I have just had my rear brakes sorted, new discs and pads, looking at videos on the subject I notice that some have handbrake return springs.

 

Mine appears to have none, should I fit them ?

 

 

Do you need them?

1 hour ago, sepulchrave said:

Do you need them?

The brakes are binding a bit, I'm assuming that the springs might help.

 

Are they standard fitting or an mod ?

Not standard.

They are a mod that may assist as arm will be moved through the full extent of its travel when the handbrake is release rather than just enough to release pressure on the pads. I retrofitted them on my 1.9TDI Elegance, you may just have to do a bit of research to identify them - possibly something like these:- 2x Rear Brake Caliper Return Springs For VW Golf MK4 (1997-2005) | eBay

2 hours ago, KeithCheetham said:

They are a mod that may assist as arm will be moved through the full extent of its travel when the handbrake is release rather than just enough to release pressure on the pads. I retrofitted them on my 1.9TDI Elegance, you may just have to do a bit of research to identify them - possibly something like these:- 2x Rear Brake Caliper Return Springs For VW Golf MK4 (1997-2005) | eBay

Thanks,

 

Those are the ones I've ordered, that's reassuring.

I tried a couple of versions of these springs and preferred the ones from the MK1 Sharan etc which are now listed as being 7M0 615 295 (LHS) and  7M0 615 296  (RHS), I fitted the same versions to my wife's 2002 VW Polo and her later 2015 VW Polo  - I'm just adding this info in case someone else has yet to feel the desire/need to fit these return springs.

I did this many years ago with the Sharan springs to my Mk 4 GTi that had slightly tired returns on the handbrake lever. 
It certainly helped and the levers would always return properly after fitting. 
When new rear callipers were fitted, I transferred the springs and they are still there maybe 15 years later. 
From memory, I fitted the Frentech springs about 4 years ago to our Fabia. As before, they do a good job of getting the handbrake lever to return properly. The only downside on the Fabia is that it does make the handbrake slightly more resistant to being pulled on. Probably a slightly different position compared to the Golf for the positioning of the handbrake lever in the cabin giving poorer leverage. 
 

In conclusion, I’d fit them again if we had another car with the relevant slots on the calliper. 

These are listed as for a Fabia Mk 1:-

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404089114255?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=EAIaIQobChMIrozfsO--gQMVHYtQBh2H2QilEAQYAiABEgLXifD_BwE

2 hours ago, prt57 said:

These are listed as for a Fabia Mk 1:-

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404089114255?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=EAIaIQobChMIrozfsO--gQMVHYtQBh2H2QilEAQYAiABEgLXifD_BwE

Visibly the same as those one third of the price, there could be a difference in the wire spec and therefore the spring rate but that isn't stated for either.

All I can say is that the VW springs fitted to our Golf don’t really affect the handbrake feel but the others fitted to the Fabia do make the handbrake a bit harder to pull on.