Well, some of you may know I recently bought a Mk2 Octavia 1.9TDi. This soon became a Mk1 after pin sharp detection from silver1011. Good news is that my repair purchases were all correct prior to this correction to my assumption.

The car is a 2006 (hence posting in the 2004-2013 section) with 176000 miles and custom sill dents where jacks have lifted the car. A feature I can use to identify it should I lose it at an Octavia meet.

So, last week I fitted new disc rotors and pads all round as the ones on, were shot. Hand brake wasn't great either. After initial sticking to near side rear, I did what any self respecting couch potato would do and ignored it hopping it would go away.

This week I've returned to the rear brakes but this time to look at the handbrake function. Near side sliders bolt/nut (which I didn't use to do the pads last week!) are fast, at least the bottom one. Decent spanners wouldn't go-amiss. I may treat myself. Facom! I will! After a lot of malleting, a pinch of penetrating oil and a coffee break. The wheel went back on with nothing much done. Off side then got my touch. The handbrake lever has a return spring held by a cable tie. It's awful under there. I still gave the time to round the nuts and bolts on the sliders and wiggle the handbrake lever. This was no where near the return stop. Having spent less time on this side than the other, practice makes perfick, the wheel went back on. Tools away and chocks removed. I sat in the car and pulled the handbrake on. Joy of joy and a slight bonner, it worked. I had reset the previous bodge job! Yay!

Needless to say, I want to keep this car a while and this "fix" just won't do. The car, all told, with a years TAX is still over £200 under £1000. I've already ordered backplates and bearings and now toying with the inevitable purchase of rear callipers and carrier.

Anything I should be aware of when purchasing calliper/carrier sets as TRW seem to only fit TRW and I can only find TRW carries. Fleebay is my shop of choice and I'm after both sides complete.

SKODA OCTAVIA 1.9 TRW Carrier, brake caliper, 05-10 246e £21.95 each + £4.95 post

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371359624819

PAIR OF REAR BRAKE CALIPERS To Fit SKODA OCTAVIA (CAR2029) £74.90 inclusive of post

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321674872977

or

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311458126322

To sum up. How to reset a bodge job. A: Wiggle it then hit it with a mallet.

Right, feet up.

Edited 6 December, 201510 yr by 4tplus

I got a pagid recon off euros with black friday discount, you wont need carriers as they dont brake. My off side hand brake didnt work at all so was well worth changing over and easy to fit as long as got a spare leg to pump the pedal. The hand brake mechanism cannot be rebuilt as such so eith go new recon or find a working second hand pair on a breaker

I'm not looking forward to doing this job as the calipers look rusty as f*** on my Elegance, those calipers from TRW apparantly are of good or satisfactory quality, gonna have to consider them as a last resort with bleeding the brake system to add to that. Rounding the bolts maybe I need to WD40 them overnight, give them a sharp smack with a hammer to shock them into moving so they don't go chocolate.

2 years of skoda ownership has taught me one thing... buy the bolt kit aswell - so on Sunday afternoon, when everyone else has shut shop and gone home, you don't have to worry about saving that shredded bolt!

2 years of skoda ownership has taught me one thing... buy the bolt kit aswell - so on Sunday afternoon, when everyone else has shut shop and gone home, you don't have to worry about saving that shredded bolt!

 

That is one of those moments of despair, and when the bodges start.....