# rear brakes



## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

The dealer is telling me they are gone at 30k (even though they said they were fine at 26k) and that they need to be done for $400. According to them the tech must have checked the outers at 26k, not the inners. 
Is this normal? Something tells me maybe something was misadjusted last time they looked...however the dealer says the rears always go at 25-30k. 
Is this what other owners are seeing?


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## ChavinKnight (Sep 21, 2009)

Hmmmm.....I have no idea, but replacing brakes at 30K seems really crazy to me....my last car was a Honda Civic, and I got > 100K out of my brakes, but I definitely don't drive like most people....and a manual transmission makes all the difference in the world..... I for one will be really disappointed to hear that this is the typical life of a set of rear brakes....


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

I think it's somewhat normal for this car and others with this platform, MK5. From what I understand brake force distribution is more evenly spread around all 4 wheels and I believe even favors the rear which is opposite from my experience with other cars.


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

You are right, the dealer's report said I have 70% remaining on my front brakes so I guess with this car you just have to be in the mentality that you get lots of miles from the fronts, no the rears. 
ChavinKnight...don't worry about the fact that I have a manual...you'll probably get more miles out of your brakes than I do because I'm not good at engine braking...I often put the car into nuetral as I approach a stop...perhaps I should change that behavior. 
Anyways...hopefully it won't be a big deal. I'm not parting with $400 so I'm looking at $130+sh for oem pads and rotors to do the job myself plus I need a special tool to rotate the calipers back for 25+sh. I haven't done brakes in a while but as I remember it's not that complicated. Will let everyone know how it goes!


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*


_Quote, originally posted by *justme97* »_...I often put the car into neutral as I approach a stop...perhaps I should change that behavior. 


I use to brake with the engine a lot but then someone mentioned to me that brakes are a lot cheaper and easier to replace then a clutch...


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## oasis (Apr 22, 2003)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

The only time I went through rear brakes abnormally was when the emergency (hand) brake cable didn't fully release the brakes. I don't remember which car that was.
My '86 Jetta had a clutch problem within the first three months of ownership, and was replaced under warranty. I never had a clutch problem with that car again (more than 200k miles), and I never had to replace a clutch on any car.
Taking a car out of gear and using the brakes only can only put more stress on the brakes (although it would seem to do more on the front brakes I would think). It doesn't sound like a practice I would start.


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## Kong99 (Jul 3, 2008)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

_Modified by Kong99 at 11:51 AM 1-10-2010_


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (Kong99)*

I would think this is all abnormal and I really put the service advisor through the ringer....but hey says rears at 30k is normal and uneven (inner vs. outer) wear is normal too. So how do I get warranty support on something the dealer says is normal? How do I disproove him? 
Also I asked to see the pads myself (from my job only 15 minutes away) and was told "unless you are across the street we are taking the car off of the lift". Well...this great







customer service (curran vw of stratford, ct) is the reason why they are NOT going to get my $400. 
In any event since I'm doing the brakes myself I'll get to see what the pads look like firsthand. If they seem to be wearing unevenly I'll make sure the caliper sliders look good. I'll clean/lube them myself but if it looks like there is something wrong with them I'll go back to the dealer for warranty service..


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## IrregularApocalypse (May 13, 2009)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

Shouldn't be too hard to do the rear brakes yourself - I pulled up the procedure in eBahn and it seems to be your typical rear disc deal. It's good that there are alternate piston retractor tools available, so you don't have to shell out $100 for the VW/Matra one. I'm thinking I'll eventually buy the Schwaben set, as it's only $15 more than the Harbor Freight version.
30K miles for rear pads to wear out does sound excessive, but I have had experience with Honda rear pads being just about as bad. I raised the B.S. flag when the dealer said they were worn at 40K on my wife's old Accord, but I got to see the parts in place...and they were. The shop blamed it on Honda specifying a softer compound. Sure enough, I kept an eye on them after replacement and about 40K later they wore down again. Curiously, the rear pads on her next car, a Sebring, were still fine at 70K miles when we sold it for the Eos.


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (IrregularApocalypse)*

Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't be using vw replacement pads :/ I'm getting them online for $48 which isn't too bad..but autozone has duralast gold pads for $35. Just figured oem was the best bet. Did find oem rotors for only $40 which seems great. 
So is there any way to get this eBahn proceedure without having to shell out $110? Was gonna just wing it with proceedures I've seen for other vw models...



_Modified by justme97 at 1:13 PM 10-28-2009_


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

People over in the MK5 forum are noting the same thing. Pad mileage will vary with driving habits. Highway vs city miles. At 30k when I rotated my tires the rears were fine but noticeably more worn then the fronts. Most of my driving is highway. When it's time for new pads I'm getting OEM mostly for the lack of brake dust they produce. My rims are a breeze to clean even after a month or two of driving. The front wheels on our IS250 turn absolutely black with in a week or two and is a PITA to clean off. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


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## pipes (Apr 7, 2000)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

I have to do the MY00 and MY05 Passat rears that quickly, but once you go aftermarket, they last a little longer.
I spent the money and got the more expensive caliper tool after my first experience with a C-clamp and needle nose pliers spending 45 min on one side.
From memory, the rears are a pain as the brake line blocks access to the bolt to remove the caliper, so I had to bleed them. This is no big deal with the power brake bleeder.
I believe in spending the right amount of money for quality parts last you a long time if you stick with a particular brand.
caliper tool: $85
power brake bleeder: $50
Performing brakes over the past 8 years on my VWs and other friends car. I've spent about $1000 in brake parts for two Passats over the 8 years (A8 brake upgrade was about $550 I did two years ago). I've done the rears twice on the MY00 in 105K miles.
Keep in mind that the dealer will charge you $100 for a brake fluid flush recommended after every two years (brake fluid is hydroscopic).
See sig for mileage.


