Fitting brake pads and discs

1. 5AMBO Established Member Joined: Jun 2006 Tadworth, Surrey Posts: 2189 Icelandic Grey Saxo VTR

   #1 24th February 2008, 19:11

   How easy or difficult is it to fit brake discs and pads......for someone with little knowlege of working on cars.
   I know there is probably a guide on here but im just worried i could take it all apart and have trouble putting it back on if i dont know what im doing because some of the guides make it look more simple than it actually is if you know what i mean.
   
   In other words is it worth me trying to do or should i leave it to the proffesional?
2. steve_335 Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Aug 2007 Wickford, ESSEX Posts: 3094 citroen saxo 1.1 VW polo 1.4 16v Fiesta 1.25

   #2 24th February 2008, 19:16

   it is quite easy, just some bits may be on a bit tight to undo by hand. It's basically:
   Undo 2 bolts on back of calipers, take calipers off.
   Undo two further bolts on bit of caliper remaining on disc.
   The disc will either come off straight away or there is something holding it on (screw or something on wheel nut-varies from car to car)
   Take pads out and push pistions on caliper back.
   Put disc on and put it all back together again.
   Pump brakes and top up fluid if it needs it.
   Drive careful for about 200 miles to allow it all to bed in.
   
   Hope it helps and makes things a bit easier for you.
3. 5AMBO Established Member Joined: Jun 2006 Tadworth, Surrey Posts: 2189 Icelandic Grey Saxo VTR

   #3 24th February 2008, 19:25

   cheers for that mate, i might give it a go next sat. id like to do things myself when it comes to changing things on my car so i can learn but i dont want to get stuck doing it and then cant get my car to the garage to do it properly. lol
4. mickoo L-plater Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 55

   #4 24th February 2008, 21:35

   its as Steve said but obv its alot easier to take the wheel off. and when u put it back on if i don't have a tourq wrench do them as tight as possible and take it to a garage and ask them to do it for you better safe than sorry if you wheel bolts screw out lol and with thye disc's if the screws holding it on are tight see if u have an impack scre driver so when u hit it it turns the screw to make it easyer .. and when doing up the screws do them diagonally so the disc go's on square on not one sided ........... like top left then bottom right then top right a bit then bottom left and so on nice and even like . good luck with doing it . i need to do myn when i get the money for new ones
5. Predator_R32p Super Moderator Joined: Mar 2003 Durham (England) Posts: 37932 1. AX 2. Mk2 Saxo VTR 3. MK4 R32 DBP

   #5 24th February 2008, 22:56

   very easy to do mate, much of a mechanical head needed tbh, just need the righ tools a breaker bar and allen key like this one
   
   http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Disc-Brake-Too...QQcmdZViewItem
   
   makes the job much easier
6. 5AMBO Established Member Joined: Jun 2006 Tadworth, Surrey Posts: 2189 Icelandic Grey Saxo VTR

   #6 24th February 2008, 23:37

   cheers mate. i think ill have a go at doing it myself then cos im very keen to learn how to do it myself cos then ill get a better sense of achievment
7. johnnyg_vts Established Member Joined: Dec 2006 Fleetwood Posts: 2244 2002 Saxo VTS

   #7 24th February 2008, 23:41

   its easy dude, its like lego for men.
8. alextoffie Established Member Joined: Sep 2007 Bolton Posts: 1300 Mauritius blue VTR

   #8 24th February 2008, 23:42

   you need a 19mm spanner and a 7mm allen key
   
   just my luck when i went to do it last week i took the wheel and first two bolts off the caliper only to find i had a 3,4,5,6, 8 and 9 etc allen key and number 7 was missing lol
   
   its not a hard job to do, its fiddly and can be frustrating having to really give it some welly to get some of the bolts off but once the calipers off its a simple job
   
   theres a guide on the premium members section, i'd get a premium membership and take a look at that if you want to be sure
   
   you need a set of torx heads for a screwdriver too to take the actual disc off
   
   and for gods sake remember the pistons on the back calipers TWIST backwards, you don't just push them back lol
   
   i am embarassed at the time i spent trying to push them back last week before realising i was a complete tit and forgot to read the part on the guide that said they twist back lol
   
   hope that helps anyway bud - it isn't a hard job but i'd set aside a few hours of your time if you haven't done anything like this before
   
   worth doing yourself over paying someone to do it anyway!
9. Predator_R32p Super Moderator Joined: Mar 2003 Durham (England) Posts: 37932 1. AX 2. Mk2 Saxo VTR 3. MK4 R32 DBP

   #9 25th February 2008, 00:22

   lol yeah just use something along the groove in the piston to twist it back in , thats just one the rear though tbh the fronts should be fine
10. Quick Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Mar 2003 United Kingdom (England) Posts: 7064

    #10 25th February 2008, 10:30

    I'd get the haynes book as it will help you with a lot of jobs!
11. DjRestricted L-plater Joined: May 2010 Swindon Posts: 71 Saxo VTR

    #11 19th July 2010, 17:07

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by johnnyg_vts its easy dude, its like lego for men.

    lol what a way with words u have
12. Mikol Established Member Joined: Jun 2008 Somewhere between Bedford and Brixworth Posts: 2373 106 XS 16v Driveway Ornament

    #12 20th July 2010, 01:53

    I'd get someone to help or a mate who's done it before.
    
    It's easy but these are your brakes you're talking about. If you're not confident in doing it I'd have a pair of watchful eyes in tow just in case you forget anything.
13. DjRestricted L-plater Joined: May 2010 Swindon Posts: 71 Saxo VTR

    #13 21st July 2010, 22:20

    Just done my rear disks and pads. Was fairly simple but take careful note of how they come off and make sure they look like that when they go on. Also the two bolts holding the caliper on are pretty hard to remove as they have thread lock on so be careful not to to round them off when undoing them
14. rich112 Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Jul 2009 Kent Posts: 4207 Mango cammed furio vts

    #14 21st July 2010, 23:37

    wow for such an old bump of a topic!
15. adm4 Newbie Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 2

    #15 4th November 2011, 17:36

    Evening everyone I was wondering if anyone can give me a hand as I have changed the pads on my 1.5 derv no problems but I cannot get the discs off the hub I have tried heating them and a big bloody hammer but no joy will it have to be old mr grinder?
    
    Cheers
    
    Andrew
16. saxovtrmk1 Regular Poster Joined: Jun 2011 Wakefield Posts: 395 saxo vtr/vts 106 diesel

    #16 4th November 2011, 18:00

    have you took the torques screw out what holds disc on mate
17. adm4 Newbie Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 2

    #17 7th November 2011, 14:32

    Hi Yeah haha they are out although I had to drill them........bit of a mare