New Pads?

I need new pads for our Golf Driver but are having trouble getting hold of them…


1.3 Driver 1983 with standard brake set up with the 2 pin arrangement. Have found 2 different sets, same height and width but 18.5mm thick and 12.5mm thick. Any idea which are correct? Can't work it out as my old pads are heavily worn.

Normally I'd just buy both sets but can't seem to find anywhere that has them in stock to physically look at and don't want to order both sets only to have to send them back. So second question, any thoughts as to where would have them in stock apart from Gsf, Euro car parts, etc (vw heritage have a 1 week lead time on 1 type and immediately available on the other).

Cheers in advance.

The none vented 239mm MK1 discs disk come in 10mm and 12mm thicknesses. The vented are 20mm.

When I had a Mk1 Diesel Jetta with the same type of calipers as the Driver I once spent an hour or two trying to get some 'fat' pads to fit…..

Measure the discs and then decide which pads you need.

For the cost of new discs, if the ones on are not perfect I'd swap those too whilst you have the wheel off and pads out.

Do you have vented disc or soild discs?
I have the small square brake pads on my Scirocco with solid discs and have a new set of brake pads in my shed I can measure for you if you have solid discs.
Calipers look like this?

I've got solid discs. And yep those are the same calipers…except mine and now way near as clean as those! I imagine a lot of scrubbing sanding/cleaning went into those. What caliper pain did you use out of interest? My dad is keen to get his done.

If you're happy to measure the pads and let me know a cost if they're right then that would be great. 

Cheers,
Andy

I've got solid discs. And yep those are the same calipers…except mine and now way near as clean as those! I imagine a lot of scrubbing sanding/cleaning went into those. What caliper pain did you use out of interest? My dad is keen to get his done.




If you're happy to measure the pads and let me know a cost if they're right then that would be great. 




Cheers,
Andy

I've mesured the pads I bought but not yet fitted and they are 15.2mm! They fit the Teves calipers which are fitted to my car.
Car parts 4 less seem to list your car as having 15.2mm pads….
Link to Car parts 4 less (sister and cheaper company of Euro car parts, notice the website is the same layout!) they will do free delivery and pagid are a good make, they don't list my 1978 Scirocco so I did not search here when buying mine. They are £8.94
http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/c/Volkswagen_Golf_1.3_1983/p/car-parts/car-brakes/brake-friction/brake-pads/?101440048&1&08a876eb6bed9478ac4bedf853cba1b496ac0521&000036

Euro car parts list the same pads for £14.08
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Volkswagen_Golf_1.3_1983/p/car-parts/brakes/brake-friction/brake-pad/?101440048&1&b7faf0ea3390d4a0149ef931228fc20aa9b7b625&000036

The ones I bought from ebay are the same Unipart number as these GBP 682. I think I also paid £1.99 for mine but the postage is £5.49.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLKSWAGEN-GOLF-MK1-1-1-1-3-POLO-SET-NEW-UNIPART-FRONT-BRAKE-PADS-/281137318882?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4175170be2

My Scirocco brake calipers don't look as good as they did in the picture now as that was when the car was off the road for a restoration, the calipers was band new and had not been used when I painted them so no scrubbing and cleaning, I used Halford brake caliper paint but it does chip off if you are not careful putting the wheel on so they could do with a touch up, the car is finished and now been on the road for 4 years and the paint has kept its colour.

Thanks for that post, was really helpful!!

I've ordered the set for carparts4less, like you say Pagid are a good make and don't see why I should pay double the price from EuroCarParts!!

Seeing yours nice and shiny like that has got me wanting mine like that!! Might be a job for next winter when it's off the road anyway for welding!

Massive thanks for your help with this!

Andy

Right ordered the 15.2mm pads from CarParts4Lessand they look right. Only I'm having trouble forcing the piston back? It looks as if it needs and can go further back but doesn't seem to budge. I can't get the first pad into the recess on the caliper yet alone getting the inner pad in.

Any thoughts r suggestions? I've tried taking the reservoir cap off to allow movement of the fluid but like I say, no success.

Cheers

What are you using to push the piston back? I use a big G clamp with a small bit of wood across the piston. 

Was trying to use a fairly meaty screwdriver but wouldn't budge… Will give to g clamp idea a go.

Bit concerned though, as the other wheels pads haven't worn this bad, so wondering if the piston is sticky/ seized as one pad is completely wrecked and the other isn't too bad!

Cheers again!

Had the piston back in with a medium bar, but the NS were completely shot and the OS were fine, think the NS piston the seizing a bit. Someit else to look at!! 

Thanks for the help again!

Shame It's seized, what is the plan next? repair or find a second hand one or replace both with the bigger VWII calipers with the bigger brake pads?

Fortunately, it's not seized fully in there, have been able to retract the piston but I think it's probably sticky. Plan is keep and eye on the pads whilst we run it over the summer. If it is sticky as wrecks the pads really quick, I'd rather put another pair of pads in it for less than a tenner than take it off the road during summer. Thinking about going to a bigger brake conversion over next winter though as I'm pretty keen to put a bigger engine in it as well. 2 birds with 1 stone kinda thing, fix a faulty caliper and prep the car for more speed what you think?

Some times pushing them back helps free them up, might be worth in a few months taking the pads out again and pushing the piston back again.

Ah ok, cheers ill give that a go. Gonna look into bigger brake options as well, if its gonna be done...might as well do it properly!

The VW II calipers are fitted as standard to the GTi so are OK for that sort of horse power and don't need any mods to fit them after that Vaxuhall calipers can be fitted as they are bigger again and I think need bigger disc and some mods to fit, anything after that will get expensive but best to replace the servo for a bigger one before going down that route.

Thanks for that, will look into it properly when I have some time...suppose we need to put more thought into how bigger engine were gonna go and then fit the brakes appropriately from there! Not thinking anything too mental, someit that fits without too much difficulty and is done fairly regularly I reckon!

After considering what I'll do about brake upgrades I'm definitely keen to replace the servo to the larger Mk2 servo and cylinder.

Are the VW II calipers you talk of from the Mk2 Golf? Not sure how far I want to go with an engine upgrade but possibly 16v. Reckon these brakes/calipers will be up to stopping that reasonably?

Cheers

I think VW fitted the VWII calipers to the cars fitted with a 16v engine so they think they are good enough.

while the calliper is off, you can lubricate the piston by pumping so it is out - not all the way out, then carefully pull back the rubber seal and smear a bit of brake fluid round the base of the piston.  This will help lubricate it and prevent rust.