Xantia Rear Brake Pad Change - How Long?

[gadgetgricey]

Only asking as a total novice when it comes to all things mechanical?

The Haynes manual has a habit of over simplifying things, but even to me it looks dead easy.

Are there any hidden pit falls, or is it as described.

1) Wheel Off.
2) Remove Pad retaining pin, withdraw pad shield and anti-rattle spring.
3) Remove Pads and shims
4) Clean all
5) Refit 2 & 3 above.
6) Push old brake pad to push piston back into caliper.
7) 2 & 3 again
8) Fit new pads and shims
9) Refit pad shield and anti rattle spring
10) Press brake pedal several times.

Can it be that easy???

As always any help/advice/reassurance would be great.

Thanks

- Dave -

[andmcit]

Yes though there can be a couple of pitfalls to catch you out! Check the
wear on the pads is square on the pads as there just may be a lean on
them due to corrosion building a wedge between the suspension arm and
the caliper.

Right if that's ok, the other thing to be careful with is the pressing the
piston back into the caliper. You must take care to bear onto it's front face
square and preferably using leverage directly onto the old skinny pad and
the caliper using something like an old plumber's footprint wrench or even
Molegrips opened out wide onto the top lug. Clean the caliper in which the
pads will sit to ensure there's no surface corrosion and resistance on the
pad's movement.

I've always read that damage to the forward end of the main brake valve
on an ABS equipped car necessitates opening the bleed screw to lessen
the trapped pressure in the circuit which has the effect of making piston
movement easier plus offering an opportunity to bleed the dead spur of
LHM fluid in the feed pipe for newer fluid.

Andrew

[addo]

Malc identified corrosion on one of my rear caliper mount faces, and Sydney is comparatively dry vs the UK climate.

I reckon that's a pretty good indication that just about every Xantia now has some degree of corrosion to its rear caliper faces.

FWIW, has anyone tried something like an impact driver on the caliper retaining bolts? Looking for an excuse to buy a Koken "Attack Driver" and some splined bits...

[Gingerposer]

FWIW, has anyone tried something like an impact driver on the caliper retaining bolts? Looking for an excuse to buy a Koken "Attack Driver" and some splined bits...

I used a telescopic wrench I got for wheel bolts - luckily it has a reversible socket so it can do two different sizes of bolt - one is the correct size (whatever it is) for the caliper bolts - gentle firm pressure and off they came!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Dave

As you intend working in the rear brake caliper area, following on from Malcolm's comments on corrosion, if you do need at some time to remove the rear caliper bolts you may find my own struggles useful.

I posted a thread entitled "Xantia-rear caliper bolts removal" which eventually had a happy ending you'll be glad to know. I still have the bolt stubs with the welded on nuts as a memento

Regards

Neil

[Kowalski]

FWIW, has anyone tried something like an impact driver on the caliper retaining bolts? Looking for an excuse to buy a Koken "Attack Driver" and some splined bits...

I used a telescopic wrench I got for wheel bolts - luckily it has a reversible socket so it can do two different sizes of bolt - one is the correct size (whatever it is) for the caliper bolts - gentle firm pressure and off they came!

I have one of those wheel braces too, the socket on the end is 17mm on one end and and 19mm on the other. Of course the caliper bolts on the C5 are 16mm bolt heads...

[The Seasider]

Only asking as a total novice when it comes to all things mechanical?

The Haynes manual has a habit of over simplifying things, but even to me it looks dead easy.

Are there any hidden pit falls, or is it as described.

1) Wheel Off.
2) Remove Pad retaining pin, withdraw pad shield and anti-rattle spring.
3) Remove Pads and shims
4) Clean all
5) Refit 2 & 3 above.
6) Push old brake pad to push piston back into caliper.
7) 2 & 3 again
8) Fit new pads and shims
9) Refit pad shield and anti rattle spring
10) Press brake pedal several times.

Can it be that easy???

As always any help/advice/reassurance would be great.

Thanks

- Dave -

Don't forget a "LIBERAL" amount of "Copper-Slip" on the rerar of the pads as well !!!