Brake pad removal

[Staz]

I've still got a problem with squeeky brakes every-so-often so when my Forge CAI arrives I'm going to sort both jobs in one.

I have just had the wheel off to have a look at how to get the brake pads out and I can see 4 torx bolts behind the caliper. Am I right in thinking these need to come out first so the front section of the caliper can come off? Does anyone know what size the bolt is so I don't have to buy yet another set off attachments just for one size?

What do I need to do next? When that's off is there a clip or what? I don't want to get that off and find I can't suss the next bit and have to put it back together again!

Cheers

 

[kaz219]

There's the S3 clip at the front. If you get two pliers and push them down from the arms on the end so they moved away from the part they're touching, they should pull out.

I had an ****-ache with them as i scratched my caliper but if you pull down from the sides, the S3 bit should lift up enough for you to pull it out.

EDIT: i was thinking about this later (after i scratched up my caliper) and it may be easier to do this with the carrier off the car so may be worth trying that - maybe someoneelse will comfirm.

Then, there's 2 bolts attched to the carrier, undo them and pull the whole caliper, carrier out. If the discs got edges and it wont slide out, you may need to prod a screw driver to loose them up a bit between the brake disc and pad.

whilst the caliper is off, dont let it hang - make sure there's something underneath it.

I had sqeeky brakes too. the new pads were catching on the edge of the disc (there was a lip). They only sqeeked when braking slow though. you have to either get the disc skimmed or replace them.

Bit of cooper grease on the pads, push them back in, bolt the carrier with the caliper on it back on and fit the S3 clip with 2 pliers on the edges of it.

The caliper and carrier come out as one - you can only seprate them when they're off the car iirc.

HTH

EDIT: I have S3 brakes on my A3 so they should be exactly the same..

 

[kaz219]

This thread may also help: http://www.golfmk5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64475

 

[Staz]

I'm finding that a good hard brake will stop the squealing for a bit but I don't want to have to keep doing that.

Kaz I have just found there's a lip running around the edge of my disc too so maybe this is the cause and the copper slip won't help.

It's been into Audi already for them to look at this, they couldn't find anything and on the drive home it was still squealing. Perhaps I should try again. What do you think?

My A3 never squealed once in the 16k miles I did in it!

 

[kaz219]

it will more than likely be the lip imo if it does it when driving slow but have you chanegd your pads recently? and if so, is that when the sqeeking started?

i bought my 345mm brake set up from from a car that had done 8k but the pads had warn away the disc abit so the pads cant sit on the disc properly so when braking lightly, they sqeek as they're sitting/rubbing on the edge of the disc as opposed to the whole disc.

i changed my pads to new mintex ones and they were skreeching so i took them off and after looking at the pads, i could see the edge of the pads were wearing away a lot faster than the middle. i instantly knew that was the prob and got my mate to skim the discs (he doesnt do them anymore as his business went bankrupt). But mine have been fine since.

when braking hard, they were fine with no sqeek but when braking to stop at a set of lights for example, they sqeeked like no tommorrow.

If you haven changed you pads, it wil more than likly be dirt. Try giving them a good blast from a pressure washer.

my plan of action would be jet wash behind the calipers (you should be able to sqeezed a jet wash nozzle between the wheel spokes) and if that doesnt work, pull the calipers off and take a look at the pads. If the edge has been worn away more than the rest of the pad, it will be the disc and if it hasnt, you can try copper greasing the back of the pads and the bits which stick out.

If you do go to Audi and you do mention the disc, they will change them but you can skim them so they're just as good. Skimmimg should also save you a few bob!

HTH