DIY : Rear Brake Rotor and Pad Install on a B7

[NothingBUTasian]

Here's the typical disclaimer....I am not a mechanic but I don't mind to getting my hands a little dirty. Please do this at your own risk. This is what I did to replace my rotors and pads. I did painted the calipers as well while I was at it. I got power slot rotors and hawk HPS pads. Came out to about 540 shipped.

Tools Needed

• Jack Stands
• 21mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 7mm socket
• T27 Torx socket
• Flat Head Screw Dirver
• 8mm Allen socket
• Adjustable Wrench
• Phillips Screw Driver
• 3in extension
• 6in extension
• Rubber Mallet
• Brake Caliper retractor tool

I will assume that you know how to jack a car up and remove the rims.


Step 1 - With the tire off of the car, keep the emergency brake on and remove the screw that is holding the rotor in with the T27 torx socket. I made the mistake of trying to get this screw out after taking the cliper apart. This didn't work too well because the rotor spun freely. The screw is pretty rusted in so you might want to spray some "rusteze"(I really mean pb blaster) into it to get it out. Don't worry if you strip it or break the screw. You can drill it out easy enough and you don't really need to replace it. I broke 3 out of 4 trying to get them off.



Step 2 - You want to now release the emergency brake now. So you can release the emergency brake cable. Use the flat head screw driver to remove the small clip and remove the ball off of the mechanism. Once the ball is off, you can pull the cable down through the hole and out of the way.









Step 3 - Next use the 13mm socket and the locking pliers to remove the two bolts holding the caliper in place.



Step 4 - Slide the caliper off and rest it on something out of the way, while not putting too much stress on the brake lines. I used a 5qt oil bottle.



Step 5 - You can now see the brake pads. You can most likely remove them by hand, but worse case you can use the flat head screw driver to pry them off of the caliper carrier.



Step 6 - Use the 8mm allen socket to remove the top bolt holding the caliper carrier



Step 7- One of the biggest pain in the butt design is that you can't reach the bottom 8mm bolt without first removing the rear strut as well. Use the 21mm socket and an adjustable wrench to remove the bolt holding the bottom of the suspension strut. I had to loosen the 13mm nuts holding the top of the strut as well so that the strut had some play. Use the 6inch extension to reach them. My lower bushing was locked in place and I had to pry it a bit with my flat head for it to release the wheel hub. This allowed me to have the room necessary to remove the lower 8mm allen bolt.









Step 8 - Remove the 8mm allen bolt using the 3inch extension. This was a perfect fit.



Step 9 - Remove the caliper carrier.

Step 10 - The rotor should now be free of any obsticles from beting removed. It will not come easy though because of the rust. I had to slowly turn the rotor and hit it with a rubber mallet quite a few times for it to come loose. Be very careful with this. Remove anything underneath the rotor and certainly make sure there aren't any body parts near there when you are banging on the rotor. It will come loose with a few good wacks. I didn't move my screw driver when I was doing my front rotors and it fell on it and broke it in half.

Step 11 - Take a wire brush or something simular to remove any excess rust around the wheel hub. Install the new rotor with T27 torx screw if you didn't break it while trying to get it out.



Step 12 - Install the caliper carrier with the 2 8mm allen screws. The shorter one is on top and the longer one is on bottom.



Step 13 - Use a jack to jack up the rear suspension so that it'll line up with the rear strut.



Step 14 - Tighten the 13mm nuts at the top of the strut and then put in the 21mm screw underneath. Don't forget the large washer on the left side of the strut.



Step 15 - Take the cap off the brake resevoir (White container looking thing by the battery (I didn't know where it was either) don't forget to put a cloth around it just in case the brake fluid comes out), and use the brake caliper retractor tool to push and turn the caliper back. This will give you room for the new pads and new rotor.



Step 16 - Install the new pads into the caliper carrier and replace the caliper over top of it.

Step 17 - Put the 13mm nuts back on the caliper and replace the E-brake cable.



For the front brakes, I followed the steps on this page http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...0+steps+brakes but I followed the steps on this link http://audiworld.com/tech/wheel137.shtml to remove the 2 7mm allen screws instead of the t55 torx screws. It's much easier. Here is my finish product of the rear and the front.





I hope this helps anybody who wants to do their own brakes and rotors. It wasn't too bad and took me about 3-4 hours with clean up.

