Hi,

I searched but didn't find what I was looking for - a step-by-step DIY for changing the rear brake pads and rotors. If this has previously been discussed, please feel free to direct me to the appropriate place.

I am stumped changing the rear brake pads on my 2006 A4 quattro 3.0.

How do I remove the caliper body? I see an upper and lower bolt that connects the fixed part of the caliper with the sliding part, but even after removing those 2 bolts, the caliper won't move because it is held in place inboard with a large bolt. That bolt also seems to hold in place a spring-loaded mechanism for the parking brake.

I am reluctant to remove that bolt because I don't want the parking brake spring to come flying out at me.

Can someone please advise? Any other gotchas?

Many thanks in advance

 

Well release the parking brake first, if it doesn't come loose after that, pry it off with a screwdriver. It should come loose after taking out those two 13mm bolts. I hope you have the caliper tool as well.

 

Thanks for the reply, but I am still confused. Even with the 2 bolts removed the caliper body is still attached to the body of the car at the large inboard bolt.

Are you saying that it is NOT necessary to remove that bolt? It seemed to me that the caliper cannot pivot away from the rotor with that bolt still in place. On other vehicles I have worked on, removing the upper and lower caliper retaining bolts has been enough to lift the caliper off, so I thought it should come off easily here as well.

Regarding the caliper tool, I don't have it. Is it a must-have item? Again, on other cars I have used a wooden shim and a C-clamp to push the pistons back into the calipers. Any reason why this would not work here?

Thanks in advance.

/alex

 

Dude, your talking to someone that has taken off more than 10,000 of those calipers, you do not need to pull off the e brake bolt. You might as well stop though, you need a tool to screw the caliper piston back in, its like a honda. You can't use a C clamp to push it back in.

 

You can prob rent or borrow the caliper tool from a parts store.

Auditech, I tried to do my rears a couple of years ago but got stuck at a certian bolt. What tools do you use to do the rears? It seems to me that the bolt I got stuck at would be possible with a ratcheting closed end wrench.

 

Hi, I didn't mean to question your expertise - no offense intended. I certainly have not replaced 10s of thousands of these, but I have done a fair bit of wrenching on domestic cars and I have learned (the hard way :-)) that I am usually better of asking the "stupid" questions than proceeding to do the "stupid" thing.

I appreciate the info on the tool to screw the caliper piston back in.

Thanks

/alex

 

The only tools you need is a 13mm wrench and a 15mm wrench to hold the colar still while taking out the 13mm bolt. Once thats out it usually take a little bit of effort using a screwdriver or small pry bar to get it off the rotor. Then you need the special tool to screw the piston back in of course.

 

Thats fine, just rent the tool and you should be good to go. It will probably take a lot for force to get the caliper off, i usually jam a screwdriver into the top of the caliper (where you can see the pads) and pry it over and off.