Changing discs on a Golf?

Hades

Hades

Hades

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I need to replace the front discs on my mk6 Golf. I can do basic work and servicing on my car's but have never changed discs. I could afford to get the garage to do it if necessary but owing to a lot of unexpected expense recently I might do this myself.

Is it an easy job, are there any gotchas and am I likely to need any special tools?

Thanks.
 
I manged to change my Skoda discs myself, different car but VAG group and will be similar, wasn't too hard, just watched a video. I am not particularly mechanically skilled so should be fine.

Just watch videos and see what tools you will need.
 
Try it yourself!

The more you get into car repairs, the more you realise how utterly bent over you are when you take it to most mechanics. When doing brake discs, the three things that may give you grief are related to rust:

A) The caliper bolts - just make sure you have the right sized allen key (7mm?) and make sure your the allen head stays in the screw square. Also, get a "cheater bar" (hollow bar to give you more torque) which will help. This should easily see it come out.
B) The brake disc retaining screws - I think these are generally Torx bolts on VW's. These may well be seized. With the right tool, they come out so fast it's like they were done up hand tight. With the wrong tool, you can easily chew the torx bolt up if you don't keep the torx bit square in the bolt. Impact guns are really good at preventing this as you only have one job - make sure the torx bit is square and the impact gun does the rest. Whereas using hand tools mean you have to be more careful because you're trying to turn the spanner at the same time as ensuring that the bit is square in the bolt. If you do find it tight and are worried about it chewing up, just get a blow torch and heat the crap out of it and it will be much easier.
C) Brake disc seized to hub - just get a hammer/rubber mallet and keep tapping all around the brake disc/bell housing until it releases

If you do these three things, you will be fine. Just make sure you clean any rust off of the hub as well so that the disc sits flat on it. Any small variations at the hub, can be amplified at the edge of the disc causing brake judder.
 
Easy job, and because its a popular car there will be loads of videos on youtube.

Its just a case of getting your head around it the first time.
 
As above with the brake disk retaining bolts, a proper impact gun is fantastic but if you don't have one or want to spend that much, get a manual impact driver for breaking the bolts loose. Similar principle as the electric guns in that it applies shock and rotational forces at the same time.
 
Interesting. I've always been the kind of person who enjoys doing things themselves. So researching, buying the tools if needed, learning, and in the long run, saving money and having some fun along the way. This is especially true with bikes and DIY. But, for some reason when it comes to cars it hasn't been something I've considered. I've always taken it to a mechanic. Maybe I didn't realise how simple things like this are. Will probably give this a go on my old 08 Ibiza.
 
topgun06 said:
Interesting. I've always been the kind of person who enjoys doing things themselves. So researching, buying the tools if needed, learning, and in the long run, saving money and having some fun along the way. This is especially true with bikes and DIY. But, for some reason when it comes to cars it hasn't been something I've considered. I've always taken it to a mechanic. Maybe I didn't realise how simple things like this are. Will probably give this a go on my old 08 Ibiza.
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Same with me, I think it's probably a mental thing i.e. a car is much bigger and maybe more expensive than other things you might be DIYing on. Also the last thing you want is your brakes failing :p

I think as it is a Golf in this case it should be a straight forward job.
 
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