Joshua

[makav3li]

good stuff put in DIY section :)

[Mike@PureMS]

Nice writeup.
I would modify this only in saying that it's not necessary to remove the ebrake cable. Doing so can actually cause some problems if you inadvertantly push the cable back up. It can become disconnected where the handle is inside the car, and is a PITA to fix. Leave the ebrake cable on, and you can still manipulate the caliper with plenty of room.

[NothingBUTasian]

woops....does a mod have to move it?...or just repost there?...lol

[NothingBUTasian]

I tried accessing the bottom 13mm bolt without removing the cable and it was pretty darn near impossible. I saw on this page http://www.eurotuner.com/techarticle.../photo_54.html that you could do it without any issues.

[Dangler]

When resetting the rear caliper piston, i know that the piston needs to rotate as you press it back in, but do they both turn in the same direction? Someone was saying to me that one piston rotates clock-wise and the other side counter-clockwise as it is compressed. Now I didn't believe them at first since i can't see the tool being able to do this since its a right hand thread.

[AudiFan6482]

Thread bump. Thanks for the DIY but I noticed audi made it a PITA to remove the rear caliper carriers because you don't have to remove them to get the rotors on and off... It's a tight fit but the rotors will slide out with the carrier fully in place.

[marklar182]

Thread bump. Thanks for the DIY but I noticed audi made it a PITA to remove the rear caliper carriers because you don't have to remove them to get the rotors on and off... It's a tight fit but the rotors will slide out with the carrier fully in place.

Agreed, no need to remove the carrier.

[anicca]

Thank you for the DIY..

Thought I want to mention these as they may help others:

1. You do not need to remove the emergency brake cable. Once the top caliper bolt is removed, just unscrew the bottom caliper bolt until you can wiggle the caliper out.

2. You do not need to remove the strut in order to remove the bottom bolt of the caliper carrier. Instead, invest in a $10 8mm stubby allen socket with 3/8 drive. It should give you enough room to remove the bolt.

[slvrb7]

or do what i did and make your own stubby with a cut off wheel

[sumyungguy]

No need to remove the carrier, rotor slides out easily.

Thread bump. Thanks for the DIY but I noticed audi made it a PITA to remove the rear caliper carriers because you don't have to remove them to get the rotors on and off... It's a tight fit but the rotors will slide out with the carrier fully in place.

Agreed, no need to remove the carrier.

[DJ SB]

Very nice DIY but I used a much simpler process and it went very smooth. After the torx screw, I only removed two bolts per side. I believe I used a 13mm wrench and then a 15mm wrench (going from memory here) to hold the nut. I know the bottom bolt didnt completwly come out because it was bloked by something but it cam out enough to release the caliper assembly. Then the caliper just slid right out. Super easy, probably 15 minutes a side once the wheels were off.

[peb]

I just got done pulling my rear rotor and I can confirm that removing the ebrake and the caliper carrier is NOT necessary. The bottom caliper bolt won't come all the way out, but it doesn't matter. It clears the carrier part of the hole. As for the rotor, give it some pb blaster, wait a few min, then wack it with a rubber mallet and then just pull it out of the carrier after it breaks loose. It really isn't even that right of a fit. (I looked at removing the carrier was was like, "oh hell no." At least not with my tools as you only have a few inches clearance. Luckily, it's totally unnecessary.)

[rongeur]

I just got done pulling my rear rotor and I can confirm that removing the ebrake and the caliper carrier is NOT necessary. The bottom caliper bolt won't come all the way out, but it doesn't matter. It clears the carrier part of the hole. As for the rotor, give it some pb blaster, wait a few min, then wack it with a rubber mallet and then just pull it out of the carrier after it breaks loose. It really isn't even that right of a fit. (I looked at removing the carrier was was like, "oh hell no." At least not with my tools as you only have a few inches clearance. Luckily, it's totally unnecessary.)

This x1000

I just did my front/rear rotors, pads, tyrol kit, SS lines and ATE super blue flush yesterday(literally bought it a week before it left the shelves permanently). This DIY should burn.... I was able to change both rotor and pads removing only 7 bolts each side:
Wheel lugs x5
Rotor Tork set screw
Top slider bolt

From there simply rotate the caliper on the lower slider assembly outward, snap out old pads, PB Blaster and rubber mallet for seized rotor and rotor slips right on out. Clean hub with some steelwool, apply anti-seize lube and re-assemble in reverse order.

