Don't ever let anyone tell you that...

[Bane]

Replacing the rear discs and pads is easy.
Mine had never bern done in the eight years since it rolled out of the showroom and it was just as well that I did as the pads on the drivers side were proper fooked...less than 3mm of material left.
So, I started into this job at around 1of the clock today.
Caliper removed, no problem.
Caliper carrier.....hmmm.
After I borrowed my mothers Modus to go to the tool shop (and hoping to God that no I knew would see me) to buy the correct M14 spline tool for those bolts,I then proceeded to habitually and catastrophically strip the skin from my knuckles as I tried to release the bolts...eventually,with the help of the spanner on the ratchet handle trick, I got the leverage needed.
Got the carrier removed and then replaced the new pads and spring clips but had to remove that ba#$@rd thing a further three times as the pads kept slipping out of place.
With that sorted, it was time to replace the caliper....but trying to screw back that piston was easier said than done
It.Would.Not.Budge.
After a lot of straining, huffing, puffing and sweary words being said, I finally had an idea.
It involved bracing the caliper between the disc and my knee and using a pipe on the handle of the windback tool, I finally managed to get it moving.
I got it back far enough to slip it over the pads and carrier and bolt the whole lot back together.
The job thats usually describrd as a couple of hours has taken me 6 1/2.

Tomorrow, I may consider doing the passenger side.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Scottymon]

:( I feel your pain. 
However, lots of leverage (breaker bar and if need be an extensionon of the breaker) on the carrier bolts makes light work in most cases, if not some Plus Gas / Auto Fluid and then heat if required.  Did the fronts in quick time today whilst doing brake bleed, can't remember about the rears but just remove the top carrier bolt on the fronts and it swings away enough to get the disc out.

Those bolts can take some serious stick though :)  (Unlike the wishbone bolts, which I had to drill out on one occasion, holy sh!t that gives me nightmares, lol).

Did you remove the reservoir cap when winding the pistons back in? (place cloth around in case of spillage) Makes it 10 times easier.

[Flyingscotsman]

+1 on the breaker bar. One of my best investments:-)

Sounds like the caliper might be seized if it was very hard to wind back.

[Paradox1]

Not trying to take the P but did you take of the cap of the brake reservoir?

Winding back the pistons on my rear calipers had me wishing I never started the damn job.

[JamieBiz]

haha this made me laugh!! and is exactly why i pay for repairs to be done! Nothing ever go's right when i try to be productive and fix things myself! fairplay for getting (half) on the job done though, i would have kicked it of the stands and called the AA out if i was still going 6 hours later!

[Bane]

So,set about the passenger side today.
Took me about half an hour to get the wheel,caliper and disc off,ten minutes to change over the disc and pads and about four hours to figure out that it turns out that it's a hell of a lot easier to wind back the caliper if you bolt it back onto the carrier without the disc in the way....

[Scottymon]

Nice one, glad you got it sorted... What's really fun, is when you leave the pads too long on the rear and the wind back tool plate wont fit in as the piston is out too far.

[SiofChester]

Retracting the piston is child's play with the right tool from halford and an impact gun. Takes about 30 seconds max with no sweat or swearing. It's all about the tools

[GTI-MATT]

I think its possible to just about remove the discs without removing the brake carriers aswel

[Scottymon]

I think its possible to just about remove the discs without removing the brake carriers aswel

I've heard that before but each time I've done it on the GTI have never been able to get the disc out without the carrier... 286's

[Paradox1]

yeah you can, get the disks out with the carriers still in place. just a bit of manoeuvring

[Scottymon]

Strange, without taking some paint off the carrier and pushing against the Hub Bearing Cap to do it... I've never found the M14's all that bad tbh... Perhaps I've never over torqued them that some garages probably do...

If my wheel bolts were anything to go by last time I had the tyres changed, they were stupidly tight, bending the breaker bar tight, I could've taken them off but went back to the garage and gave the tyre fitter the tyre iron from the boot (the tiny one) and asked him to take them off (he's a mate so was all in in good fun).  Its a very real issue though, considering I bet most of us don't take a breaker bar on the road with us.

[Paradox1]

Always good to ahve a few tools with you just incase.

Maybe not ideal but always works for me. when the bolts on the wheels are stuck on I use the socket in the boot and stand on it.