rear pads

[sean red i]

hi,
noticed on tyre change rear pads looking very low.(no warning yet on dash). will change before warning. changed several before on other makes but not an audi. anything to look out 4. piston push or screw etc. any 1 recommend good pads to use where to get them. wondering if audi price is reasonable
thanks
sean
its a 04 1.8t s.line quattro

[Dave Avant]

As far as I know it will be the screw back type. If you can see the handbrake cable connecting to the back of the caliper with a lever and spring then its defo screw type.

You can get the pads from GSF German, Swedish, french - these are manuf. spec pads, £15 for my 1.9 TDi. Or Euro carparts.

http://www.gsfcarparts.com/

[aaaa4aaaa]

My car's also needs replacing soon, How does the "screw back" system work? All my previous cars were push back types. Maybe somebody can post a few pictures??(HINT)

I know the front brakes are fitted with sender units (to report thin pads) are these also fitted to the rear pads?

[Sam]

I'm currently using EBC greenstuff pads on my Passat. Bought from GSF. Low dust output and improved braking.

Here's an AudiWorld Tech Article on changing the rear pads/rotors (discs)

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/wheel139.shtml

With a picture showing the tool needed;

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/pics/wheel139-brakejob-rearcalipertool.jpg

It's a fairly straight forward DIY if you take your time and check everything as you go along.

[sean red i]

thanks all for advice,
taken wheel of 4 a quick look, spring/lever etc so it looks like a screw piston. is tool for screwing piston avaliable easily (euro car parts etc). will look into when getting pads. couldnt see any warning censor wiring, phoned a dealer to find out if car has rear pad warning on dis, they told me no audi a4 has a rear pad warning. also asked how much 4 them to do while on phone £115 & vat (yeah ok thanks).
sean:confused: :biggthump

[Dave Avant]

TBH I have used things from a flat 'B a s t ar d' file to a large screwdriver with 'square' shaft to wind the piston back. Basically you need something that will turn the piston and at the same time push. Some will, if they're 'free' just screw back without pushing at the same time. I've also given the piston a squirt under the rubber seal with WD40 to ease the winding back. These type of calipers have been known to seize so a bit of lube should help or even copper grease. Just don't saturate it as it may weap out over the brakes.

The pads at GSF are decent like Pagid, Textar, all manuf. fit pads.

Greenstuff are good, but have been know to be inconsistent esp. after hard use. I've had greenstuff many times and has been fine, but on a few occasions they made the discs hum.

[sean red i]

thanks dave.
will use something to screw it back rather than buy tool. hopefully it will go back easy, but it wont lol

[av18tor]

Try a large socket, 30mm approx and a G clamp. Place socket inside the piston recess then G clamp over the socket and onto the rear of the caliper, wind the clamp up very gently and if necessary turn the socket at the same time. This will cause the piston to retract.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I've also given the piston a squirt under the rubber seal with WD40 to ease the winding back. These type of calipers have been known to seize so a bit of lube should help or even copper grease. Just don't saturate it as it may weap out over the brakes.

Erm . . . you should never use WD40 near rubber, and absolutly no where near any brake rubbers. WD40 causes rubber to swell and deteriorate - may not be too much of a problem on electrical connectors, but get it on hydraulic rubbers, and you will be asking for trouble.

The correct stuff to use on all hydraulic brake rubber seals and boots is a red Lockheed Rubberlube LPK94 (now owned by Delphi). For all other rubber sliding components, a general silicone grease, such as Rocol Sapphire AquaSil should be used.

Copper grease/paste (along with any petroleum based grease) should also never be used any where near rubber components, brakes or otherwise, as it also swells and deteriorates rubber (though no where near as agressively as WD40). Copper grease is only (with reference to brakes) meant to be used on metal to metal boundaries, such as the "hammer heads" of the pads where they slide in the caliper guides, and also on the rear face of the pad backplate, where the fixed pad is held in the caliper and the moving pad contacts the caliper piston. It can also be used on the inside of the piston hollow, where the pad spring locates inside the piston.

For extreme use, such as track days, towing caravans (spit), or mountain passes, where copper grease tends to be inadequate, replace the copper grease with an ultra high temperature EP nickel based grease. I use Bostick-Findley Never-Seez Pure Nickel Special NSN-165. It has a working temperature range of -183 to +1315 °C, has military approval, along with OEM approvals from Ford, Garrett (you know, they who make turbochargers) and GM. Oh, and it is also used in nuclear power plants - handy to know for your next call-out to Sizewell-B ;) . It's not cheap, mind you - about £35 for a 1lb (454grams for you metric-heads) pot. You can get it from http://www.cromwell.co.uk/, they have 35 depots nationwide, here's the search link http://www.cromwell.co.uk/quicksearch?id=RiHMvJMX

Rgds

[Dave Avant]

Point taken!! :beerchug:

Have used it on a few cars for years with no probs. I suppose it depends on the quantity used. I only use a quick squirt in the piston/caliper 'crack' basically to 'free' it when winding.

But I'll remember when I come to do the rear pads on the A4, not changed them yet, but they are low.

[sean red i]

finaly got around to changing pads. what ever i used piston would turn but not go back, after alot of swearing/head scratching got hold of the tool (mate had one ) wish i new before stripping car!!! piston went straight back job done thanks

[Teutonic_Tamer]

finaly got around to changing pads. what ever i used piston would turn but not go back, after alot of swearing/head scratching got hold of the tool (mate had one ) wish i new before stripping car!!! piston went straight back job done thanks

Cool, thanks for the update!

Rgds