I thought I'd make use of the lockdown and replace the pads and discs on my daughters car. Recent MOT and service highlighted the need. Front brakes not a problem. However rear brakes complete nightmare. Front brakes are Bosch rear brakes Lucas. All's well until you try and remove the caliper carrier. On the front they are held on with normal headed bolts, great. On the rear Fiat decided to change this simple set up and use 8mm cap socket screws (allen key) instead. They also decided to limit the access to these with the hub bracket. I managed to cut a couple of hex wrenches down, I found a 5/16 fitted better then an 8mm one and together with a spark plug socket and extension bar managed to get them out. Well, the bottom one at least. The top one cannot be removed due to hub bracket but can be moved far enough to get the carrier off. These were also loctited in (red). Fitting new disc and pads is straight forward enough. Tightening disc carrier cap socket screws is nerve racking. Did them up as tight as I dared. Did I mention you will also need a brake caliper piston rewind tool. Another subtle difference from the front brakes. I only managed to change the pads on the other side, passenger side, as access to the top carrier bolt is impossible, even with modified hex wrenches. I did consider removing the hub bracket as a last resort. This is held on with four 'normal' bolts. Even accessing these proved to be a pain. Gave up in the end and will let the local garage replace the disc. It's as though someone though I know lets make this as difficult as we can for anyone wanting to save a few bob and do the work themselves. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else whose had these issues.

So maybe an extreme suggestion, cut the corner off the mounting plate such the bolt comes out(first pic), and replace the bolt with normal bolts? I doubt the small piece will make any difference to it's strength.

Are they the Edd China special bungees ?

Farrah

Had lots of practice with this lot

varesecrazy said:

@Farrah

Had lots of practice with this lot

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Oh yes happy memories one of the most stupid overlooked design for service repairs IM(mechanics)HO.

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/481535-renewing-rear-hub-bearings-speed-sensor.html

Read through but basically starts problem at post #7

Again as I said in some responses the complete rear bearing and hub kit was so cheap we changed these too.

My only disappointment was we bought coated discs for the front and never thought about it when buying the rears. The fronts on the centre and outer diameter where the pads don't contact stay nice and silver but the rear rusted over within a week.:bang: The type of alloy wheels we have are very open and nice to look through to see the red painted callipers but spoilt at the rear with the rust bits on the new discs.....but nearly a year on with the car that is our only complaint so far

Farrah

John202020 said:

So maybe an extreme suggestion, cut the corner off the mounting plate such the bolt comes out(first pic), and replace the bolt with normal bolts? I doubt the small piece will make any difference to it's strength.

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Does sound extreme and I did consider changing the bolts, if I could get them all the way out.

Antony Turner said:

Does sound extreme and I did consider changing the bolts, if I could get them all the way out.

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It would have been a simple mod to have formed the corner to allow tool access for an allen key but given watching the old youtube video before we started it appeared the original design was for a hex head bolt and access can then be gained without a problem as again shown in the youtube video using a normal spanner on the bolt head of the rears.

The corner of the bracket again could be cut off but would weaken the part.... but again if modded by factory could have had a small plate or form weld to add back the strength and still allow access for the allen key. I just think this service access problem was totally overlooked when someone decided to change the fastener type from hex head to allen head.


We thought the same thing on doing the job about lets change the bolts to hex heads for next time but the 'superwrenches' we pictured in the old thread actually do work to gain access and grip easily around the exterior of the allen bolt head and work sideways as a spanner so we stuck with the original. Anyway the mechanic was not sure if the bolts required would be a 10.9 or 12.9 and most we have on the shelf are 8.8.

Farrah

The problem is the rear axle was designed for drums brakese and both else

chris3234 said:

The problem is the rear axle was designed for drums brakese and both else

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That is a good point Chris but the earlier conversion to rear discs did use hex bolts and you could get a standard spanner in. So long as you took out the lower bolt first, the top one would allow the part to free up and come away as the top bolt was loosened. The problem with changing to the allen head bolt was there was just no room to get an allen key into the head unless as was done by OP cutting an allen key right back. The problem there though is it is right on the form of the bend and distortion in manufacturing as it is stretched to bend makes it a hit/miss fit.

When we reassembled too we added some loctite (the one that allows dis assembly) onto the original allen head bolts.

Farrah

I would still grind off the corner, you won't loose that much stiffness in that location.