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Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:06 pm

Hi guys, i recently bought a '66 that is in pieces. Came with a four wheel 4-lug disc brake kit, with the fronts already installed. I'm trying to figure out how to install the pad onto the caliper. Can you help me out?

It think it's the kit from JSBugs.com...

Thanks for the help! [/img]

Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:06 pm

These are typical single piston calipers. It looks like someone bent the springs on the pads to fit the hole in the center of the caliper, and that's wrong. The springs on the pads are in too tight of a vee. They should be bent down more to form a much wider vee, so when the caliper is bolted down they press against the caliper in the flat spots in the middle. You should have to hold the caliper down against the spring tension to get the bolts started. The springs should dampen the pads from vibrating, but the pads should be free to move inwards as they wear. You might try and bend them, but if I were you, I'd try to get a new set of pads so the springs would be correctly tensioned. Those pads look pretty cheap and generic anyway. Next question is, where do you go to get them? Take them to an auto parts store and a good parts man may be able to find a cross reference.
Good luck, be safe, hope this helps.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:55 pm

Thanks! Ya, it was me that bent one of the pads to get it in.. ha, but i was planning on getting new ones anyway because they too pitted from rust. So i have to install the caliper and the pad at the same time?

As for parts, I can go to VWGoldmine, Pacific Customs, Moore parts, or Socal imports, but i'll try the local Kragen auto parts first for the pads. Thanks again!

Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:34 pm

It's hard to tell from your picture, but you should have a fixed caliper bracket that bolts to the spindle or bolts to the back axle (Front or back? You didn't say). That's what holds the pads and has the surfaces for them to rest and glide on as they wear. The caliper only squeezes them and it glides on it's mounting pins. You should install the pads in the brackets, then place the caliper down onto them. The piston should be pressed back fully to enable this. The caliper will trap and press the springs down, dampening the pads. You have to press down on the caliper and wiggle it untill you can get the bolts started, being careful not to cross thread them. You should get some brake pad installation paste to when you get the pads. Sometimes a small tube is supplied with the pads. You will apply this where the pads contact and rest in the brackets, on the BACK of the pads where they contact the piston and caliper claws, and on the slide pins that mount the caliper. Use it sparingly and don't get any on the friction surfaces. Pick up some Brake Kleen too in case you do and to clean up afterwards. The Autozone on Azusa and Badillo is a pretty good parts store too.
If you go to VW Goldmine, tell Ralph Bruce said Hi!

Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:02 pm

Replacement pads are Bendix number D610. They are for the '93-'06 Ford Taurus, sedan/wagon rear calipers which is what these calipers are.

If you are going to be replacing the pads do not try to use a "C" clamp to push the piston back. They take a special tool that screws them back in. The disc brake tool sold at most auto places that looks like a cube worked for me with some modification. Had to grind down some tabs to fit.
Heres what the Ford tool looks like (circled)

Make sure you grease the guides that the caliper rides on when reinstalling.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:18 pm

Thanks Guys! After midterms, gonna get it done!

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:22 pm

oh, thats one of the back calipers. The PO had already installed everything for the front.

Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:40 pm

Thanks for all the help! got the calipers on and even the new pads installed. Now i'm getting brake lines and an ebrake handle. The car has no brake lines at all, and i have no idea where they go or how to attach them onto the car... can anyone explain or show me?

do i buy hoses and metal lines?

Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:46 pm

check out the pan fest thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=214075

should help you figure out where the lines are spose to go.

Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:53 am

catarinoforlife wrote: Thanks Guys! After midterms, gonna get it done!

i hope you are not going for mechanical engineer.

Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:08 pm

nope! English major lol

Sat May 01, 2010 7:35 pm

finally gettin around to getting the brakelines in and ready to go... but i think the caliper bracket was installed wrong because of where the inlet for the brake line would be... as it is installed, the inlet faces towards the rear of the car....

i thought maybe i had the left and right caliper switched, but it seems to be the same problem... i think may have to take off the rotor and move the bracket that the caliper attaches to, to the opposite side.

To the right of the picture is the rear of the car...

i took this picture from underneath the taillight.. notice how that inlet is pointing the wrong way..

if i do need to take off the rotor, is it just taking off the pin and removing the axle nut??

Thanks Again everyone![/img]