New rear brakes, again

SpeedFreek

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Location
Racine, WI
TDI
2005 New Jetta
I replaced my rear brakes at 50k on my 2005.5 with new rotors and pads from TDI Parts. They were fairly worn and needed replacing but I probably could have gotten a few thousand more miles out of them if I had to. Recently I have been hearing a combination of grinding and squealing out of my rear brakes, this is at 80k which I just rolled over to yesterday.

I don't really drive that hard that my rear brakes should need replacement already after 30k on them, the fronts are all original and are still fine. I have checked the disks and they seem flat still on the outside surface but that grinding noise is still there. Is it my parking brake dragging? I have switched to two wheels in the meantime because I have no time to work on it (finals) but see rain in the forecast and need my car again. I don't want to replace my brakes without fixing it if I am just going to be doing it again at 110k.
 

scrichy84

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2006
Location
St. Helens, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta, Manual
I didn't think that my parking brake was dragging at all and after adjustment (adjustment nut under the center console) my fuel milage increased by about 3 mpg. My guess is your parking brake is dragging; jack the car up and see if the rear wheel spins freely.

Your username doesn't really help the "I don't really drive hard argument."
 

SpeedFreek

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Location
Racine, WI
TDI
2005 New Jetta
scrichy84 said:
I didn't think that my parking brake was dragging at all and after adjustment (adjustment nut under the center console) my fuel milage increased by about 3 mpg. My guess is your parking brake is dragging; jack the car up and see if the rear wheel spins freely.

Your username doesn't really help the "I don't really drive hard argument."
I'm going out to check it out right now in this wonderful weather, I wish I had the garage cleaned out more.:(

My username is speedfreek, nothing ever indicated about slowing down.;) Honestly I expected to be doing my clutch/suspension/new tires sooner than my rear brakes again.
 

emdeeaitch

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2004
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
2012 Golf TDI
SpeedFreek said:
I replaced my rear brakes at 50k on my 2005.5 with new rotors and pads from TDI Parts. They were fairly worn and needed replacing but I probably could have gotten a few thousand more miles out of them if I had to. Recently I have been hearing a combination of grinding and squealing out of my rear brakes, this is at 80k which I just rolled over to yesterday.
I was recently surprised to learn that on my 2006.5 the rear rotors were toast by 43,000 miles. After discussing with various people, I got the impression that the A5 cars are designed to go through rear brakes more than twice as fast as front brakes, and that it's considered normal... this sort makes sense since the rear rotors haven't gotten much (if any) larger since the A3 cars, and 600 to 700 pounds of weight have been added. Larger wheels being the norm now also contributes to faster break wear. One service adviser at a dealership told me 35k is typical for rear.

I also got my parts from TDIParts. The nice thing is that if you go that route, the job does not have to be very expensive.
 

Vipervnm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Location
Kingwood, NJ
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Package 1
I think it has a lot to do with driving style, obviously. I've got 55k on my rear brakes now and at last tire rotation they looked to be good for a good while longer.
 

1998993C2S

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Location
Georgia & Colorado
TDI
2006.5 Jetta Pkg2 DSG Navi
Our MY06.5 TDi is driven 90% city having its 1st rear brake replacement at 32k miles, the second replacement was just last week as we rounded the corner at 60K miles. The first 32k miles had the stock 16" Bioline wheels etc. fitted and at around 50k miles downgraded to the 17" GTI wheels.

My takeaway from the recent brake service was that the 17" GTI wheels handle better, look better however brake wear and MPG's scale suffer's.
 

FowVay

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2000
Location
Georgia
TDI
2009 Jetta returned to der Führer
This is a bit off-topic but it's sort of funny. I have a friend with a A4 TDI Jetta Wagon. His original brakes have outlasted his transmission. He replaced his transmission (automatic) at 176,000 miles and he's still on the original brakes.