[audi49]

Just did my rear pads and rotors yesterday on my B7 S4. Thought i would share my experience on the S4...
-My Bentley manual stated to replace the caliper bolts, the caliper 'springs', and the carrier bolts. When i spoke to the audi dealer about getting this hardware, they stated that they never replace any of those. I ended up getting a 'kit' from Autozone for the springs and rubber seals on the pins. I reused all of the bolts. And i applied loctite to the caliper bolts.
-I wasn't expecting to have to remove the carrier to get the rotors back on. (Since the old rotors were worn down i was able to get them off, but the new ones would not go on).
-Replacing the pads themselves was easy.
-Getting the bottom bolt that holds the carrier on off is a bit of a pain, but it actually worked quite well using a med length ratchet and a hex driver that i cut as short as possible to enable the driver and ratchet to fit in between the bolt and lower shock portion. A small 3/8 in torque wrench worked well to torque it back up.
-Torque specs are 35 Nm for the caliper bolts and 75 Nm for the carrier bolts.
-Used stoptech street performance pads and centric premium rotors. So far so good.
-Next time i'll do the fronts.

[Acme]

Just did my rear pads and rotors yesterday on my B7 S4. Thought i would share my experience on the S4...
-My Bentley manual stated to replace the caliper bolts, the caliper 'springs', and the carrier bolts. When i spoke to the audi dealer about getting this hardware, they stated that they never replace any of those. I ended up getting a 'kit' from Autozone for the springs and rubber seals on the pins. I reused all of the bolts. And i applied loctite to the caliper bolts.
-I wasn't expecting to have to remove the carrier to get the rotors back on. (Since the old rotors were worn down i was able to get them off, but the new ones would not go on).
-Replacing the pads themselves was easy.
-Getting the bottom bolt that holds the carrier on off is a bit of a pain, but it actually worked quite well using a med length ratchet and a hex driver that i cut as short as possible to enable the driver and ratchet to fit in between the bolt and lower shock portion. A small 3/8 in torque wrench worked well to torque it back up.
-Torque specs are 35 Nm for the caliper bolts and 75 Nm for the carrier bolts.
-Used stoptech street performance pads and centric premium rotors. So far so good.
-Next time i'll do the fronts.

I had no issue putting new rotors without removing the carriers when I did mine a few weeks ago. You just have to insist a little bit, they go in...

Doing the fronts this weekend...

[Flipflopmonkey]

I had no issue putting new rotors without removing the carriers when I did mine a few weeks ago. You just have to insist a little bit, they go in...

Doing the fronts this weekend...

This is exactly what I needed!

Your ABSOLUTELY right! So I insisted with my deadblow and Voila!

[Acme]

This is exactly what I needed!

Your ABSOLUTELY right! So I insisted with my deadblow and Voila!

Glad I could help!

[Flipflopmonkey]

Much appreciated! How'd the fronts go?

[Acme]

Much appreciated! How'd the fronts go?

Installation went very smoothly. Front brakes are very easy to do. Just take your time, study the DIY, and be well prepared.

The only issue I had was post-installation, with the bedding procedure/break-in period. They took their time to feel good. But it's all good now.

[Axis]

Before:



After:



Diy helped, but I used a T30 for the screw on the disc since its not a T27 as mentionned in this diy and only loosen the bottom 13mm to remove the caliper, carrier doesnt need to be removed.

[xander3zero]

Before:



After:



Diy helped, but I used a T30 for the screw on the disc since its not a T27 as mentionned in this diy and only loosen the bottom 13mm to remove the caliper, carrier doesnt need to be removed.

looks good, are those stoptech rotors? what paint did you use for the calipers, and you just painted them while on the car?

[Axis]

looks good, are those stoptech rotors? what paint did you use for the calipers, and you just painted them while on the car?

Yes Stoptech rotors. I just paint them on the car with a rust coat paint, clean them first with a wire brush. Make sure to mask the piston of the caliper and remove the sliders.



Dont forget to clean them and grease tem before putting them back in. Clean the hub while youre there.

[xander3zero]

Yes Stoptech rotors. I just paint them on the car with a rust coat paint, clean them first with a wire brush. Make sure to mask the piston of the caliper and remove the sliders.



Dont forget to clean them and grease tem before putting them back in. Clean the hub while youre there.

your shit is rusty my friend!

[Axis]

your shit is rusty my friend!

Hence why I brush it and paint it :) Untill I source a set of calipers for cheap, then I'll get the sandblasted and powder coated.

[//S POWER]

Good write up NothingBUTasian.

Additional step required for new brake installs: Brake Bedding Procedure as follows

http://www.pagidracing.com/fileadmin..._procedure.pdf

[marlboro]

Good write up NothingBUTasian.

