Hi. My OSR brake is sticking/squeaking. Its been like that for a few days. When i checked it last night, after a 25mile mainly motorway journey, the alloy wheel and hub were warm, not hot, but definitely warmer than the other wheels. Is it an easy diy job to fettle? I haven't spannered on this kind of thing for quite sometime

It could be that the caliper sliders have gummed up and the brakes are not coming off properly.

The sliders can be cleaned and lubed (use the special silicone grease). It involves getting the caliper off the wheel and then pulling the fixed and sliding part of the caliper apart. I've done this with lots of motor bikes and old cars, but not had to tackle it yet on my Skoda.

There's usually a rubber boot on the slider to keep gunge out. Check these have not failed when you've got it apart. If the sliders are siezed the calipers can be real b*****s to get apart, but will go back nice and easy with a bit of a clean and a lube. Get corrosion off the slider pins with a very light rub of fine emery paper before lubing - don't go beserk and scratch off the chrome plate.

If you need to get the pistons backed off to reseat the caliper on the disc when you put it back, I believe that on the Octavia the rear brake piston have be wound back in rather than simply pushed. Look in places like Machine Mart for such tools. With luck, if they came off OK they should go back on OK without the need to wind them back in.

You Tube is your friend when searching for mechanical 'how to's.

Health warning: Like I say, I've not tried doing this on a Skoda/VAG so their brakes may be completely different from what I'm used to. If in any doubt with brakes, get a professional to do it.

It's not how fast the car goes that's important, it's how well it stops. As Stirling Moss used to say "the object is to win the race at the slowest possible speed".

The Skoda rear brakes are no worse than other cars I've owned and worked on. I'd say it's at least worth taking a look and cleaning up the pads and caliper and then using a bit of cooper grease. Take a look at this guide for working on the brakes as it shows how to do it properly as squeaking and sticking pads is often fixed quite easily.

http://www.golfmkv.net/blog/archives/5#

Dougall

Cheers guys. I'll have a proper read through that golf guide in the morning

just to add that the brakes in the golf guide were identical to the ones on my 2005 Elegance, so it was really useful.