Dean_S
Veteran Member
Tools: 8mm hex bit, 3/8"x6" extension, 3/8" breaker bar, 13mm wrench or socket, 15mm open ended spanner, piston retraction tool.
I finally installed the new rear rotor-hubs on my 97 Passat at 136000 miles. The old pads were still serviceable, the rotor surfaces looked good and the rotors where quite thinned out.
I had previously installed the outer races, pack the bearings and installed the seals.
The calipers are first removed from the caliper mount by holding the slider pins with a 15mm spanner, then remove the 13mm hex head bolts. Unclip the hard brake line from the nylon clip on the axle and from the bottom remove the spring clip that supports the brake line. Release the parking brake and pull off the caliper. It will not come off easily, pry between the caliper and the caliper carrier.
The caliper carrier needs to be removed to get the rotor off. It is secured with 2 hex cap screws. You will need a 8mm hex bit for a 3/8" drive and an extension. I needed a 3/8" breaker bar as well. The lower ones are close to the axle fabrication and will interfere with the body of the 8mm bit's body. With a 6" extension the bit can be seated in the bolt head with a hammer. Clean the hex recess in the bolt head first. A 'pick' is good for that.
The cap screws were extremely difficult to remove. I had to hammer on the 3/8" breaker bar to get them out and that was not easy. An impact wrench would have been good. The upper one was also difficult and I can't see an impact wrench working in there.
After that you can remove and replace the hub-rotor and set the bearing nut. I found that the new hub caps were not wanting to install, so I cleaned up and used the old ones which were reformed to fit from previous use. I did not have a proper cap driver but who does?
I used a harbor frieght caliper tool to push and turn in the caliper piston. It was a tough go as it tool a lot of force to get it go in a first and you have to hold the caliper at the same time. Next time I would quickly remount the caliper with the rotor off to do this. If you are doing pads only, that would not be an option.
I can't see the point of new slider pin bolts that come with the pads. They just have some loctite on them and we all should have loctite blue in our kit. I resused the caliper mounting cap screws, and I put a never sieze on them. I also put neversieze on under the heads and in the carrier to axle interface and pad edge contact faces as a rust preventative.
While you are at it, clean and regrease the slider pins, I also put some grease between the bellows and the O-grooves that they fit in to better resist water intrusion.
When you reseat the pistons after putting things back together, use short strokes on the brake petal as pushing the petal to the floor can damage the master cylinder seals.
Put neversieze on the hub wheel centering area to combat rust. Mount the wheels. PUT ON THE PARKING BRAKE before lowering the vehicle to the ground.
The brakes will feel a bit mushy until the pad surfaces are compacted and bedded in. After that thing will feel normal. I have done a few stops with the parking brake lever to heat the pads to speed up the process.
I finally installed the new rear rotor-hubs on my 97 Passat at 136000 miles. The old pads were still serviceable, the rotor surfaces looked good and the rotors where quite thinned out.
I had previously installed the outer races, pack the bearings and installed the seals.
The calipers are first removed from the caliper mount by holding the slider pins with a 15mm spanner, then remove the 13mm hex head bolts. Unclip the hard brake line from the nylon clip on the axle and from the bottom remove the spring clip that supports the brake line. Release the parking brake and pull off the caliper. It will not come off easily, pry between the caliper and the caliper carrier.
The caliper carrier needs to be removed to get the rotor off. It is secured with 2 hex cap screws. You will need a 8mm hex bit for a 3/8" drive and an extension. I needed a 3/8" breaker bar as well. The lower ones are close to the axle fabrication and will interfere with the body of the 8mm bit's body. With a 6" extension the bit can be seated in the bolt head with a hammer. Clean the hex recess in the bolt head first. A 'pick' is good for that.
The cap screws were extremely difficult to remove. I had to hammer on the 3/8" breaker bar to get them out and that was not easy. An impact wrench would have been good. The upper one was also difficult and I can't see an impact wrench working in there.
After that you can remove and replace the hub-rotor and set the bearing nut. I found that the new hub caps were not wanting to install, so I cleaned up and used the old ones which were reformed to fit from previous use. I did not have a proper cap driver but who does?
I used a harbor frieght caliper tool to push and turn in the caliper piston. It was a tough go as it tool a lot of force to get it go in a first and you have to hold the caliper at the same time. Next time I would quickly remount the caliper with the rotor off to do this. If you are doing pads only, that would not be an option.
I can't see the point of new slider pin bolts that come with the pads. They just have some loctite on them and we all should have loctite blue in our kit. I resused the caliper mounting cap screws, and I put a never sieze on them. I also put neversieze on under the heads and in the carrier to axle interface and pad edge contact faces as a rust preventative.
While you are at it, clean and regrease the slider pins, I also put some grease between the bellows and the O-grooves that they fit in to better resist water intrusion.
When you reseat the pistons after putting things back together, use short strokes on the brake petal as pushing the petal to the floor can damage the master cylinder seals.
Put neversieze on the hub wheel centering area to combat rust. Mount the wheels. PUT ON THE PARKING BRAKE before lowering the vehicle to the ground.
The brakes will feel a bit mushy until the pad surfaces are compacted and bedded in. After that thing will feel normal. I have done a few stops with the parking brake lever to heat the pads to speed up the process.