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MG TF Rear Disc & Pad Change

56K views 111 replies 48 participants last post by  ArntyR 
#1 · (Edited)
And finally........

I have completed my brakes now, so here are the pics.

First of all, chock the front wheels of the car. This will prevent the car rolling forward when you release the handbrake to work on the rear brakes. I have a proper landrover chock (from my offroad days) and I also used a chunk of wood for the other wheel.


Loosen the wheel nuts (this is easier with the wheel on the ground), Jack the rear of the car up and support it on an axle stand. DO NOT work on the car without axle stands. It is dangerous and could cause serious injury if the jack fails.


Remove the wheelnuts and remove the wheel. We can now see the disc and calliper. The reason it is so rusty is I just used some alloy wheel cleaner the day before and is rusted all of the discs, so beware when using this stuff.


Remove the two bolts that hold the two halves of the calliper together


and remove the centre section of the calliper assembly. Note...I had to use a drift and hammer to remove the calliper assembly. I applyed force in the direction shown below. Be carefull not to damage the assembly.


The piston assembly will now swing free. Be carefull that the weight of the assembly is not taken by the brake hose as this could stretch or damage it. You can see the piston that needs to be wound back.


Here is a better view of the piston showing the four notches that the windback tool locates into.


Engage the tool into the notches and, using a ratchet and extension, turn clockwise until the piston is fully home. This will allow the housing to fit over the new thicker pads.


A note from Pete Vickerstaff "When you are re-winding the piston back in, ensure that the cut outs in the piston are at 12/3/6/9 o'clock, the cut out at 3 o'clock engages in a small pin on the back of the pad. If the piston is not aligned, you will get a 10-15mm rust ring at the outer edge of the inner surface of the disc due to uneven pressure on the pad."

You will need to remove excess brake fluid from the reservoir. When you move the piston back in to the housing it will displace the fluid in the calliper which will feed back to the reservoir and cause it to fill up. If your reservoir is quite full already this procedure could cause it to overflow.
I used a turkey baster to remove the excess, it is quite handy but the turkey will never taste the same again. REMEMBER that brake fluid is corrosive, both to you and the car. Dispose of responsibly.


Remove the final part of the calliper by removing the two bolts behind the disc.


This now leaves you with the pad carrier complete with old pads. Mine were pretty well stuck in and I had to apply release oil to shift them. I know it is strange applying oil, but you will be fitting new pads and will be cleaning the carrier when finished. DO NOT apply oil if you will be re using the pads.


Knock the old pads out. The outer edges of the pads sit in grooves. Clean these out with a wire brush taking care not to damage the rubber gaiters


The grooves have steel clips in them. Remove these (Careful as they are quite bendy) and clean them and the grooves again with a wire brush. This is to remove any old brake dust and corrosion build up.


Refit the clips

The old pads have metal backing plates on. Remove these


and fit them to the new pads with some coppercrest. Also apply some coppercrest to the edges. These are the edges that sit in the grooves that you have cleaned out with the wire brush. I had to file these edges to remove some burrs which were causing the pads to stick in the grooves. Test fit before applying coppercrest.


This shows an old pad next to the new one. Some life left, but not much


Now assemble the pads back into the carrier.

The next job is to remove the old disc

First remove the disc retaining screws. I managed to get 3 out with an impact drver, but one sheared. For those of you who haven't used on, you hit the end of the impact driver with a heavy hammer. This pushes the driver forward and tuns it at the same time which releases most stuck screws. I would have included it in the photo but I found it dificult holding the driver, hammer and camera at the same time.


Next you "persuade" the disc off the hub by tapping it from the inside with a suitable hammer. The one in the picture (nearside) came off with no problems, but the offside took some hammering, a long lever and some WD40. it was well stuck. REMEMBER that any force you apply to the disc will be transferred through the suspension components and wheel bearing. take care.


Clean the hub with a wire brush. This will help with the fitting of the new disc and will help it seat correctly.


Apply Coppercrest to the hub. This will help when you need to remove the disc next time. Do not use to thick a coating as this could loosen the wheelnuts etc when the hub heats up and the grease melts. It also spins out at speed and makes a mess on your wheel.


Next prepare the new disc by removing the protective oil with some form of degreaser.


Fit the new disc, disc retaining screws and calliper. One tip worth mentioning is after fitting the road wheel to the correct torque, remove it again and retighten the disc retaining screws. You will find that the action of tightening the wheel on will have forced the disc further onto the hub.


Not part of the disc and pad change, but part of the 30k (or 2 year) service that I have carried out as well, is the brake fluid change.

I used a special (not that special really) bleeding pipe that has a slit in the side of the rubber with the end blanked off. This acts as a non return valve and allows you to do the job without a second person.

