MKIV Rear brake job DIY with pictures

[taurus]

i noticed you used brake cleaner around the piston. people should make sure their brake cleaner is safe to use on rubber.

[gyprgy]

Cheers fella for the info I have chaged the disks on my polo al last. However when i trying to retract the caliper piston with the tool, the piston spirngs back out when i take the tool away , leaving no space to fits my pads. Do i need to open the brake fulid resevoir( i have left the hand brake off). Frustrating or what, i have new disk but still the old pads on!!!!
Cheers

[talknmime]

At what point during the install do you use the Anti-Seize, Brake Cleaner, WD-40? Do you need to put Anti-Squeal on the pads?

[gNYp]

Do you need to remove the parking brake cable? (E-brake cable)
THanks!

[phatvw]

Quote, originally posted by gNYp »

Do you need to remove the parking brake cable? (E-brake cable) THanks!

No, you can leave it in place.

Quote, originally posted by talknmime »

At what point during the install do you use the Anti-Seize, Brake Cleaner, WD-40? Do you need to put Anti-Squeal on the pads?

- Spray brake cleaner on both sides of the rotors right before putting the wheels back on. Wipe with a clean shop towel.
- WD-40 for loosening bolts.
- anti-seize for lug bolts
- anti-squeal paste - goes on the BACK of the brake pad - the part that touches the caliper, not the rotor
- hi-temp brake lube - goes on the caliper guide pins - there are two pins per caliper



Modified by phatvw at 4:12 PM 11-28-2007

[gNYp]

Thanks!
So we just release the E-brake when doing the rear brake job, no need to remove the cable.
I will try to do my rear brake job this weekend!

gy

[ntc1976]

Just had to say I saw this post while searching for a guide to do my brakes and it helped me so much.

The first wheel took me about 4 hours because i couldnt get the hex screws out....i tried for 2 hours and finally realized i could just leave on the carrier and slip the old rotor off. rest of the time was double and triple checking my work.

I know its cheating and made the rest of the process diffrent but in the end it was all good.

second wheel......the screw on the rotor almost stripped trying to get out
then it finally came out and i was so happy.....untill i couldnt get the old rotor off.....it was like fused to the base.....hour of screwing with it and it finally came off lol.

all in all it was a very satisfying experience.

thank you again for this guide.

[The Wasp]

Hey, I just did the rear brakes on my mkIV GLI 1.8t. I put on drilled, slotted, and vented rotors on which are OEM size. I also put on OEM ceramic pads because the previous owner had non-ceramics on and my wheels were always covered in brake dust. Anyway, my brakes smell like the're burning when i park the car and walk past the rear wheels. my front ones, which i switched a week earlier, don't. when the car is lifted the wheels spin freely, and there is no uneven or wierd wear marks on the disc, so my question is, is the smell normal for new pads and will it go away?

[The Wasp]

Okay, so I don't think there is a problem, I drove the car for a good 15 minutes without using the brake pedal once. parked the car and felt the temperature of the rotors, they were still cold. and the bad smell has died away.

[D03GLIR]

Glad to see someone updated pics and revised this. I also just finished my rears using old DIY threads w/ no pics and found a few things that might help others, most from prior brake experience.
1. If your rotors are grooved badly, you can pry the caliper/ pads radially from the rotor w/ a large screwdriver- loosen the bleeder if the cylinder won't budge. Worst case, pull the carrier but normally it isn't needed.
2. The phillips screws holding rotors is usually rusted tight. Apply WD40/ PB blaster etc and use a # 3 bit for a power driver and tap the bit installed in the screw w/ a hammer. You should now be able to back out the screw easily.
3. The Metalnerd cylinder compressor/rotator is awesome and well worth the $$. I have not used the loaner tools but this special purpose tool and "bonus" thin 15mm wrench is well worth it.
4. Silicone RTV antisqueal on the cylinder face and surfaces that support outer pad are good insurance. Hi temp silicone brake grease on all metal to metal interfaces. Antisieze on other threads. Grease on hub to prevent wheel binding in future.
5. Blue loctite on the caliper slide bolt threads, silicone grease on the smooth parts.
6. Inner pads fit loose in calipers, outers are tight. Maybe just mine but it was the same for both sides.
7. Some wire should be used to hold the calipers up once removed from the carriers. You wouldn't want to pay for the lines going from the caliper to the mid lines (nearest break point). I'm sure they are not cheap.


Modified by D03GLIR at 11:41 PM 7-12-2008

[MidFloridaVR6]

Im going to do my rear brakes today, i bought the brake caliper tool kit from harbor frieght for like 30 bucks. I hope it works good, because I have only owned a VW for about a week now. Wish me luck.

[MidFloridaVR6]

Okay so i just got back from fams house doing the brakes. I was going to put rotors on to but didnt because i didnt have any wd40 with me to soak the hex bolts that hold the caliper bracket on. they werent budging and i didnt want to strip them also florida weather was closing in on me. But good news is that that tool from harbor frieght made my rear brake job only last 45 minutes. And i have only done brakes twice before and never on a volkswagen. so it was pretty easy. Thanks for the help. never would have done it without you guys.

[2000VRSIICCKK]

dude that was soooo helpful hahah thanks i was like before i found this now im like

[RyanPetersen]

Thanks for the DIY, looks extremely helpful - I am actually looking forward to doing mine for the first time here this month. Hoping I can find the tool over here in Germany or I'm going to have to wait for one to be shipped from the states. As others have said, the old one was missing the pictures and as I have only checked the pads on the rear I didn't understand how the piston was threaded and such. Thanks again!

