changing pads, handbrake and discs on touring.. EASY/HARD?

[dobbie82]

We are giving the Touring a major service next week, and I just wondered how easy it is to change the brakes? I've never has a car with rear discs before.

come to think of it, ive only ever changed the front brakes on a fiesta and that was only once!

I have ordered pads for front and rear and also handbrake cables, do I need to change the brakepad sensor?

Also should I change the discs? they dont look terribly worn but new disc are under Ԛ£20 each... and I am considering it as it would help the pads seat better wouldnt it?

Hannah

p.s sorry for waffling!

[Simon13]

if the disks don't have too much of a burr or lip on the edge they should be fine.

chances are they will be the ones which came on the car from new.

u will need 17mm spanner/ratchet for the 2 nuts which hold on the caliper.
G-cramp will be handing for fully pushing in the piston on the calipers for when u fit the new pads.

disks are held on with a small allen key 5mm-i think. Nut.
Handbrake off for rear disks. Will possibly still be a pain to get off but it will come.
Copper grease too!

not too difficult, but u will need some strength!

I've never done the cables, but new rear disks will help your handbrake a good deal

hth

[Cava]

For the sake of around Ԛ£3, I would order new brake pad sensors. Various manuals always make it sound easy to unclip the old ones but they can go really grotty and end up snapping off the old pads.

[gareth]

for the price, i'd replace the whole lot. pads, handbrake shoes and disks are about Ԛ£50 from gsf iirc. chances are the disks are quite corroded so new ones won't hurt.

it's easy to get the disks off once the handbrake mechanism is clackened off within the drum/disk thingy but it's a pain to work out how this thing works until it's all off!

do a search to get the correct setup procedure for the handbrake mechanism as it'll be screwd up by someone in the past winding the cables up... these only ever need doing once, the wear is taken up within the drum assembly adjuster.