Fit the tube (orange in the photo) to the bleed nipple with the other end in a suitable container. Undo the nipple a half a turn. Remove the old fluid from the reservoir and top up with new DOT4 brake fluid. Now pump the brake pedal, ensuring that you top up the reservoir when necessary. This will force the new fluid through the system and the old fluid out into the container. Start from the furthest wheel from the servo, then the next furthest, ending with the nearest. Remember that the AP callipers (Front callipers on the TF160 etc) have two bleed nipples. Do the outside one first, then the inside. If this is wrong I am sure someone will be along in a minute. The main thing about bleeding is to ensure that air does not get back into the system.


And my brakes are now sorted. Feels tighter and I even managed to lock them today by accident (or at least a little squeel). At which point I should tell you that you should not do any heavy braking until the pads/discs are bedded in.

I have diposed of the old discs as I had to apply a fair bit of force to remove them and I don't think they would have been any good.

Usual disclaimers apply. This is only a log of how I did it and I can't be held responsible for damage or injury while carrying this out. Good luck.

Enjoy. And I hope this helps you out.
 
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#6 ·
Nice job CJ :broon:

Might be worth mentioning to check disk runout, if not with a clock gauge then at least visually in case you've left a gob of loose rust between disk and hub hidden in that copper grease. Oh and for that reason, the merest smear of copper grease between disk & hub imo.
 
#17 ·
Nice job CJ :broon:

Might be worth mentioning to check disk runout, if not with a clock gauge then at least visually in case you've left a gob of loose rust between disk and hub hidden in that copper grease. Oh and for that reason, the merest smear of copper grease between disk & hub imo.
Balrog is quite right. When fitting new discs you should check that they are running true, or check for runout. The proper way to do this is with a dti (dial test indicator), or clock gauge as it looks a bit like a stopwatch. You take a reading from the surface of the diec and turn it, making sure that any deviation is within specification.

I may be slack, but all I do is apply the brakes a few times to take up any slack on the pads and then spin the wheel to see if it catches at any point. I then go for a drive with the windows open and apply light braking and then heavier braking and listen for any catching noises.

Applying coppercrest to the face of the hub is not to everyones taste. If you do it, check your wheel nut torque a couple of times after a couple of drives. You should do this anyway when the wheel has been removed. I just don't like taking a sledge hammer to discs when removing them.

hey cjj, very clear how to, top marks! have a small Q, how many miles has your car done, i seeit is an 04. just wondering as mine is an 52, and not sure if the'v been done as i have only just bought it??? cheers new_2_the_game
Hi, new_2_the_game. My car has done close to 28k now. To be honest, it isn't how many miles, but more how you drive/brake. Discs and pads can last a long time with light use. I changed mine mainly for peace of mind. I would, however, say that at this sort of mileage it is well worth stripping things down and cleaning them. My brakes must have been close to seizing judging by how difficult things were to get apart. And, if you are going as far as stripping and cleaning you may as well replace the pads at least.

Yeah it's a great honour to make it on there lmao :D
Hmmm. The hardcore Petevicks site crew. To boldly take pictures where no one has ventured before. :hyper:
 
#18 ·
superb mate, not sure if it needs clarifying but the bleed sequence is LHR-RHR-RHF-LHF. AP's are as described, outer then inner nipple!

I'm glad to hear that you do the same method as me for bleeding also, pumping the brake pedal by yourself! I was confident it was right but nice to know someone else does it!!! ;)

Gotta say you have a great selection of tools, so to speak!! ;) every DIY mechanics dream... ;)
 
#20 ·
superb mate, not sure if it needs clarifying but the bleed sequence is LHR-RHR-RHF-LHF. AP's are as described, outer then inner nipple!

I'm glad to hear that you do the same method as me for bleeding also, pumping the brake pedal by yourself! I was confident it was right but nice to know someone else does it!!! ;)

Gotta say you have a great selection of tools, so to speak!! ;) every DIY mechanics dream... ;)
Yep, that's the sequence I used.

I always do it by myself, but you need to either suspend the end of your bleeding tube under the brake fluid or use a one man bleeding type system (or woman).

The tools have been aquired over the years, but I did buy a big Halfords own Snap-on type tool trolley with drawers and tools (was on special offer) at the same time as buying the TF. Thought it might come in handy.
 
#21 ·
You don't have a turkey baster?

That was part of the wifes tool kit until I knicked it. And before anyone accuses me of being sexist, it wasn't a kitchen tool, she bought it for catching baby fish in her fishtank before they get eaten. Now, I just guess they get eaten :dunno:

Specialist tools are collected along the way. I tend to research the job I am going to do and buy the tools. The windback tool was recommended on here by ChrisT I think. Bought it on e-bay.
 
#26 ·
LOL being 25 I've only had my house for 2 years so not got round to acquiring one yet.... Also there's the fact I'm vegetarian!! :rotflmao:

I do dream about doing a job one day though when I have all the tools BEFORE I start!! Thanks again though!
I think you can get a nut cutlet baster. Funnily enough it looks exactly the same as a turkey baster :)

Another great tuition guide, I am actually starting to feel confident about tackling some of these jobs myself as it always helps me to visualise the process before hand, thanks for taking the time to do this.

