guys know what parts are needed to change to discs? Someone told me the vw Jetta is a good donor car but thats all..anyone be more specific please?

I have taken a few drum brakes apart in my car ownership years but these are a bit of a nightmare with links and springs everywhere...!

Thanks!!

Drums are a PITA!

You might be able to just swap to the rear disc setup from a better spec'd Octavia. The vRS has vented rear discs, and I know plently of other models have solid rear discs.

A Jetta is no good, as you need a car from the same platform (PQ34). I suspect you mean Bora anyway. Most Mk1 Octavia's had rear discs, so you may as well get some off an Octavia.

Try this online shop for options: http://www.brakesint.co.uk/

2002? The Elegance and L&K certainly had rear discs as standard that year (trust me, I own one), and I'd have expected that the Ambiante would too, if only because it would make the ABS engineering easier.

If you're right about the drums, you'll certainly need discs, calipers and carriers, plus ABS sensors (no ABS on a car this age is an MOT fail). You may need different stub axles and/or trailing end arms too, which makes me wonder if the easy answer might be to get an entire rear beam from an Elegance or L&K 110.

Now I'm not claiming that drums are perfect, but under hard braking the mass goes so far forward that the rear brakes have burglar all to do anyway.

Yeah, you're right ken. On my last octavia the rear discs needed replacing due to under use, and a similar thing was happening on my toledo.

I'd change them anyway if they need doing, but there's no real point that I can see for going for the vented vSR setup. Go for the solid disc from an octavia, golf (not R32), leon/toledo (not Cupra R or late V5), bora etc etc.

Ok Thanks..look like could be best to overhaul the drum brakes I have..

I believe some thing is missing from the rear brake shoe assembly as they dont adjust themselves at all..is there a diagram somewhere so i can check everything is there and fitted correctly?