How to Replace Front Brakes 2000-05 Volkswagen Jetta
Created on: 2014-04-07
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace your own worn, squeaky, fading old front brakes on 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, Volkswagen Jetta.
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Remove the lug nut covers with a 7mm Allen bit
- Insert the lug nut key into the special lug nut
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Inspecting the Brakes
- Turn the rotor by hand or turn the steering wheel to turn the rotor
- Check for gouges on both sides of the rotor
- Check the thickness of the brake pads
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step 3 :Removing the Brake Pads
- Pry off the retaining wire with a flat blade screwdriver
- Pry off the caliper bolt caps with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the two 7mm Allen bolts from the brake caliper
- Pry the brake pads back with a flat blade screwdriver to push in the caliper
- Pull the caliper aside
- Remove the brake pads by hand
- Remove the brake pad slides
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step 4 :Removing the Brake Rotor
- Remove the two 18mm bolts from the brake caliper bracket
- Pull off the brake caliper bracket
- Remove the Phillips screw from the brake rotor
- If necessary, use an impact screwdriver to remove the screw
- Pull the rotor off
- If the rotor will not come off, thread the Phillips head screw and strike the rotor with a hammer
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step 5 :Preparing the New Brakes
- Clean the brake rotor with brake part cleaner or mineral spirits
- Clean the brake pad slides with a wire brush
- Apply white grease to the brake pad tabs
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step 6 :Installing the New Brake Rotor
- Slide the rotor on
- Insert the Phillips head screw into the brake rotor
- Put the bracket back into place
- Start the 18mm bolts by hand
- Tighten the bolts to 70 foot-pounds of torque
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step 7 :Installing the New Brake Pads
- Put an old pad in the caliper
- Use a large C-clamp and the old pad to push the pistons back
- Install the new inner brake pad into the caliper
- Install the new outer brake pad into the bracket
- Put the caliper on
- Thread the 7mm Allen bolts by hand
- Tighten the 7mm Allen bolts to between 25 – 30 foot-pounds
- Put on the bolt cover caps
- Put the retaining wire into place using needle nose pliers
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step 8 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the lug nut covers
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step 9 :Testing the Brakes
- Pump your brakes repeatedly until they feel firm
- Test your brakes at 5 miles per hour and then 10 miles per hour
- Road test the vehicle
Tools needed
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Large C-Clamp
Torque Wrench
Jack Stands
Brake Parts Cleaner
7mm Allen Wrench
Impact Screwdriver
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Large Hammer
7mm Socket
White Grease
Mineral Spirits
Ratchet
Floor Jack
Cloth Rags
Needle nose pliers
Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.
Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the front brakes on this 2004 Volkswagen Jetta. We show you on the passenger side, but the driver's side is the same procedure. The items you'll need for this are: a new brake pad and rotor kit from 1AAuto.com, 18mm socket and ratchet with a piece of pipe for leverage, 7mm Allen bit, flat blade screwdriver, jack and jack stands, torque wrench, wire brush, large C-clamp, mineral spirits or brake cleaner, brake grease, and a hammer.
Start off using a 7mm Allen bit, and just prying out these lug nut caps. We'll fast forward as he does the rest of those. You'll notice that this lug nut is a little different than the others. You're going to need a key to remove it, and that key can be found right here, next to your jack stand in your trunk. You can just push it into that lug nut, and now it removes just like a regular lug nut. If you don't have air-powered tools, you're going to want to loosen up these lug nuts, then raise the vehicle, and remove them the rest of the way. Once the lug nuts are removed, the wheel will pull right off.
Now, you can inspect the brakes. Run your finger on the rotor, and make sure there are no deep grooves. This rotor's in really rough shape. You can see how bad that is. The pads are almost new, probably about 60% life left, so somebody just replaced the pads, but did not resurface the rotors. So you need to replace both the pads and the rotors.
Pry out this retaining wire. Then, pry off these caps. Inside here, you'll see that there are two 7mm Allen bolts. You just want to go ahead and remove those. Now using a flat blade screwdriver, just pry your brake pad into the caliper, and this will push the caliper piston in, and make it easier to remove. Then, it just pulls off and you can set it aside. Then, you just pull out your brake pads.
Now, remove these two 18-mm bolts that hold on your caliper bracket, using a socket and ratchet, and a piece of pipe for leverage. You really just need the pipe to break the bolts free, and then it's pretty easy. Once those are removed, the bracket will pull right off. Then you want to remove this Phillips screw. It can be in there pretty good. It can take a little bit of effort to get it going. If you have one, you may want to use an impact driver, or if worse comes to worse, you can drill the head off, and then just remove the rotor. To remove that, if the rotor didn't pull off, just twist it back in a couple turns, and then hit your rotor with a hammer. Then remove that screw, and pull your rotor off.
On the left is the old rotor and brake pads. On the right are the new ones from 1A Auto. You can see they're identical, and they're going to fit exactly the same. Using brake cleaner or mineral spirits, just wipe down your new rotor. Using a wire brush, you just want to clean off the slides on your caliper bracket. Then, apply some brake grease to these tabs on either end of the brake pad.
Now, push your rotor back into place, and replace that Phillips screw. Turn the rotor so that you have more room, and just slide the bracket back into place, and replace those two 18mm bolts. If you have to drill off that screw that holds the rotor on, you can hold the rotor in place with a lug bolt during these steps. We'll just fast forward as Don tightens those up. Now torque both of these bolts to 70 foot pounds.
Using a large C-clamp, just push that piston on your caliper in the rest of the way, and then push your brake pad into place, and your other brake pad into place on the caliper bracket, and then put your caliper down into place. Then re-tighten the Allen bolts, and you'll want to tighten those to 25 to 30 foot pounds. Replace these caps, and then put the retaining wire back into place. You want to make sure that it's all the way back in.
Push the wheel back into place, and line up the holes for the lug bolts, and then replace the lug bolts. If you don't have air-powered tools, you want to tighten these preliminarily, lower the vehicle, and then tighten them the rest of the way. Then, lower the vehicle and torque each lug nut to 100 foot pounds in a crossing pattern. Now, replace your lug nut caps. Now, pump the brake until it firms up, and then you want to do a stopping test from 5 miles per hour, and 10 miles per hour. Then you're all set.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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