Additional step required for new brake installs: Brake Bedding Procedure as follows

http://www.pagidracing.com/fileadmin..._procedure.pdf

Aren't those instructions specifically for that brand of pads. They don't seem like generic instructions for daily street driving.

[//S POWER]

Not really. I had used this bedding procedure previously on Ate ceramic brake pads and it worked perfectly.

Here's another one from Pagid

Guidance On Bedding In Procedure:

Geometric Alignment Of Pad Surface To Disc Surface (basic bedding in)


4-6 brake applications with medium pedal pressure from approx. 90mph to 50mph, not allowing wheels to lock. (No brake dragging)

Allow for a distance of 300 - 400metres between brake applications for a cooling period.

Pads should not reach temperatures above 400°C during the initial bedding in.
Check that the pad surfaces have at least 80% contact with the disc before allowing more heat into the pad surface.


Immediately followed by:

Bedding In At High Speed

1 brake application with medium to high pedal pressure from approx. 110mph to 50mph without allowing the wheels to lock.

Allow 3-4 recovery brake applications with a light pedal pressure.

Repeat high speed applications including recovery applications another 2-3 times.

Allow a cooling off distance of 500 metres between high speed applications

[JBell]

Good DIY. Just changed out my rear rotors and pads in about 2 hours this afternoon. Would be half the time if I did it again just from this being the first time I've done my rears. You absolutely do not need to take off the carriers or the e-brake. The rotors slips in and out of the carrier with a little wiggling, didn't have to force it or anything. You can't pull out the bottom bolt securing the caliper to the carrier by leaving the carrier on, but it comes out enough to slip off the caliper. I was still able to replace all the boots and top caliper bolts though.

[rluper]

Doing this soon... just me or images not there anymore?

[B7Joe]

Doing this soon... just me or images not there anymore?

I see them just fine. Be sure to read all the comments. There are some unnecessary steps in the DIY. No need to remove ebrake cable or carriers. Easiest rear brake job ever.

[Charles.waite]

Having just did this, I agree with b7Joe. You don't need to remove the carriers or the shock. Its literally this:

1) jack car up
2) remove wheel
3) remove caliper and ebrake cable
4) remove rotor
5) Remove pads
6) compress piston using fancy tool (open fluid reservoir and put towels all around to catch overflow)
7) Install new pads
8) clean and lube slider pins
9) clean new rotor and install (use setscrew if you can)
10) replace caliper and connect ebrake, using blue locktite on the caliper bolts
11) replace wheel
12) ???
13) profit

It took me roughly 2 hours to do all this on the side of the street, including the 10 trips I had to make to my basement to get tools I forgot. I would recommend replacing the brake hardwear, but in my case I forgot to buy some and was planning on selling the car at the time so I just cleaned it using brakekleen and re-used it. They were all in good shape so I wasn't concerned.

[mec]

Wait did anyone mention that you don't have to remove the carrier or unbolt the strut?

Also that you don't have to remove the ebrake line?

[B7Joe]

Wait did anyone mention that you don't have to remove the carrier or unbolt the strut?

Also that you don't have to remove the ebrake line?

Once more for good measure. See above. Trust us. ;) Did it today to address a squeaky rear pad.

[Charles.waite]

Uhhh. I'm pretty sure you don't have to take the shock or carrier off, Mec...

[waiapasi2006]

Hmmm. I don't recall taking the shocks out for this.

Sent from my SM-N900P

[philip_g]

Hmmm. I don't recall taking the shocks out for this.

Sent from my SM-N900P

because you don't have to

[Okedokey]

Tight bolts can sometimes be loosened by firstly giving it a 'crack' in the tightening direction, followed by a solvent application and then removal. Just my 2 cents.

[sitsky]

NOTE TO SELF: READ FULL THREADS RETARD :(
Guess what I did guys? LOL!
You may all say: "Told you so!", can one at least point to the PITA fix for the e-brake? :)
Thanks.
~S

[sitsky]

Its not that bad guys :)
I winged it a bit...
Sit in the back seats, get some plastic (if you care about looks) clip removers.
Get back ash tray out, get back seat heating controls out.
Unscrew 4 13mm screws, 1 holds the arm rest the other 3 the plate for it.
Disconnect some cables along the way to make room...
You'll see the 2 hooks loose on the bottom of it all.
Oh yeah take off the top control and extra lighter socket too... not sure if this is really necessary.
~S