[spitpilot]

A few additions to some great DIY write up work:
1)Pull caliper slide pins outa the carriers and clean em good then lube with "synthetic brake caliper grease"...DO NOT use regular grease..it will not stand the temps and is harmfull to rubber sealing boots.
2) Apply some antisieze on the little screw that locks rotor to hub and also a thin wipe around the hole of the rotor so it won't sieze to the hub. DO NOT apply antisieze to wheel lug bolts (seen this in other DIY write ups...not a good thing to do...reccomended against in shop manuals.
3) Apply a layer of "Brake Quiet" to the pad backings (unless the pads you buy already have antisqueal shims bonded to the backs as some do)
4) Either buy new caliper lock bolts or apply a drop or two of "Locktite Blue" to the threads.
5) Someone with MKIV Bentley chime in with proper torque ratings for:
carrier bolts:?
caliper locking bolts: ?
wheel lug bolts: ?

[jason bouchard]

bump for a good thread, i love how close a community you VW guys are. . . wish the audi guys were alittle more close like this at times

[dirtymanpon]

Great DIY. Thanks.

[spitpilot]

Quote, originally posted by Rico#919 »

just opened my beer. was i supposed to lubricate anything? somebody asked me.

When you change pads you should always clean and regrease (with Synthetic Caliper Grease...not plain ol axle grease) the caliper guide pins (on the back they're inside the carrier (the head of them is what you put the 15mm open ended wrench on to unscrew lock bolts). Work boot off carrier gently and pull out the pins, clean with Brake Clean and smear on some SCG!...Keeps calipers from hangin up and destroyin you're new pads..and cookin all the grease outa your wheel bearings in the process!

[dallas04gli]

great diy. thanks.

[1pt8t]

Did you use a widowmaker jack? Thanks for the DIY even tho it's super old. Seems to be the only one with pics for the rear brakes.

[rorofast]

Quote, originally posted by spitpilot »

A few additions to some great DIY write up work: 1)Pull caliper slide pins outa the carriers and clean em good then lube with "synthetic brake caliper grease"...DO NOT use regular grease..it will not stand the temps and is harmfull to rubber sealing boots. 2) Apply some antisieze on the little screw that locks rotor to hub and also a thin wipe around the hole of the rotor so it won't sieze to the hub. DO NOT apply antisieze to wheel lug bolts (seen this in other DIY write ups...not a good thing to do...reccomended against in shop manuals. 3) Apply a layer of "Brake Quiet" to the pad backings (unless the pads you buy already have antisqueal shims bonded to the backs as some do) 4) Either buy new caliper lock bolts or apply a drop or two of "Locktite Blue" to the threads. 5) Someone with MKIV Bentley chime in with proper torque ratings for: carrier bolts:? caliper locking bolts: ? wheel lug bolts: ?

oh oh guys.. i put anti seize on my wheel locks. should i clean it off? Just had a hard time taking them off and I thought putting anti-seize on it will make it easy on me.

[czeresniak]

Excellent post!!! If I can only add one thing always check/clean/lubricate caliper slides.

[1pt8t]

DO NOT start any job that requires taking off the rotors without a good rust breaker / bolt loosener like PB Blaster and a heavy rubber mallet (unless you have a second car to get them after you have the wheels off).

[Chupa999]

I am trying to compress the passenger rear caliper with the special tool, it will not budge, even while bleeding the brake line. I just finished the other side and had little problems? Yes my E brake is off.

EXTREMELY STUMPED???

[Dippin'Dub]

ECS tuning sells an awesome brake caliper piston tool made by schwaben for like $40, it comes in a pelican case with fittings for all differnt vehicles vw's included. It made the rear brake job so much easier, i was very happy with it, and i can use it on my other vehicles too!

[Jettakid825]

Used to replace a rear caliper, very helpful thank you

[spitpilot]

Quote, originally posted by rorofast »

oh oh guys.. i put anti seize on my wheel locks. should i clean it off? Just had a hard time taking them off and I thought putting anti-seize on it will make it easy on me.

Bentley specifically says "DO NOT lubricate wheel lug bolts" I just clean em on my power wire wheel if they look dirity when I pull the tires for rotation/brake fluid flush.

[1pt8t]

Quote, originally posted by Chupa999 »

I am trying to compress the passenger rear caliper with the special tool, it will not budge, even while bleeding the brake line. I just finished the other side and had little problems? Yes my E brake is off. EXTREMELY STUMPED???

Really late, JIC anybody else forgets - You have to prevent the pressure nut (the nut the shaft goes thru) that pushes the plate against the caliper from rotating by using a wrench. Otherwise, you're not pushing the caliper in, you're just rotating it until it can rotate no more. At that point, you also can't spin it backwards, you have to just push it directly in w/out rotating it anymore. So don't just put the tool on and start spinning the little handle... GL!

[jschweg]

This is a really great DIY, with awesome pictures. Thanks for doing this! I will be using it this weekend.

Not to hijack, but I noticed that one of my rotors is missing it's set screw. Do I have to stop over at the dealership to get a few replacements, or can they be had anywhere?

[Vdub 2.0]

question, may brakes are squeeking sometimes when pressed on lightly, i bought the car with 46k and was told it had new breaks dont really know how true that is now, well the car is about to have 51k on it and was wondering if anyone could help me out? pm me please, thanks

[1pt8t]

What do you clean your wheels with?

[superman2002us]

Great post...I've got a 1996 Golf GTI VR6, just wanted to know if all the stuff you did jives for my vehicle as well. I can never remember is mine is MKIII or MKIV. Thanks

[wolf799]

Bump... So I can find this quicker

[Grig85]

thats a great write up.

[anndreuw]

i Cant get my front rotor off i tried the brake cleaner, wd-40 and beating the **** out of it with a malet, wont budge. i took the caliper off and the holder screw off. any idea? some guy said we should use rust breaker, would that do the trick??