Billburt's DIY/build thread

[Billburt]

OK so we got the IDF drop plates, rear wheel bearings rotors and pads on last night. I documented as much of it as possible...sorry if some came out blurry bc we were kinda excited to get the job done

Before every DIY I will do a bit of explaining for the parts so the newer members can understand the functionality as well as the importance of doing such items. first up are the IDF drop plates. these plates are awesome little tools for the MKIV because the lower you go with your car the more you will begin to notice the rear wheel come closer to the front of the wheel well. The plates go on the rear beam and essentially re-locate the whole hub assembly back (the thing the wheel attaches to and allows it to roll down the road ). Not only do these center the wheel up in the wheel well, they now allow for more of a drop (about an inch), if you are on bags, because your tire will no longer be hitting towards the front, but at the top. Now you also need to know that these plates add -2 camber (leans the top of the wheel in a little which can cause increased un-eaven tire wear). Everyone says messing with the rear hub is a PITA but with the right tools this is actually a fun job. When I ordered these plates (i was the first to submit payment for them), I looked at my rear brakes and noticed that the rotors were very worn (there was a big lip on the out edge) and very rusty. the pads were also at a low point and needed to be changed. I ordered pads, rotors, and new rear hubs (wheel bearings) because all of it would be coming off anyway to get to where I could put the drop plates on.

now for the fun part! A big thanks go out to Ryan V., Christian, and my brother for helping me with this DIY/install.

NOTE: make sure you DO NOT have your e-brake cable pulled at all during the entire project




there are two bolts that hold the caliper to the car and another two that hold the caliper together. I started by taking the caliper carrier bolts off (took a lot of pb blaster and patience hammering on a wrench to avoid stripping them).

carrier bolt



while we were working on the one side my brother was cleaning the caliper on the other


the next thing we did was unscrew the set screw holding the rotor in place.

it was stuck so we used a drill

the lip was so big on the old rotors that we had to grind it down to slide the caliper off. to get the rotor to pop off we had to hit it with a hammer.



We then took the cap off by hammering on a flathead to access the axle nut.

The old cap off

Now with the cap off we can get to the 30mm axle nut.

OK, so this is where I dropped the ball and didn't take a pic of the gear puller. basically you can rent one from your local auto parts store if you don't have one. My uncle happened to have one in his garage across the street so we were able to pop the hub off quickly. below is a pic of what a gear puller looks like.



The hub off and getting cleaned up a bit



it was then time to get the inner race off the hub via dremel, flat head, and hammer.




we then cleaned up the hub with some sand paper to ensure a good fit for the new wheel bearings.


and then put white lithium grease on it to help the wheel bearing slide on.


application of the lock for the bolts holding the drop plates on.


while my buddies were getting the drop plates ready I cleaned up the dust shields and prepped them for paint. i decided to go with silver caliper paint because I have always liked the look and it kind of makes the rear brakes look bigger rolling down the road.


after letting them dry for a little bit we brought them over and put them on with the drop plates and then put the new wheel bearings on.

we then put the rotor on and applied more white lithium grease onto it to help prevent it from seizing with the hub. Don't forget to put your set screw back in (or your new one if it came with it).

OK, another part where I dropped the ball. I forgot to show the process of putting the new axle nut on. Basically all you have to do is spin it on and torque it down with an impact, then spin it off of tight and then torque it back down with a torque wrench (I set mine at 129ft-lbs). Then we put the new cap back on.


it's also important to note that when you put new rotors on that they have a coat on them that helps prevent rust before they are shipped. you can use a can of this to clean off the coat. just spray it on and wipe it off.


Then we put half of the caliper back on and set the pads in place, and bolted down the rest of it.




NOW, since the drop plates have set everything back a little the reach on your e-brake cable will need to be extended, so just unclip it and slide some slack back a little and clip it back on...then pop your e-brake cable back into place.




After all that is done hop in the driver seat and pump the brake to set the pads in place. go back over everything and check for tight. Make sure you double check all your work seeing as this is your stopping power on the road .

Once that is done you can torque your wheels back on and enjoy! Now that they are on i have taken the car to the alignment shop to determine how many toe shims I need. I will DIY this at a later date to help reduce the tread wear.