NAV DSG
New member
The popular wisdom is that the caliper bracket bolts are an M14 triple square socket head. But M14 seems too big and M12 is too loose. I can't find an M13 anywhere. What gives?
Rear brake caliper bolt socket size
- Thread starter NAV DSG
- Start date
meerschm
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2009
- Location
- Fairfax county VA
- TDI
- 2009 Jetta wagon DSG 08/08 205k buyback 1/8/18; replaced with 2017 Golf Wagon 4mo 1.8l CXBB
it is 14.
you may have some corrosion and dirt in the way.
get a half inch drive socket, and mate it fully before applying torque.
I found this useful.
http://www.metalnerd.com/catalog/product/e65c8aacb21c4daeb52b70d12408e79a
get it as clean as you can, measure the socket depth before you start so you can tell how deep it is engaged, and apply some force with a proper tool. (a little hammering may be required)
get a new bolt and see how it looks mated to the bit.
last thing you want to do is strip the mating surface.\
and rumor is that these are tight. so you will want some leverage or a big impact gun to get it loose.
you may have some corrosion and dirt in the way.
get a half inch drive socket, and mate it fully before applying torque.
I found this useful.
http://www.metalnerd.com/catalog/product/e65c8aacb21c4daeb52b70d12408e79a
get it as clean as you can, measure the socket depth before you start so you can tell how deep it is engaged, and apply some force with a proper tool. (a little hammering may be required)
get a new bolt and see how it looks mated to the bit.
last thing you want to do is strip the mating surface.\
and rumor is that these are tight. so you will want some leverage or a big impact gun to get it loose.
Last edited:
Oh gawd, rear caliper bolts.
I swear VW toques those bolts to 200ft-lbs at the factory. The torque spec is like ~40ft-lbs or something around that. The last time I tried to work on my rear brakes I gave up because I couldn't break them loose. Brakes have always been an easy Saturday afternoon job. I had to take my car to a shop. They had to get the car up on a lift for clearance, heat the calipers with a torch, and use a 4' length of pipe as a cheater on a breaker bar to bust them loose. My old B4 Passats used Allen bolts back there. The triple-square bolts should take more torque and be harder to strip.
If you bought the car used, make sure the doofus before you didn't try to use an Allen bit or a torx bit and mess up the bolt. I've seen that plenty of times.
Good luck.
I swear VW toques those bolts to 200ft-lbs at the factory. The torque spec is like ~40ft-lbs or something around that. The last time I tried to work on my rear brakes I gave up because I couldn't break them loose. Brakes have always been an easy Saturday afternoon job. I had to take my car to a shop. They had to get the car up on a lift for clearance, heat the calipers with a torch, and use a 4' length of pipe as a cheater on a breaker bar to bust them loose. My old B4 Passats used Allen bolts back there. The triple-square bolts should take more torque and be harder to strip.
If you bought the car used, make sure the doofus before you didn't try to use an Allen bit or a torx bit and mess up the bolt. I've seen that plenty of times.
Good luck.
nokivasara
Veteran Member
I had to do the same, could not get enough leverage with the car on jack stands. I always do all repairs myself but had to take it to a garage for the caliper bracket bolts!Oh gawd, rear caliper bolts.
I swear VW toques those bolts to 200ft-lbs at the factory. The torque spec is like ~40ft-lbs or something around that. The last time I tried to work on my rear brakes I gave up because I couldn't break them loose. Brakes have always been an easy Saturday afternoon job. I had to take my car to a shop. They had to get the car up on a lift for clearance, heat the calipers with a torch, and use a 4' length of pipe as a cheater on a breaker bar to bust them loose. My old B4 Passats used Allen bolts back there. The triple-square bolts should take more torque and be harder to strip.
If you bought the car used, make sure the doofus before you didn't try to use an Allen bit or a torx bit and mess up the bolt. I've seen that plenty of times.
Good luck.
I think they fuse to the aluminium mount.
bobthefarmer
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2013
- Location
- Indianapolis
- TDI
- 2006.5 Jetta Mk 5 192K miles; 2012 Car of the Year, Passat Tdi SE+Nav in blue nightgown, shod in 18 inch heels
Also heating the bolts with a torch may be necessary to free up the mating side I'm at the same point as you. Taking it to my mechanic
meerschm
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2009
- Location
- Fairfax county VA
- TDI
- 2009 Jetta wagon DSG 08/08 205k buyback 1/8/18; replaced with 2017 Golf Wagon 4mo 1.8l CXBB
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4865756&postcount=1
above is link to where I suggest a couple tools that made this possible for me.
I pushed the breaker bar with my foot.
first time I tried, I decided to just drive it with the original disks for a few thousand more miles.
above is link to where I suggest a couple tools that made this possible for me.
I pushed the breaker bar with my foot.
first time I tried, I decided to just drive it with the original disks for a few thousand more miles.