On a different note where did you purchase the replacement discs and pads?

Thanks

David
Glad to be of assistance. The front discs (AP discs) I bid for on e-bay and got for around £70-£80 and the pads from a local factors at £15 +vat.

The rears I bought from an e-bay shop at £37 for the discs and pads. Cheap as chips.

Thats around the £130 mark for new discs and pads all round. You've got to be happy with that, and that's for a TF 160. You could probably do a 135 for around the £80 mark.
 
#24 ·
Another great tuition guide, I am actually starting to feel confident about tackling some of these jobs myself as it always helps me to visualise the process before hand, thanks for taking the time to do this.

On a different note where did you purchase the replacement discs and pads?

Thanks

David
 
#27 ·
This is an amazing thread, many thanks CJJ. I will be doing this job over the next few days and I feel much more confident now having read your How-To-Do.

It's learning things like this which save pennies and pounds. At least now I don't have to pay someone else to do a fairly simple job, plus I get to know the car better and source my own parts.

Thanks for putting the time in mate.
 
#28 ·
Finally got round to doing my rear discs and pads tonight, great to view the guide again prior to doing the work.

Apart from one caliper bolt having been previously rounded (former owner or garage!) it was very straightforward. I have nice new discs to match my front ones now.
 
#30 ·
I agree with you, to a point. If you are not a clean worker you can end up with flakes of rust etc sticking to the grease and the disc won't sit true. It can also cause hydraulic action and in some cases cause the wheel nuts not to tighten to the correct torque. You should also not paint them as when heated the paint will soften and cause the wheel nuts to loosen.

I did say in the post that not everyone likes to apply copper crest in this area, but a small amount spread very thinly shouldn't be a problem. There are potential problems, but compared to stressing your suspension and wheel bearings with a sledge hammer (mine had become one with the hubs) when you try to remove the discs, I will go for the copper slip every time.
 
#32 ·
No probs. It took me most of the afternoon to do this, but obviously they have better tools and are more experienced. Although I don't like garages I have to sympathise with them when people take there car in for all round brakes and then complain about the price when they have spent many hours and parts making their car safe again.
 
#35 ·
No probs. It took me most of the afternoon to do this, but obviously they have better tools and are more experienced. Although I don't like garages I have to sympathise with them when people take there car in for all round brakes and then complain about the price when they have spent many hours and parts making their car safe again.

I disagree, bet ya ten bob ninety percent of garages just bang the pads and disks in and dont bother doing the fluid.

P.s nice write up.

What did you do about the bolt, / thingy that sheared?

I drilled and re tapped mine..
 
#34 ·
Sorry CJJ, missed this one last time round. Fantastic write up. I have the pics somewhere of my own write up, but it is nowhere as good as yours so I wont bother.

Respect!!:broon:

So are these "one person" bleed kits easy enough to sue and cheap enough. My fluid needs changed very quickly but I have no friends to help pump the pedal :(
 
#36 ·
Broon, the one man bleed kit is just a rubber tube with a slit at the bottom. This acts as a none return valve. I also stick it in a jar full of fluid so no air can feed back. Don't loosen your nipples too much as this can be a source of air as well.

Wildmurphy. The hubs are still screwless. the main thing I have done is win 2 brand new hubs of e-bay, complete with screws, so I will fit these and probably new bearings while I am in there.
 
#37 ·
Thanks for this guide. Made changing the rear discs and pads a doddle. Only issue I had was that under the steel inserts that the pads sit on had corroded and bubbled slightly.

This was stopping the pad moving freely (couldn't even get the new pad in) so had to have a go at it with a file to clean it up. Hopefully that was what was causing the car to pull to the left under braking...

Oh and instead of a caliper wind tool I just used an adjustable spanner with one end in the groove. Worked a treat.

Now have to go out and test it!
 
#38 ·
great how-to! i'm planning and doing this soon and this will be a tool in itself to help me. may i ask, with the brake-fluid change, how much fluid does the complete system hold? and is it necessary to have the wheel removed to access the nipple and bleed? i ask because, i'm trying to visualise it, ie did you take all the wheels off first and then bleed them one after the other in one go, or just remove each wheel as necessary? i intend to replace the discs and pads all round, and suppose i ought to replace the brake fluid too as it has just hit 30k. and finally, are the red ap callipers on the fronts of the tf160 the same general procedure to remove?

it's so good to have this pool of knowledge to dip into. thanks in advance.
 
#41 ·
may i ask, with the brake-fluid change, how much fluid does the complete system hold? and is it necessary to have the wheel removed to access the nipple and bleed? i ask because, i'm trying to visualise it, ie did you take all the wheels off first and then bleed them one after the other in one go, or just remove each wheel as necessary?

You can bleed the brakes easily enough without removing the wheels, as long as you know where to find the nipples. Make sure you bleed them in the right order to prevent air remaining in the system. I think the system holds about 600ml, and obviously you'll use a little more whilst bleeding, so a litre sees you right.
 
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