MK6 FWD Front discs and pads

[ubuntootoo]

Hi Guys,

I need to change my front discs and pads on an 02 FWD Mk6. I've done discs before on various cars but they were a piece of cake. I expected the disc to be on the outside of the hub but I was obviously wrong. According to the haynes manual I need to fit new bolts and also a new nut on the drive shaft. Do people actually bother doing this or just use the old ones? Also haynes quote very high torque figures for the main nut. This would require me to buy a much bigger torque wrench. Do you worry about the actual torque as per haynes manual or just do it bloody tight?

Cheers

[rotory]

I just reused the originals, but I do. Own a large Tq wrench
Martin

[bigjohnthomas]

Now then now then
2 foot breaker bar with a length of scaffold tube over it will sort it
El Toro

[rotory]

you will need one of these, each time you put it into the screw give it a tap with a hammer to make sure it’s seated before you apply Tq

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/laser-5 ... gJ0vfD_BwE

[bigjohnthomas]

And 4 of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CARLSBERG-Spec ... B004EAFDGS

[ubuntootoo]

Well the job is now done and it was actually not as bad as I had expected. I was surprised at how loose the centre nuts were. Although I was using a 2ft breaker bar, they came undone with hardly any effort when I had been expecting to have to really swing on the bar. I used a big mallet to get the hub assembly off which probably pissed off the neighbours.

All seems ok but the biggest problem I had was retracting the pistons on the NS caliper. They were a nightmare to shift. When I pushed one in, the other moved forward and vice versa, suggesting the pistons themselves were not stuck but trying to push them both back proved almost impossible. The problem I am left with is a sticking caliper. This happened before i changed the discs and pads.Actually, it was investigating the burning smell that led me to discover the shagged discs.

I know I should probably start a new thread but what would make it so hard to push the pistons back? Also, if the pistons move ok on their own what would make the brake drag slightly? Is there something upstream of the caliper that would trap pressure making the brake stick on? Sorry if that sounds dumb. Can a rubbing brake only be a caliper issue?

Thanks

[Brains_transit]

The brake flexes can fail internally and act like a one way valve

[ubuntootoo]

That sounds exactly like the issue. It was like the fluid couldn't flow back up from the caliper. Thanks. Now looks like I will have to have another go at the seized bleed nipple.