Idiots guide to brakes

[Aspman]

I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do my rear brakes soon.

The moths that live in my wallet told me to man up and do myself.

I'll probably get Pargid disks and pads from Eurocar parts. Using my number plate the site returns two sets of disks and pads for my car. One for Lucas brakes and one for Bosche. How do I know what I have? There is nothing printed on the caliper that I've seen?

What tools will I need?

I've got a set of axel stands, a torque wrench and not much else.

I don't have a socket set and was only going to buy the bits I need.

I've figured I'll need a breaker bar, a socket, a socket for the disk retainer, a spanner, wheel chocks and a wind back tool.

So how big a breaker bar, what sockets (there is a funny screw for the disks isn't there), which spanner and a left or right wind back tool?

Last stupid question for now (I hope), when you use the wind back tool, if I have to decant out any brake fluid, what do you use to do it? A srynge or is there loads that'll come back up?

Is there an eejits guide anywhere, I couldn't see one.

My fronts will need done sometime this year too but if I can do the rears the fronts should be easy.

Many thanks.

Edited 16 January, 2012 by Aspman

[Grizzle]

i use this guide, have done my van brakes which had mk5 gti brakes, and will probably do the vrs brakes too.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=225698

[Aspman]

Cheers.

Just found this on youtube

Looks easy enough, if I had a ramp and loads of tools....

Edited 16 January, 2012 by Aspman

[Grizzle]

Were abouts in Sunny Scotland are you? i wouldnt mind giving you a hand mate.

[FIBAMAN]

I tried Pagid discs and pads on the frontlast year.

No comment on discs, but pads create lots of dust and I am not getting the mileage I did previously, doing same driving routes and style.

Have bought EBC this time excellent service and I believe good value for money.

[FIBAMAN]

I tried Pagid discs and pads on the frontlast year.

No comment on discs, but pads create lots of dust and I am not getting the mileage I did previously, doing same driving routes and style.

Have bought EBC this time excellent service and I believe good value for money.

[07 vRS Taxi]

Cheers.

Just found this on youtube

Looks easy enough, if I had a ramp and loads of tools....

looks alot easier than it is lol I sufferd a rounded off retaining bolt which I had to drill out, the carrier bolts were stuck solid! One of the pistons was seized and I was on half an hour just trying to get the 'heat welded on' disc off! Absoloute nightmare of a job using axle stands id accept grizzles offer. Edited 16 January, 2012 by 07 vRS Taxi

[Aspman]

Were abouts in Sunny Scotland are you? i wouldnt mind giving you a hand mate.

Not that far but not that close. Up the A85 from Perth but I might take you up on that offer.

Prob be a couple of months before I do it. Planning on running them as long as I can and flogging some stuff on Ebay to pay for them.

No doubt it will be a b!tch of a job them having been on for nearly 5yr.

Thought padgid parts were the ones to go for. Didn't realise there was much difference of opinion. With the discount I found ECP was coming in at about £75. If OEM was similar I'd be perfectly happy with them. I'm not modding for performance.

Edited 16 January, 2012 by Aspman

[furn]

ive just done my rear brakes mate, and to be honest after what you have said you have, equipment wise it would probably be cheaper to get them done at a garage. the caliper mounting bracket bolts were a ****** to get off, you really need a good bit of room underneath the car to get a power bar or torque wrench in as there isnt a lot of places to get to them except from directly below.

once they are off there are really easy to be honest. but you seem lacking in equipment to do the job.

if you still want to do them yourself , ill list all the tools i used!

by the way i fitted ebc redstuff, the improvement in the amount of dust they dont create has to worth a thought, and the braking is also very good. you can get discs and pads for about £90-100 depending where you get them.

[07 vRS Taxi]

ive just done my rear brakes mate, and to be honest after what you have said you have, equipment wise it would probably be cheaper to get them done at a garage. the caliper mounting bracket bolts were a ****** to get off, you really need a good bit of room underneath the car to get a power bar or torque wrench in as there isnt a lot of places to get to them except from directly below.

once they are off there are really easy to be honest. but you seem lacking in equipment to do the job.

if you still want to do them yourself , ill list all the tools i used!

by the way i fitted ebc redstuff, the improvement in the amount of dust they dont create has to worth a thought, and the braking is also very good. you can get discs and pads for about £90-100 depending where you get them.