_Modified by pipes at 2:04 PM 10-28-2009_


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

fyi to any others weekend warriers with rear brake wear...I got everything I thought I needed to do the job (which has proven to be simple on my other cars) and discovered that to get the rotors out you need to remove the caliper carrier which is in place with two triple square bolts that I'm told are "torque stretched". Bently says these are to be replaced once removed (which makes sense) although oddly my dealer had none in stock. 
I gave it my best and failed to get those buggers out without stripping them.







I would leave this job to the pros...


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

Thanks for the warning. I was wondering if I should attempt this when the time comes. I would need to buy the caliper tool as well. I think I might just let the pros handle the rears. I've done more front disc brakes then I can remember, rear drum too, rear disc, not so much. I also heard there's a brake line/hose in the way of one of the bolts. Is that true?


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

Yeah, there are some lines and hoses in the way but nothing that stopped me from getting my wrench in there and up against the inside of the wheel well. Akward but doable if those bolts weren't so tight. 
There's a hose kinda blocking the upper caliper bolt but still those weren't that hard to work with...


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## owr084 (Nov 15, 2004)

My Passat has 70,000 and is going to get its pads changed for the second time. The first time, I trusted it to the dealer and they put crappy oem pads in. I have never seen a car that had more brake dust on the rears than the front. Needless to say, I am going to do it myself this time...


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## owr084 (Nov 15, 2004)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*


_Quote, originally posted by *solarflare* »_Thanks for the warning. I was wondering if I should attempt this when the time comes. I would need to buy the caliper tool as well. I think I might just let the pros handle the rears. I've done more front disc brakes then I can remember, rear drum too, rear disc, not so much. I also heard there's a brake line/hose in the way of one of the bolts. Is that true?


Fortunately, the Passat has allen head bolts. But, I had to order them through the dealer too. Strange how they do not stock the bolts, yet they stock the rotors. For the rotors, you will need a special tool to wind the caliper pistons back into the caliper. You cannot just push them back in.
Wait a sec - solarflare - you are local to me and I have the tools. Send me a PM with your contact info...


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (owr084)*

Hey, thanks for the offer, my rear brakes are good for now but might just take you up on the offer when the time comes. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

Ok...so just a thought...the bolts that won't come out are just to get the rotors out. Consitering just changing the brake pads. Anyone knows how to check rotor thickness?


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

You need a micrometer for that. The minimum thickness is usually stamped on the rotor somewhere. I like to have the rotor resurfaced with a new set of pads because they usually warp to a degree over time and I like a smooth brake peddle feel when braking. That said I've noticed many OEM rotors are at minimum thickness when new so resurfacing is not possible with those. With my last car the rotors (front) cost about $20 each so I would just buy news ones rather then have to deal with getting the old ones turned somewhere.


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

Oh, I would totally replace the rotors myself...I even bought two new oem rotors for only $38/each. The only problem is that I cannot get the caliper carrirer bolts off which is needed to get the rotor off. So it's either go to a pro or just do the pads and do nothing to the rotors... :/ The rotors only have 30k miles on them. I've heard that rotors should be able to last through 2 sets of pads. Perhaps I'll buy a micrometer and check the bentely manual for miniumum thickness. 
If they are warped a bit is it a big deal seeing as they are the rears? 
I wouldn't cheap out but we are talking about a potential difference of $400 here!


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

I don't think warped rotors are a big deal, depending how bad. I couldn't keep the ones on my pontiac from warping after only 15k miles! You may feel the brake peddle pulsate when braking. On the front you may feel a vibration in the steering wheel as well. This is a pet peeve with me. I just cant stand that for some reason.


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

I don't get any pulsation. 
Bentely says for for the 286mm rear disks the stock thickness is 12mm and the wear limit is 10mm. I'm gonna check and if the disks are at least 11mm thick I'll use them for another set of pads...


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

This measurement is usually made in the deepest grove on the rotor surface (if there are any)


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## Kong99 (Jul 3, 2008)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

Your rotors were damaged?? Hmm, well that really does not sound right. Not sure where you are at but here is a fantastic walkthrough for changing yours pads and rotors, I used it for pads;
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/...40013


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (Kong99)*

Well I was only going to do my rotors because the dealer said you needed new ones with every pad replacement. Well I bought a micrometer and checked...the new rotors were 12.6mm and my rotors with 30k were 11.7mm....far from the 10mm wear limit. And since there is no sign anything else is wrong with them I decided to just write off the dealers advice to change the rotors as them wanting to make more money and I just replaced my pads. No problem there...those bolts are easy to work with. I bought the caliper wind back tool from shuaben (sp?) and it worked great. Also made sure to use the proper brake lube for the sliders...


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (Kong99)*

ps-kong99 that is a great write up but look at step 4...the step with the m14 12 point bit. On this guy's car it must not be at factory torque anymore if he can get it off with that wrench. 
Go to your car and try and and let me know how it works out lol


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: rear brakes (justme97)*

Do the rear brakes, and fronts for that matter, have wear sensors on them?


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## justme97 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: rear brakes (solarflare)*

wear sensors on the fronts, not the rears. Ironic since it appears the rears wear first...


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