To bring you the latest write-up we answered the call of a damsel in distress. Yes, we just did the brakes on the allroad about a month ago and yes, we should have taken pics then, but we were too tired and had too much stuff going on at the time. So, when a female forum member put out an SOS about her A4’s brake wear indicator, we felt obligated to help her out and finally get this write-up done for you folks. The catch — I recently got my hand caught in an attic fan and have two broken, splinted and stitched fingers on my right (yes I’m a righty) hand. Hmmm, this should be interesting…
The truth is, a routine front brake job is not difficult at all. A basic tool set is all you really need and there are no funky angles, no limited clearances or anything else out of the ordinary. That being said, corrosion and heat can sometimes complicate basic bolt removal, so have your big levers and PB Blaster on hand, just in case.
Car Models
- Most Audi/VW models 1998 and newer
Parts Required
- New Rotors
- New Pads
Tools Required
- Jack and jack stands or automotive lift
- Breaker bar
- Metric ratchet set
- Allen head socket set
- Pliers
- Zip ties or something to support caliper while removed
- Flat head screwdrivers
- Mallet
- C-Clamp (optional, but the better way)
- PB Blaster penetrating oil
Instructions
We will be jacking up the front of the car and supporting the vehicle with jackstands. Next, we will be removing the front wheels. With the wheels off, we will remove the front calipers, brake pads, carriers and rotors. Next, we will install new rotors and pads and reassemble everything. We will cover brake bleeding/brake fluid replacement in another writeup.
Note 1: Most Audi and VW models have very similar, if not identical, front setups. This writeup is applicable to most modern model lines.
Note 2: If you are doing brakes on any Audi/VW with an OEM air suspension, remember to place the car in JACK MODE before lifting the vehicle.
Step 1
Open the hood of the car and remove the cap to the brake fluid reservoir. Break the wheel lugs free, then proceed to jack the front of the car. Place the vehicle on jacks stands. Remove the front wheels.
Step 2
Locate the wire spring clip holding the tension on the outer brake pad. Using a screwdriver and/or pliers carefully remove spring being careful not to bend it.
Step 3
Locate the two caliper slider bolts on the back side of the caliper. The actual bolts are covered by small, plastic dust caps. Remove the dust caps with your fingernail. With the dust caps off, you should be able to access the 6mm or 7mm (model dependent) allen heads. Loosen both slider bolts until you can slide the caliper off the rotor. This is done by sliding the caliper towards the back of the vehicle. Rest the caliper on something, or secure it to vehicle with zip ties or some other means. Do NOT let it dangle from the brake lines.
Note: If you have the slider bolts completely removed and are still unable to free the caliper, use a screwdriver to apply pressure to rear pad — this will retract the caliper piston and free up the assembly.
Step 4
Locate the wear sensor wire by following the lead from the pad to the clip. Using a small screwdriver, carefully pry the botton of the clip out of the anchor hold and then twist the clip to remove it from it’s anchoring location. Once free, press down on the tab and separate the lead from the plug.
Step 5
Next, simply remove the worn inner and outer brake pads by pulling them out.
Step 6
Locate the two carrier bolts (typically a 21mm bolt) at the rear of the carrier. Remove the upper and lower bolts completely and remove the carrier. Once the carrier is removed, remove the rotor. You may have to give the rotor a few lite whacks with a mallet.
Note: The carrier bolts may be very hard to remove, especially if a previous tech used an impact gun to drive those suckers home. If this is the case, leverage is your friend. If need be, raise the vehicle, or jack up the suspension to give you clearance to get a big lever on those bolts. When we did the allroad, it took four arms and an 18″ lever to get one of the bolts free. On the A4, it took the same number of arms and a slightly bigger lever. This was the only step that required use of more than my 1.5 hands.
Step 7
Place the new rotor on the hub and temporarily secure it with one or two wheel lugs (hand tight). Re-attach the carrier and make sure bolts are tight (but not impact gun tight).
Step 8
Using an old brake pad and a C-Clamp, retract the caliper piston by placing the flat surface of the pad over the piston and then tightening the c-clamp until the piston is fully retracted. If you don’t have a C-clamp, I’ll cover an alternate method in the next step.
Note: We have a caliper retractor tool, but we typically don’t use it on the front as we don’t want to accidently spin the piston. The C-Clamp method is very effective.
Step 9
Clip the inner pad into the caliper and re attach and anchor the wear sensor lead. Make sure you hear the sensor “click” into place. Route the lead so it won”t sever or become damaged by the many moving parts in the area. Insert the outer pad and place the caliper over the rotor. Align the slider bolts and tighten down. Replace the dust caps.
Note: If you are unable to get the caliper over the rotor with the inner and outer pads installed, the caliper piston needs to be retracted further. If you didn’t have a c-clamp in the previous step, insert the inner pad in the caliper and leave the outer pad out temporarily. Place the caliper over the rotor. Using a screwdriver, pry the caliper so the inner pad applies force to the back of the rotor. You should feel and see the piston retracting with minimal force. Once retracted, insert the outer pad and tighten down the slider bolts and insert dust caps.
Step 10
Remove the wheel lugs and double check the tightness of all hardware and connections. Align the rotor so the all lugs holes are accessible. Place wheels back on the car, lower off jack stands, torque the wheel lugs and replace the brake reservoir cap. Close the hood, wash your hand (one should still be clean) and you’re ready to bed the new brakes.
Step 11
Properly bed the pads and you are done!
Hey guys dont forget to clean and grease with silicone the carrier ;o)