The front carrier bolts are going to be worse they are torqued to 198nm the rear are only 98nm plus a further 90 degree turn.

[skodacarman]

Brake fixings and fastenings are notorious for corroding and seizing up solid, with little room to get at them with long leverage tools, that could anyway pull the car off the axle stands.

Best investment I ever made for brake work is this cheap 12V impact wrench from Tool Mart:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cir13c-1-2in-impact-wrench-kit-12v?da=1&TC=SRC-12v impact driver

I've found that it's small enough to get into some really awkward places.

Connect it to your car battery, stick it on the nut/bolt, let it wind up for about ten seconds and then BLAP!!! - job done.

Good for wheel nuts too. Be sure to use proper impact sockets with it.

[Aspman]

If they're really stuck on won't that rip my arm off?

Starting to sound like I'd be better off using the ECP discount to get cheap bits and head to my friendly indy.

[martziniuk]

Brake fixings and fastenings are notorious for corroding and seizing up solid, with little room to get at them with long leverage tools, that could anyway pull the car off the axle stands.

Best investment I ever made for brake work is this cheap 12V impact wrench from Tool Mart:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cir13c-1-2in-impact-wrench-kit-12v?da=1&TC=SRC-12v impact driver

I've found that it's small enough to get into some really awkward places.

Connect it to your car battery, stick it on the nut/bolt, let it wind up for about ten seconds and then BLAP!!! - job done.

Good for wheel nuts too. Be sure to use proper impact sockets with it.

Is that impact wrench any good? It damn cheap. I've got an air one but I don't think my compressor is big enough to run it as it doesn't get nuts off too well.

[Grizzle]

If they're really stuck on won't that rip my arm off?

Starting to sound like I'd be better off using the ECP discount to get cheap bits and head to my friendly indy.

Price them up on vwspares.co.uk, i have used them before for my van running 312mm brakes and carrying at times serious weight in the van and never suffered any heat soak or that.

and Perth is only an hour up the motorway, and an hour back and a few in between i'll do anything for some peace from the wife

[07 vRS Taxi]

Brake fixings and fastenings are notorious for corroding and seizing up solid, with little room to get at them with long leverage tools, that could anyway pull the car off the axle stands.

Best investment I ever made for brake work is this cheap 12V impact wrench from Tool Mart:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cir13c-1-2in-impact-wrench-kit-12v?da=1&TC=SRC-12v impact driver

I've found that it's small enough to get into some really awkward places.

Connect it to your car battery, stick it on the nut/bolt, let it wind up for about ten seconds and then BLAP!!! - job done.

Good for wheel nuts too. Be sure to use proper impact sockets with it.

That will work great on the rear but at 170nm max output it wont work on the front theres a 12v RAC impact wrench on ebay that reaches 350nm! £28.99 or itl take a two poster and a huge breaker bar to crack those bolts. Edited 17 January, 2012 by 07 vRS Taxi

[Aspman]

Price them up on vwspares.co.uk, i have used them before for my van running 312mm brakes and carrying at times serious weight in the van and never suffered any heat soak or that.

and Perth is only an hour up the motorway, and an hour back and a few in between i'll do anything for some peace from the wife

What do I do for peace from my wife???

Phone my friendly indy and he reckon he'd want £80 to fit which seems like a helluvalot. He has been getting dearer.

ECP working out a bit cheaper than vwspares with the 25% discount code.

[skodacarman]

Is that impact wrench any good? It damn cheap. I've got an air one but I don't think my compressor is big enough to run it as it doesn't get nuts off too well.

It's always worked well for me.

It's not only about the torque it can deliver, but the sudden shock of the delivery that seems to crack the corrosion. So many ftlbs delivered in a fraction of a second seems to beat the same force applied more slowly, like through a breaker bar.

You do need to keep a firm hold of it when it does go BLAP. Practice on some wheel nuts first. Some fixings will take more than one go to losen them.

It's oviously not a professional garage tool suitable for constant use, but for occassional DIY use I've found it ideal, and at the price you have very little to lose!