fpena944

I'm attempting to replace the front rotors and pads on my car and have hit a point where I'm confused.

From what I can see there are four bolts that have allen heads that keep the calipers together. Are two of these the bolts I should be loosening in order to remove the caliper and allow me to replace the rotor? Or am I way off base?

If that is the case, how am I supposed to remove them? They're under intense pressure and at an awkward angle.

Last time I did brakes was on a 92 GTI, things are sure different on this one!

Eric in Chicago

Do not take the calipers apart! There are 2 large (10mm I think) allen bolts that hold the caliper on to the hub. These bolts are on the inside edge of the caliper(facing the inside of the wheel well and are accessed from above the caliper) These are the 2 that need to be removed and the caliper lifted up over the rotor. Be careful of the hard lines, that they dont twist. Get a wire coat hanger and fashion a hanger out of it as now that the caliper is loose, you dont want to let it drop and break a line. When putting them back on the car, DO NOT over tighten them as you can strip the holes in the hub (ask me how I know) Should be very straight forward. If they have never been off, you may need a breaker bar to get them loose.
Good luck

Serge944

What he said, although I think the two bolts are 15mm.

fpena944

Thanks guys -- there seem to be four bolts back there...Two are 8 mm allen heads, the other two are 10mm allen heads (if I can recall correctly from last night)

I had the rotors removed about 2 years ago to be turned but I'm afraid of stripping the bolt heads by doing this the wrong way.

Dmitry S.

On my S2, the Calipers were held on by 2 19mm hex head bolts.....

Remember to compress the caliper pistons before you do anything.

theedge

The mounting bolts are big 19MM guys, two of them on the back of each caliper. Theres a "tab" that comes off the caliper, and thats where these bolt through. Theres two washers between the caliper and hub too.

Remember when you take the calipers off, hang them using bungies or something like that. You DONT want to put any weight on the brake lines.

fpena944

Ah-ha! I just went home for my lunch break since I couldn't wait till later today to see what we're talking about. I guess what I was trying to do last night was to take the caliper apart. I found the two 19mm bolts you both mentioned.

So now when it comes to compressing the calipers, how should I do that while they're still on the rotor? I have the little tool that can do it when it's off the rotor, but should I just use a c-clamp on both sides to give me a little room to work with?

Yeah I'll make sure to use some zip ties to keep the calipers from causing damage. Last time the calipers were taken off the brake pad sensor was torn off because of this.

theedge

Simpliest way ive found is to get a pair of pliers where the jaw clicks open (pipe pliers I think is the name?) and use the tab on the brake pad and squeeze that and the caliper together. Maybe use a rag to not scratch the finish on the caliper.

DONT use a screwdriver between the pad and the rotor, big no no.

Charlotte944

The easiest way to compress the pistons is to open the bleeder valve and then either use pliers to squeez the pad and caliper, or use a suitable screwdriver as a lever and pry the pad towards the caliper.

If you don't open the bleeder valve you can cause the brake fluid tank to over flow.

SeattleS2

I was just looking at them last night myself. You want the two 8mm bolts. These are the through bolts that hold the caliper to the mounting plate. Douse them with some penetrating fluid a few times if they haven't been off in a while. You will need an 8mm hex socket and a short breaker bar. That should crack em loose.

Is there a torque setting for tightening them, or just get 'em PDT (pretty darn tight)?

SeattleS2

Is the caliper mounting bolt the 19mm hex bolt??? I thought the 8mm one was the mounting bolts and the other two were for seperating the caliper. Good thing I didn't try to take off my calipers last night if I am wrong.

hosrom_951

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