I think the A5's just wear faster. I took my rears off today at 4300 miles just to clean and inspect things. I noticed that my piston doesn't sit dead center on the inboard pad and the steel shims that the pads sit in were bone dry. I cleaned things and used molykote on the contact areas of the mounting surfaces to keep things moving freely.

I really don't see a reason for these brakes to wear faster than the last model unless they've just screwed up the bias adjustment or started using incredibly soft pads. There's plenty of swept area back there to serve their purpose.
 

maloosheck

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Location
Sterling, VA
TDI
2K6 1K2 BRM, 2K8 7L6 BWF, 85 16 MF
I hit 60K and I was still using factory rear pads. Having said that the rear brakes were just replaced with the 310mm version.

OEM pads suck. My 345mm fronts make more dust than my exhaust.
 

SpeedFreek

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Location
Racine, WI
TDI
2005 New Jetta
So there is this huge gouge in the rear of my discs I need new brakes, anyone want to let me borrow a rewind tool in Wisconsin? And I have to rip up the center console to adjust my parking brake.
 

All of Us

Ian's Dad
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
Brookfield, IL
TDI
2015 NMS Passat SE TDI "Gin" 2006 A5 New Jetta TDI "Graycie" and 2003 A4 Jetta GLS TDI "Liath"
Carl:

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with your rear brakes. Didn't you do those at JoBob's GTG in Janesville a couple years ago? Or was that a different issue. Hope it all works out.

Dan
 

yamsTDi

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Location
Green Bay, Wisconsin
TDI
2004 Jetta Platnium Gray
05_new_jetta said:
still have stock brakes... 111k and still going...
133,000+ miles here. Though, Ill be replacing them sometime next weekend. Anybody know where I can get a deal on pads and rotors?
 

sabersix

Veteran Member
Joined
May 1, 2008
Location
Sunny San Diego
TDI
2010 JSW TDI
yamsTDi said:
133,000+ miles here. Though, Ill be replacing them sometime next weekend. Anybody know where I can get a deal on pads and rotors?
I replaced mine this week at 53K. About half pad left, but they were squealing like mad under light brake pressure when the weather was damp/humid. No more squeal and shiny new brakes now.

I got the new OEM pads/rotors from 1st VW parts (aka Auburn Volkswagen) for $122.51 plus $23.95 shipping. Took about a week to travel from West coast to East coast.
 
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PaxTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Location
SoMD
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG; 2006 Jetta TDI DSG
sabersix said:
I replaced mine this week at 53K. About half pad left, but they were squealing like mad under light brake pressure when the weather was damp/humid. No more squeal and shiny new brakes now.

I got the new OEM pads/rotors from 1st VW parts (aka Auburn Volkswagen) for $122.51 plus $23.95 shipping. Took about a week to travel from West coast to East coast.
I just replaced my rear pads and rotors today @ 54k. All the pads were 50% except for one that was at 10% (drivers side inside). I have no explaination why one pad wore quickly. I replaced them because I was hearing some squeaking first thing in the a.m. I got the OEM pads/rotors from Fitzpatrick VW in Annapolis, MD for ~ $153. They had them in stock. The pads come with new caliper bolts and pads springs. I noticed the pedal is much firmer after replacing the brakes and discs.

I think when it comes time to do the front, I might upgrade the brakes.
 

mmmmdiesel

Active member
Joined
Jun 3, 2001
Location
Ottawa
try change the carrier itself

My 2001 has also been plagued for the last couple of years by this early wear, hot smelly wheel, stuck pad issue on the rear brakes.

For some reason it tends to occur most offten on the drivers side. Which is weird.

Apparently the carrier can get slightly warped for any number of reasons (dropped, collision, or maybe for some reason the cast of the left rears was different the rights having some inherent weakness compared to the rights). If warped things don't slide right and pads will stuck in one spot.

All this changing calipers, e-brake cables, new rotors and pads, is not solving the problem.

Try change the carrier itself. Worked for me. See if works for you too.

Post your results.
 
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