Rear Brake Upgrade - Bigger Size

[thePHILosipher]

My first real post so please play nice, the time has come for me to finally kiss goodbye to the sticking rear brake setup on my car, Unit 18 have done a grand job keeping it lubed up but its finally giving up the ghost now so I need to sort them

Now since I'm having to replace the whole lot (ie cables, calipers, discs and pads) does anybody know if the rears from an LCR/Octavia Vrs are a straight swop or do I need new hubs? I believe they are 256mm and the Ibiza's are 232mm so Im thinking they might be compatible without finding new hubs.

failing that, with new hubs could the 288mm from the fronts be compatible with the rear and work with the handbrake?

I know its probably OTT and not needed, but im applying the philosophy of if its knackered, upgrade it

cheers

Edited 25 December, 2012 by thePHILosipher

[JoshH]

Yes straight fit. Will need to cut splash guards or replace with donor ones to accommodate the larger discs.

[hutchysrs50]

I've done the upgrade and took a few pics, will upload them tomorrow for ya.

I got a set of 256mm discs, pads, calipers and carriers for £100 from a mk4 golf gti anniversary edition, which are the same as the octy ones anyway.

[thePHILosipher]

Yes straight fit. Will need to cut splash guards or replace with donor ones to accommodate the larger discs.

fantastic, cheers for that

I've done the upgrade and took a few pics, will upload them tomorrow for ya.

I got a set of 256mm discs, pads, calipers and carriers for £100 from a mk4 golf gti anniversary edition, which are the same as the octy ones anyway.

brilliant, if you could upload the pic that would be awesome, has it made any real difference to the braking and do you still get them sticking?

[robbieh]

Is it the handbrake mech that sticks on yours?...if so I had the same happen to mine and I fixed it for free.

The Audi TT has a spring to help the handbrake lever on the calipers release. I took two off of a car in a breakers and fitted them to my calipers. The spring locating holes are already on the Fabia's calipers...it just doesn't have the springs.

Sticking handbrake cured!!

Happy to take a pic if you need it.

:-)

I'm still looking to do the 256mm upgrade on mine if just for aesthetics as the original brakes look tiny. Especially with the 312's up front.

[Seanl]

How is the brake bias regulated on these?

Just asking as I'm unaware, and obviously by upgrading rears, there could be a risk that the increased stopping power on the back end could create problems. Its the other end of the scale, but I know someone who removed his bias valve on his mk3 Golf 1.8t conv, and it swapped ends under heaving braking in the rain due to the rears locking up, and concequently totalled the car.

[Titanium_Man]

How is the brake bias regulated on these?

I know someone who removed his bias valve on his mk3 Golf 1.8t conv, and it swapped ends

I personally don't have a clue but reading up on here upgrading the rears adds little additional breaking power... However what you've written above would have probably been the only cause for locking the rear IMO

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Well I wouldn't do rears without doing fronts tbh. So that'd keep the bias correct wouldn't it?

[Seanl]

Well I wouldn't do rears without doing fronts tbh. So that'd keep the bias correct wouldn't it?

Yeah what your saying would have been my thinking too......

Edited 26 December, 2012 by Seanl

[thePHILosipher]

Is it the handbrake mech that sticks on yours?...if so I had the same happen to mine and I fixed it for free.

The Audi TT has a spring to help the handbrake lever on the calipers release. I took two off of a car in a breakers and fitted them to my calipers. The spring locating holes are already on the Fabia's calipers...it just doesn't have the springs.

Sticking handbrake cured!!

Happy to take a pic if you need it.

:-)

I'm still looking to do the 256mm upgrade on mine if just for aesthetics as the original brakes look tiny. Especially with the 312's up front.

Yes it is, Ive seen this written a few times but seemed skeptical about how well it actually works, the springs are like £3 each from a dealer so that would actually solve the issue?

Well I wouldn't do rears without doing fronts tbh. So that'd keep the bias correct wouldn't it?

Fronts are already upgraded to the 312mm setup

Tapatalk on Xperia S

[andypandypoos]

Well I wouldn't do rears without doing fronts tbh. So that'd keep the bias correct wouldn't it?

doubt it makes a difference to be honest, my Ibiza had 312 fronts and 232 rears as standard, so does our Leon. VAG are tight as arseholes, doubt they'd spend time (money) altering the bias for specific models of the same car?

[hutchysrs50]

The op already has the upgraded 312mm front brakes so it will be fine. It's also worth saying i had standard front brakes and upgraded rears, in bad weather and on a prive road of course i tried bedding the pads in abit quicker than usual and applied the brakes very hard many times on the slipper roads and not once did the back end lock up or spin round etc...

I fitted the upgraded calipers with the helper springs also to give the handbrake a much better feel and to avoid them sticking on. If the problem is just your rear brakes sticking on abit, the chances are you just need the helper springs to release the handbrake properly, very easy to check also.

The pictures i was on about...

before:

After:

Edited 26 December, 2012 by hutchysrs50

[thePHILosipher]

they certainly look more purposeful, performance wise has it honestly changed anything?

I'm going to order the helper springs from Sere motors tomorrow regardless, does anybody have any pictures to where these should be applied?

[hutchysrs50]

its hard for me to say, i fitted them around the same time as the 312mm fronts so having upgraded fronts and rears at the same time made it hard to tell, either way the braking was much better with them and they look much better, being vented discs as well.

As for fitting the helper springs, i've seen alot of pictures and a guide to doing it on here so have a search around, But if you look at the picures of the two clipers side by side, at the bottom of the caliper you can see the handbrake lever / mechanism and then the bit to the right of that (with the hole in) where the handbrake cable goes through, the spring goes on each side of them.

[thePHILosipher]

its hard for me to say, i fitted them around the same time as the 312mm fronts so having upgraded fronts and rears at the same time made it hard to tell, either way the braking was much better with them and they look much better, being vented discs as well.

As for fitting the helper springs, i've seen alot of pictures and a guide to doing it on here so have a search around, But if you look at the picures of the two clipers side by side, at the bottom of the caliper you can see the handbrake lever / mechanism and then the bit to the right of that (with the hole in) where the handbrake cable goes through, the spring goes on each side of them.

Cheers for that mate,

Ive spent the last 45mins with a mate putting the springs in

We printed a few large sized pictures off here jacked the car up ànd installed,

Look about right?

Tapatalk on Xperia S

[wilsy7]

Where did you get the springs as I just noticed I'm missing one off one side on my 256s

[thePHILosipher]

I ordered them from VW and they are the springs from the 2002 Sharan, but then again i doubt it really matters as long as they are the correct size

[hutchysrs50]

Yeah that looks fine, a few different ways to fit them but either way aslong as it pushed the handbrake off and the spring doesn't pop off, you'll be fine.

Has it cured your problem then?

Bet the handbrake leaver in the car feels much better now.

[thePHILosipher]

I refitted the left hand side one as it looked like it was the wrong way round, since then the handbrake snaps off ànd the brakes appear to have a touch more bite which is nice, might just be a placebo tho

Tapatalk on Xperia S

[Craig R]

Hey guys just wondering if youre putting on bigger brakes at the rear do you need new callipers aswell or will the OEM ones be compatable with the bigger size ( i know you have to cut away the splash guard for it to fit).

Cheers

[jkevs]

I've done the upgrade and took a few pics, will upload them tomorrow for ya.

I got a set of 256mm discs, pads, calipers and carriers for £100 from a mk4 golf gti anniversary edition, which are the same as the octy ones anyway.

This is a long shot but do you still have the 256mm setup? Thanks

J.E