Changing rear brake discs and/or pads

Changing the rear brakes on a Renault Wind.

Put the car in gear, and release the handbrake.  Jack the car and remove the wheel.  If you’re happy doing this, then you can easily change your own discs and pads.  You may want to put an axle stand under the car for extra safety.
Remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir under the bonnet.


Undo the two bolts that hold the caliper to the carrier.  You’ll need a 15mm open end spanner, and a 13mm spanner for the rear bolt head.


Lift the caliper free of the carrier, and use a wind-back tool to push the piston back into the caliper.  Both calipers use a standard thread (right hand) wind back tool.  Sorry, I forgot to get a picture of this part.


Remove the pads from the carrier.  This is as far as you need to dismantle if you are just replacing pads, however you may want to clean the carrier, and therefore follow the next step too.


Then remove the carrier from the bottom of the suspension leg.  Two 18mm bolts here, and they will be a little tight, so you may need a breaker bar to start them off.


To remove the disc, you need to remove the centre cap/dust seal.  Hammer and screwdriver work well, though I’m sure you can get a special tool for it.


Underneath is a 30mm nyloc nut.  Remove this, and in my case, the disc with bearing fell off.  If it won’t come off easily, then use a hub puller to remove the disc squarely.


Clean around the rear of the stub axle, taking care not to disturb the ABS sensor. Grease the stub axle and fit the new disc, and torque up a new nyloc nut to 175nm, before refitting the dust seal.


[Pad change only people should start reading again]Wire brush the caliper carrier to clean off old brake dust and refit to the bottom of the suspension leg.  Then install the new pads, and replace the caliper.  Some pad sets will have new bolts for this, with thread lock on them.


Refit the wheel, and lower the car.  Now check the brake fluid level, and then go and do the other side.  Once both are done, refit the brake fluid cap, start the car, pump the brakes, and operate the hand brake 3-4 times after which the efficiency should come back.

This is good to watch, before you start.

Nice writeup Araf 

The following is a generic statement about all discs on cars.....

What I would add if you are not replacing the old disc, is to clean the flaky rusty parts off, that are around the thickness perimeter of the disk. (see picture six above for the best view of the rusty perimeter).

I tend to use a big flat screwdriver to get the big rusty flakes off, while rotating the disk by hand, and then use a rectangular emery pad and rotate the disk till all rusty bits are off and it is reasonably clean.

Be careful not to damage the front facia of the disk surface while using screwdriver.

SAFETY: Wear a mask and especially goggles when doing this to protect your eyes. Also a glove for rotating the disc.

Now the reason for this is not obvious, but it prevents flaky bits falling off the disk and jamb at the back of the splash guard, creating noise. 

Also it stops noises of pad/pad houlder/disk interaction by the sticking out flaky bits, if the disc perimeter is clean and there is no flaky bits.

I did this today (pads only, not discs).

Things I learned.

1. You can do this without the rewind tool, but I wouldn't advise it. Browsing tells me that rewind tool sets are available for less than £20. Being creative with a clamp and a set of narrow nose pliers will get you there in the end, but you have to clamp, remove clamp, apply a number of turns with pliers, repeat many times. I spent 1.5 to 2 hours winding calipers back. So spend £20 and buy the tool!

2. Be specific when asking the chap changing your tyres to report back on the state of the brakes. I'd assumed all brakes were checked recently when I asked this and was getting front tyres. Evidently not.

3. A quick check of the visible pad through the alloys won't tell you anything about the state of the pad on the other side of the disk. An intermitant grinding noise will.

Ah well, job done, and it's much better now. :-)

Oh, where are my manners!

Big thank you to @Araf for the guide above, and the others on the forum.

Note to @colin565 , you are right, always take a little time to clear excess rust from the disc. I used the end of a big file, with the file handle wedged into the floor, and rotated the disc multiple times by hand. Removed all excess rust build up that could come into contact with pads.

Thanks Araf, (Colin and Bandit too!) very informative.

Hi Araf I have just recently bought my Renault Wind and joined this fantastic forum. 
your illustrations and information on how to change the rear discs and pads is very informative.
Do you know what the torque setting are on the two 18mm bolts attaching the carrier to the suspension leg and the torque settings for the two bolts that hold the caliper to the carrier.
Many Thanks
Royston

Hi the caliper to carrier is 40nm and the carrier to suspension leg is 100nm

Hi Mistydogblue
Many Thanks for the information much appreciated I can now torque my nuts up to the correct torque settings. 

Hi.
This will be my 1st time trying this. Is this the correct size tool? Thanks.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f98/19/86/11/50/screen11.jpg

Hi, it probably would be better to buy a universal kit that includes the sizes for all cars and also includes right and left handed winders. Something like the attached is readily available.
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LFTMZF8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks. I hope the one i put the link up for fits as i have ordered it. If not i will buy another.

Suitable Applications: disc brake calipers fitted to Citroen, Ford & Renault vehicles - Please check suitability prior to purchase.
- 3/8 Square Drive Fitting
- With reaction plate
- Double Sided Reversible Adaptor Plate - Distance Between Pin Centres: 22mm, & 32mm
- Pin Diameter 6mm
- Heavy Duty Design - Built To Last!

Does anyone know the piston size? Thanks.

The pin centre distance on both the front and rear pistons in 32mm (the overall piston size in 34mm)

Cheers it looks like the tool will fit. Just waiting on the post now.

Are you having bother with your gears? The gear box is sealed and doesnt nornally loose a lot of oil unless there is a leak from the drive shaft seals.

Sorry Alex wrong post.

Although my brakes are fine & passed MoT with flying colours looking at my rear discs indicates that the pad is sweeping a greater amount of the disc one side than the other.

Anyone else have that experience?

Quite often uneven pad wear is caused because one or both of the sliding caliper guide pins are sticking ( you can see them in the 4th and 5th picture from the top above with the little rubber boot). If they do not move in and out freely they should be taken off, cleaned and re-greased. Also make sure that the caliper is free from dirt and rust and this can affect efficiency. The only other thing that could possibly cause uneven pad wear is a faulty brake piston.

I have managed to do mine. The annoying squeak at below 10mph is gone. Copper greased them as i could not see any on the old ones.

Mistydogblue wrote:Quite often uneven pad wear is caused because one or both of the sliding caliper guide pins are sticking ( you can see them in the 4th and 5th picture from the top above with the little rubber boot). If they do not move in and out freely they should be taken off, cleaned and re-greased. Also make sure that the caliper is free from dirt and rust and this can affect efficiency. The only other thing that could possibly cause uneven pad wear is a faulty brake piston.

Thanks for suggestions. Next sunny afternoon I'll get the wheels off & have a look.

Well it was reasonably sunny today so I decided to act on Mistydogblue's useful advice.

Pads seem to be about 60% worn & discs slightly lipped but still generally good & functioning well. 

Will probably do a complete brake overhaul, pads & discs all round, in the summer

Took out pins & applied Copperease. Thanks to Araf's guide I already had the correct spanners to hand.

Also cleaned up excess dust & crud from around pads & their carriers & applied Copperease to the carriers.

Also cleaned up the rust from the previously unswept portion of the discs.

Hopefully that will cure the problem.