Hi,

I am in the process of changing the front brake discs and pads. First time i've done this, but i have read up on it as best as i could before attempting. I came across 2 problems yesterday and ended up giving up for the day and putting the wheels back on (it was raining and getting dark, so i had to stop!).

Car is a Polo 1.4 '98.

If anyone can offer advise on the following then i'd be very grateful. Both of these issues occurred on the front left wheel. I didn't even get round to looking at the other wheel.

1. There are 2 screws holding the caliper onto the discs (it is a mark 2 caliper according to the Hains manual). The top one i managed to get out. The bottom one, i undid with an allen key, but it gets to a point where it just keeps turning, but i cannot fully extract the bolt from the holder. The top one was the same, but i managed to push it through with a screwdriver, can't seem to find the appropriate gap to do the same for the bottom one.

2. There is only one screw holding the disc in place on the axle. When i tried to unscrew this, due to its rustiness and age it disintegrated and i lost the grooze in it for the screwdriver. I stopped at that point as i didn't want to make it completely unremovable, but i couldn't see how else to get it out.

If anyone has done this on their Polo before and can figure out what parts i'm referring to and can let me know how i could deal with it, i'd be really grateful! Many thanks!

Andy

Edited 24 October, 200916 yr by twat

Hi,

I am in the process of changing the front brake discs and pads. First time i've done this, but i have read up on it as best as i could before attempting. I came across 2 problems yesterday and ended up giving up for the day and putting the wheels back on (it was raining and getting dark, so i had to stop!).

Car is a Polo 1.4 '98.

If anyone can offer advise on the following then i'd be very grateful. Both of these issues occurred on the front left wheel. I didn't even get round to looking at the other wheel.

1. There are 2 screws holding the caliper onto the discs (it is a mark 2 caliper according to the Hains manual). The top one i managed to get out. The bottom one, i undid with an allen key, but it gets to a point where it just keeps turning, but i cannot fully extract the bolt from the holder. The top one was the same, but i managed to push it through with a screwdriver, can't seem to find the appropriate gap to do the same for the bottom one.

2. There is only one screw holding the disc in place on the axle. When i tried to unscrew this, due to its rustiness and age it disintegrated and i lost the grooze in it for the screwdriver. I stopped at that point as i didn't want to make it completely unremovable, but i couldn't see how else to get it out.

If anyone has done this on their Polo before and can figure out what parts i'm referring to and can let me know how i could deal with it, i'd be really grateful! Many thanks!

Andy

similar thing for me one one screw i had to get out, totally rusted, i filed the rust off and welded a new screwhead on, worked fine.

1) once the bolts are spinning freely then the calliper should just pull off. but it can be a bit stiff to get them off if the piston is pushing against the pad.

2)i had one disintegrate on mine the other week and i had to drill it out and re-thread it.

I've just had to drill mine today, very easy mate its the best way

took me 2 days get mine off.. ended up gettin a new caliper and havin to hammer an old socket on the to bit that holds it on to the disc and doin it that way.. it was the top that rusted up on mine. was a right bugger along with havin to bleed the brakes. the back seal for the brake fluid went and i had brake fluid everywhere.

as i said it was the top screw and i took a chisel and hammer to the bastard to get it off and in order to get the socket to fit.

nothings ever easy on a car.. takin a brake caliper off shouldnt take no more than 15 mins.

You can normally get the allen bolts out my bending your allen key a little to one side and pulling to draw it out, or very carefully with a set of needle pliers.

I generally give the disc locating screws a tap with an impact driver to free them.

As above with the allen bolt.

With the screw,turn the disc so its at the caliper side. Remove the caliper.

Now pull on the other side of the disc. This will stretch the screw head out a little. Then it should unscrew easily. But if not,then give it some WD40,then locate the screwdriver in the head,and give it one strong clout with a hammer. Now it'll unscrew easily.

If all fails,pull the disc harder so that you break the screw head off completely,and dont bother to use one - its only there to hold the wheel-bolt holes in line whilst the wheel is off.

My mechanic friend said you can break off that locating screw using the brakes (with the caliper still on). No wheel, no wheel bolts, car up on axle stands and chocked and handbraked, no bystanders, children or pets anywher near.

Start engine, engage first gear, light throttle, raise clutch so wheels spin - about 10mph is plenty, stamp on the brakes. Tried it and it worked a charm for me.

I just drill the heads off when they round off like that. dvderlm's method sounds like more fun but it also sounds like an accident waiting to happen!

My mechanic friend said you can break off that locating screw using the brakes (with the caliper still on). No wheel, no wheel bolts, car up on axle stands and chocked and handbraked, no bystanders, children or pets anywher near.

Start engine, engage first gear, light throttle, raise clutch so wheels spin - about 10mph is plenty, stamp on the brakes. Tried it and it worked a charm for me.

why would you go through all that effort and risk when all you have to do is pull on the disc to snap it?

the worst thing is you say he's a mechanic, i wouldn't want him doing shit like that to my car.

WD40 and a screw removing drill bit then don't bother with the screws as said above it just makes it a little bit harder to put the wheel back on

get an impact driver on the little screw, keeps the driver pushed rught in and gives it a good sharp shock, once wd40'd etc. remember to pry pads back before trying to removed a caliper!

Exactly - tap, tap, tap and it's loose.