[s-cars] Rear Brakes

Mon Oct 21 09:29:38 EDT 2002

OK, "When in Rome...".  When I had to do rear calipers on a Passat that a mechanically-challenged friend owned ("My brakes make this really loud noise when I stop, is that bad?) in Detroit (not Detroit metro area, but **IN** Detroit), we went down to the local AutoZone (complete with iron bars over the window!) and got a $9.99 "Universal Rear Brake Tool".

Looks like a little Borg cube.  Each of the 6 faces has a different set of "nubs" on it to fit a different kind of rear caliper, and then each face also has a 3/8" hole so you can put this on your socket wrench (extension).

For using this "Universal" tool on the V-Dub (very similar Lucas/Girling/TRW calipers as the ones on our cars), we had to take one face that had 4 nubs of the right size/shape/spacing, and quickly hack-saw two of them off, and now its a perfect fit.  (Universal in Detroit usually means that it works on any American car, not necessarily one of them Furrin cars...)

Sometimes just putting it on the socket and pushing while turning doesnt cut the trick and you can get out the trusty C-Clamp and clamp the tool between the round-clamp-end and the caliper. Then you tighten it up and then get a screwdriver and put it in the 3/8" socket holes and twist.  Requires a little bit of acrobatics to keep the c-clamp tight as you are twisting, but this works like a charm every time for me....

As a bonus, the same tool then worked for my S2000, a Ford Mustang, and a Honda Prelude (I need to find friends who can turn their own wrenches.. LOL)  $9.99 well spent, IMHO!

Keith  Maddock

****************************************************************
Keith Maddock, TRW Automotive,  Koblenz, Germany
Slip Control Systems, Systems Design, Traction Control
+49 (0)261/ 895 2474     -    -    keith.maddock at trw.com

>>> "Fred Munro" <munrof at sympatico.ca> 18:25:34 20.10.2002 >>>
You have to push in while you turn the piston, Calvin. AFAIK, they all turn
in CW - at least that's how I've always turned mine in. I used a C-clamp
bearing on a washer on top of the ratchet turning the piston block last time
I worked on  the old calipers on my UrS4 - kind of a Mickey Mouse
arrangement, but it worked. Previously I'd been able to turn them in and
push by hand, but age had made one kind of sticky. I ended up replacing both
rear calipers anyway - I got brand new calipers for $60 each and couldn't
say no.

HTH

Fred Munro
'94 S4

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-admin at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Calvin & Diana Craig
Sent: October 19, 2002 11:44 PM
To: Richard Tanimura; lee at wheelman.com; S4 list
Subject: RE: [s-cars] Rear Brakes

Well here's the update.  I actually already owned the tool, it was the same
as the one I used on my Taurus SHO.  At any rate I was able to get the
piston back in on the passenger side with no problem but the one on the
driver's side does not want to budge.  I can turn until I am blue in the
face and it just stays the same distance out from the bottom.

Richard, something you said made me curious.  You said to go counter
clockwise.  I went clockwise on the passenger side and on both of my pistons
on my '89 200 (turns out it needed rear pads too).  All 3 of these seemed to
work OK going clockwise.  Should I try CCW on this remaining one?

--Calvin

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Tanimura [mailto:Richard at Tanimuras.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2002 4:00 PM
To: lee at wheelman.com; Calvin & Diana Craig; S4 list
Subject: RE: [s-cars] Rear Brakes

I may be a barbarian but I turned my pistons back in using channel lock
pliers. Just make sure you don't injure the rubber seals. And turn counter
clockwise. It is a PITA if you turn them the wrong way.

Rich

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-admin at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Lee Levitt
Sent: den 19 oktober 2002 21:56
To: Calvin & Diana Craig; S4 list
Subject: RE: [s-cars] Rear Brakes

Calvin,

Order rotors when you order pads. Sounds like you waited a bit too long :(

Rear pads have no sensors.

WIth regard to special tools, yes, you need a tool to retract the pistons
before you install the new pads. I borrowed one, and I don't know how I
would have done the job without it.

Lee

> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-admin at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Calvin & Diana Craig
> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2002 2:33 PM
> To: S4 list
> Subject: [s-cars] Rear Brakes
>
>
> Hey Guys....two questions.  My rear brakes are starting to make a
> "grinding"
> sound and I looked at them and the pads are almost totally gone.
> The first
> question is do these have any sensors like the front ones to tell me they
> are worn?  Because if so it never came on.  The second question
> is do I need
> any special tools to re-seat the caliper since the back brakes have the
> emergency brake on them as well.  Thanks!
> --Calvin
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-admin at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Graydon D. Stuckey
> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 9:49 PM
> To: S4 list
> Cc: Tim Leonard; Tim LeClair
> Subject: [s-cars] Success on the current draw/relay clicking problem
>
>
> Hi guys,
>
> Many thanks to Chad Clark, Scott Mockry and Chris Semple.
>
> I installed my new vacuum control module tonight (from an A6Q at Chris
> Semple's Force5 Automotive) and reprogrammed the key and checked
> everything
> out.  It seems to work just fine.  The relay clicking has stopped, the
> current draw is normal (probably 25 - 50 mA)  and now I only have a few
> minor repairs to make like some blown bulbs in the switchgear.  I
> also got a
> trunk lock cylinder and although it was a job that nearly required four
> hands to change the tumblers and reassemble the cylinder, I got
> it, and now
> the trunk closes properly.
>
> I even screwed the rear seat in place and hooked up the seat
> heaters so that
> my little boy can warm his butt on the way to school in the morning.
>
> Hey, this car is becoming more enjoyable every week.  Now I can
> put a stereo
> in the car, and get it painted.
>
> Later,
> Graydon D. Stuckey
> http://elektro.cmhnet.org/~graydon/
>
>
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