Newbie - 1.4 TDi Pads & Discs help...please

[munia]

I would be grateful if someone could let me know sizes/parts or part codes for front and rear pads and discs for a 2002 (52 plate) 1.4 TDi polo. The car is standard i.e. 14 inch wheels, discs front and rear. Also I heard changing the rear pads and discs is a pain requiring the piston wind back tool, do Halfords sell these? Any help advice on this would be very much appreciated.

BTW is there a specific 'How To' for this model???

Thanks in advance
M

[TimGti]

I would be grateful if someone could let me know sizes/parts or part codes for front and rear pads and discs for a 2002 (52 plate) 1.4 TDi polo. The car is standard i.e. 14 inch wheels, discs front and rear. Also I heard changing the rear pads and discs is a pain requiring the piston wind back tool, do Halfords sell these? Any help advice on this would be very much appreciated.

BTW is there a specific 'How To' for this model???

Thanks in advance
M

I would also like this info as I need new discs and pads on the rear of my 1.9tdi... which im guessing has the same rediculously small set up as the 1.4 !!

Also can you fit bigger discs to the front of my car off of anything else???

[david burton]

Tim - you'll find a much bigger difference fitting bigger fronts than back brakes. In fact you should be able to get away with just upgrading the fronts.

there are lots of posts regarding upgrading the brakes, unfortunately it's only easy on the GTI model of the 9N3 and perhaps (not sure) the GT.

as far as I can tell us smaller braked people would have to get new hubs.

however, changing to better pads and discs and changing the brake fluid would easily see a vast improvement.

it's not difficult to change pads. only problem might be seized discs but I doubt it.

[TimGti]

Tim - you'll find a much bigger difference fitting bigger fronts than back brakes. In fact you should be able to get away with just upgrading the fronts.

there are lots of posts regarding upgrading the brakes, unfortunately it's only easy on the GTI model of the 9N3 and perhaps (not sure) the GT.

as far as I can tell us smaller braked people would have to get new hubs.

however, changing to better pads and discs and changing the brake fluid would easily see a vast improvement.

it's not difficult to change pads. only problem might be seized discs but I doubt it.

I've got a couple of questions.

Do you have a any recommendations as to what make/type of discs to go for if I changed the fronts?

Also,do you need that piston tool (as mentioned above) to do the fronts as you do the backs?

From what I can see the brake fluid has not been changed ever?! In 4 years/60k! So I guess that needs doing!

I'll try and get a picture of my rears later as the pad seems to no longer be touching the entire width of the disc, which has now gone rusty round the bit the pad does'nt touch!

[david burton]

I'm guessing a "piston wind back tool" is just a g-clamp or similar?

[K.I.T.T.]

[
I've got a couple of questions.

Do you have a any recommendations as to what make/type of discs to go for if I changed the fronts?

Also,do you need that piston tool (as mentioned above) to do the fronts as you do the backs?

From what I can see the brake fluid has not been changed ever?! In 4 years/60k! So I guess that needs doing!

I'll try and get a picture of my rears later as the pad seems to no longer be touching the entire width of the disc, which has now gone rusty round the bit the pad does'nt touch!

Yeah, I'd definitely change the brake fluid, as VW recommend changing it every 2 years (same boat as you, '53 reg, never been changed, need to sort it out soon...). As far as pads, I've heard Pagid pads (road fast or whatever...search on here for pagid) along with stock front discs work really well.

Also, this is the tool you need
http://www.awesome-gti.co.uk/vw%20polomk5/brakes.html

This first one...I'm sure you'll be able to get it much cheaper (~£20) elsewhere.

Ash

[munia]

Workshop manual indicates the rears are 232mm and 256mm for the front for the 1.4 Tdi - the only difference is for engine codes ASZ and BLT (1.9 Turbo), they require 288mm front discs and 232 for rear. As for the rewind /wind back tool...should be able to pick one up from GSFcarparts for under £20. BTW it looks like you only need the tool for the rears

[david burton]

ASZ and BLT - I think these are the GT TDIs?

[Jeff GTi]

i have a setup from a gti polo 9n3 for sale £150 colllected or posted at your expense

comes with 14k miles old red calipers and carriers, pistons and hoses and tarox sport japan disks and mintex extreme pads (both only done 300 miles)

now with rerards to changing the hubs, i dont see why this is necessary, as they both allow connection to 5x100, and even the gti ones are small, but if your using the gti calipers, i should imagine them to bolt straight on

so ill bet they will fit you know, obviously i cant guarentee it but it would provide an excellent upgrade from your stock equipment

jeff

[RUM4MO]

I'd buy the Haynes manual if you are in any doubt as to what is where etc.
Yes it is only the rears you need the piston winder - but as usual if you rotate them carefully with long-nosed pliers and press in then you get the same result. One point about the rears, I just reused the fixing bolts but applied medium strength Loctite (blue) as the new bolts you tend to get with aftermarket pads are not the latest issue - probably an oversight - the ones on your car will have under cut heads so that the correct area of the bolt head takes the load - just a small point, but if you are making a point of trying to improve your brakes, why change some 2000 bolts for some 1990 design bolts - that's all. Oh make sure you know if you have brake wear indicators fitted before you buy your pads - IIRC they are fitted on the front and rear N/S only.

[FUTUMSH]

as for pushing the piston back in the caliper,use a good old fashioned pipe wrench.

[RUM4MO]

I'm guessing a "piston wind back tool" is just a g-clamp or similar?

In answer to this post and FUTUMSH's later one, yes you can just push the rear pistons back into the calipers, but you need to "zero" the handbrake mechanism - that is what the winding back tool does, and it pushes the piston back if you're lucky as well. If you don't reset the handbrake mechanism it will run out of travel - so no handbrake!

[sylvester]

When pushing in the pistons, slacken off the bleed nipple of the caliper you are working on to allow brake fluid out. This prevents contaminated fluid entering the abs pump and potentially causing problems with the unit.

[FUTUMSH]

only had the front pads changed and did not know about rears,learn something new every day.never loosened the nipple,just removed the resevoir cap with a rag wrapped around incase of spillage. everyone to their own.

[TimGti]

Would you notice any difference at all upgrading the rear pads (with standard disks) to pagid/ ebc etc?

Obviously gonna notice way more on the front but is it worth getting anything other than oem stuff on the back?